Los Angeles Public Safety Network Gets $154 Million BTOP Grant

The Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA-RICS) got a $154 million grant from NTIA’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program to build a first-responder network using 700 MHz spectrum. The group was one of 21 that received waivers from the FCC in May to build early networks, ahead of a proposed national network, using the spectrum.

The grant is the largest awarded to a pubic safety network for a 700 MHz system. In August, NTIA said several systems had received BTOP grants, including $50.6 million to the San Francisco area, $70 million grant to the state of Mississippi and $39.7 million for the Northern New Jersey Urban Area Security Initiative (CD Aug 19 p1). Los Angeles was among the cities left out when the announcement was made.

The LA-Safety Net will serve the region’s 34,000 first responders, whose work covers 4,084 square miles and a population of more than 10 million. The network will take in almost 300 wireless 700 MHz public safety broadband sites using new and current infrastructure, fixed microwave backhaul rings and a 100-mile high-capacity fiber backbone. LA-RICS cites a history of local disasters on its website (http://la-rics.org).

The grant is “welcome news,” said Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., who announced the grant at a news conference Monday. “With this grant, our ability to prevent, protect and respond to natural and man-made disasters will be dramatically enhanced. ... Today’s news is huge -- a big down payment on a safer future.” The county has seen “wildfires, earthquakes and riots, and has the potential for tsunamis and major terror attacks,” she said. Harman stressed that the grants to a handful of public safety systems does not negate the need for a national network.

NTIA published a notice of the award but did not put out a news release by our deadline.