New Sytem Coming to Alabama

[pilotman6012]

The great Governor of Alabama has signed a contract with First Net to switch all First Responders and Law Enforcement Agencies to the new system,the system works off broadband and AT&T towers,they will pay a service charge,but all equipment to the agencies is free.So i guess everything they do and everybody else will be in the dark about what is going on.

 

[ecps92]

You may want to actually read up on what First Net actually is, and likely the State has only Opted-In, not signed any contract

LMGTFY

Also... don't expect it soon :roll:

The great Governor of Alabama has signed a contract with First Net to switch all First Responders and Law Enforcement Agencies to the new system,the system works off broadband and AT&T towers,they will pay a service charge,but all equipment to the agencies is free.So i guess everything they do and everybody else will be in the dark about what is going on.

 

[medic9351301]

Am I confused ?
I thought this was only internet broad band networks.
Not a rf 2 way system

 

[garys]

No, you're not confused. First Net is indeed a broadband system. It's for public safety use. There is probably a benefit in that individual systems won't need to build out a data network. It's also not dependent on commercial broadband like Verizon. At least it doesn't seem to be.

Am I confused ?
I thought this was only internet broad band networks.
Not a rf 2 way system

 

[ecps92]

Which is why the OP needs to read up on what it really is :roll:

Am I confused ?
I thought this was only internet broad band networks.
Not a rf 2 way system

 

[medic9351301]

Bill, I was just confused plain and simple.
I seen radio network or so I thought

 

[f2shooter]

I noticed two news stories on Montgomery Channel 12 about this. Are they adding to the system or are they replacing existing systems all around? A few years ago I asked our now late fire chief if our city was planning to go digital. He answered that no such plans were in the works primarily since cost would be in the millions. We still have an analog system for LE, EMS, fire and so on but the town next door apparently has gone completely digital as I can only hear them on my BCD436HP and then only when I am in town or nearby. Not sure why Alabama would try and install a completely new system for everyone statewide. Seems an answer to a problem that doesn't exist.

Rick H.

 

[medic9351301]

This only for internet.
Not for rf traffic.
The afrn 700 mhz system is supposed to be a statewide.
First responder rf system.
Will be lucky if we see it fully installed in our lifetime.

 

[morganAL]

2022 is the buildout deadline. Initially, it will only support public safety data. At some point, they will add voice/PTT service. Some people think it will eventually replace traditional LMR systems. I do not.

 

[ecps92]

My reply was to the OP not you...

Bill, I was just confused plain and simple.
I seen radio network or so I thought

 

[emcom]

Huntsville-Madison County 911 opted to partner with Southern Linc to provide LTE broadband to responders. It isn't the old iDen network thats hideously slow, its their new LTE service and public safety will have priority. They have a lot of backup power and redundancy built in the system. So, instead of waiting till 2022, we will be coming online in 2018.

Read here:Article in Mission Critical magazine

 

[jim202]

First Net may be backing them self's into a corner with being so tight lipped on just what they will be supplying with this new data system. Mission Critical magazine published an article about a couple of people from Vermont suing them as a result of FOIA requests that are being rejected. It was interesting reading about why the suit was being brought and the grounds for it.

In the same issue was another article about public safety radio system reliability and what reliability the cellular systems were built to. Another eye opening reading for those that care.

Just what the outcome of the First Net system is going to be and what type of coverage it will supply is still to be proven. Talk is cheap, but the real proof is when the boots on the ground go to use the system. That is when we will find out just how well it will work. It will also show just how well and to what effort AT&T put into the project.

Let us all sit back and watch what the first responders end up with when the first portion of the network gets fired up. Then and only then can we start to point fingers on how well the system works and what the coverage is.

My big concern is what type of backup power will be provided at each of these radio sites. Having been in this field for a long time and been through ice storms and a number of hurricanes, I have found out over the years that the cellular industry has not done a very good job of keeping their sites on the air when they are needed the most. Plus AT&T has not been that good at providing coverage outside the heavy population areas.

 

[emcom]

Good points Jim. I'd be concerned about coverage, backup power, and support. Have you ever tried to reach someone at the phone company??? We had a phone circuit to a mountaintop VHF base station and it was always a nightmare to get it repaired. I think we finally gave up.

 

[jim202]

Good points Jim. I'd be concerned about coverage, backup power, and support. Have you ever tried to reach someone at the phone company??? We had a phone circuit to a mountaintop VHF base station and it was always a nightmare to get it repaired. I think we finally gave up.

The magic word with the telephone companies is to tell them that you want to "Escalate" the problem and talk with a supervisor when you are reporting the problem. The phone companies are suppose to jump if the circuit outage is feeding a public safety system.

The reason the phone companies don't want the escalation imposed is that it becomes an issue when they go in front of the public utilities commission or what ever they call the board that reviews rate increases.a this becomes a black mark on the company for the rate increase they are looking for.

Don't be a problem child or become loud and threatening, but get the point across that your having problems with the telephone circuit and it needs to be repaired like yesterday. Provide the person your talking to a brief history of the problems. The other route to take is to file a complaint with both the public service commission and then with the FCC. I will tell you that it won't take long in receiving a call from the phone company saying they have dispatched people to repair the problem.

An example of this action was Charter had a problem with 25 states when they tried to do a firmware upgrade on their network on a Sunday. It was a major failure that took out both the Internet and phone service. Some couldn't even watch any television. You couldn't save your life trying to call them to report the problem. Everyone else was doing the same thing. A polite formal complaint to the FCC had a phone call from Charter on Monday afternoon. Then a regional manager called me to inquire what my problems were.

Again, be polite, but be firm.

 

[INDY72]

FirstNet is primarily data, but they are already working on HTs that access it, both Motorola, and Harris/Tait are well into testing units. They are pushing it harder and harder as the go to system, and the Feds are from what I hear and read, hook line and sinker in the deep water end on it. It is still a LONG way off in rural areas where in some instances, getting 3G, much less 4G LTE or better is not even worth thinking about. But in the bigger markets, its well in the works. For the ones that do go to it for ALL comms, that is the end of monitoring as we know it. For hose agencies anyway. Most States will mainly use it for data purposes such as instant live real time video, extended messaging, etc... But there are many places that have stated they will go to it for voice. There is at last one LEA in TX that went on media saying it outright. For us in IN, and for AR, MS, TN, and LA,.. It is going to at least be used heavily for data, and not so much voice for a while once it is up and running. MS is running into issues, as the initial contractors ended up causing problems and are being replaced, delaying things as ALL the infrastructure they put up is now being removed and replaced... Another big problem that could plague any State, that one is... So watch for changes, and then more changes, and then technical issues, and costly problems. Same old song and dance.