The Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communication System Authority...

The Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communication System Authority awarded a $175 million contract to Motorola Solutions to develop a wireless public safety broadband network based on 4G LTE. The LA-RICS network will provide data communications to more than 34,000 law enforcement, fire service and health service workers and more than 80 public safety agencies, said the company in a news release Thursday (http://bit.ly/1gfdj4D). The contract follows June’s agreement where FirstNet allowed LA-RICS to lease access to FirstNet’s spectrum (CD June 20 p3). If all options are exercised, the contract calls for a five-phase project to design, construct, implement and maintain the LTE network. LA-RICS is funding the 231-site project primarily with federal grants from NTIA’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program.