It goes something like this: Hey boys and girls, we have this great need for cops in Alabama to be able to talk to firemen in Wisconsin! Third grader question: Why? Answer by experts: Because we have this great new high speed technology called LTE that combines the benefits of voice, data, and video! Third grader question: Have you got the money to pay for it? Expert response: No, but we can get it by borrowing money from China, and then letting them build it for us.
Third grader: Why don't you just use the systems being made available from private network carriers? Wouldn't that be less expensive and more effective? Expert response: Nah, we need to do our own thing! Third grader: I think that's stupid! Expert response: Let me look into that. I'll get back to you!
Now it appears that there may be a chance for common sense after all. The attached FEMA Internal Briefing may be the tip of the iceberg. The 700 MHz nationwide broadband network is on hold. Click here to read the full document. And that's not all! For the first time ever, the FEMA fire grant program is finally applying some realistic requirements to the 2012 Assistance to Firefighter communications projects. We'll be telling you more about this over the next few days. For now, we can give you a little advice. Those of you who think you can ignore the rules for procuring P25 open standard equipment, stay tuned. YOU are in for a surprise that you're not going to like!
