Posted on 01/28/2018 5:07:10 PM PST by Mariner
Trump national security officials are considering an unprecedented federal takeover of a portion of the nation’s mobile network to guard against China, according to sensitive documents obtained by Axios.
Why it matters: We’ve got our hands on a PowerPoint deck and a memo — both produced by a senior National Security Council official — which were presented recently to senior officials at other agencies in the Trump administration.
The main points: The documents say America needs a centralized nationwide 5G network within three years. There'll be a fierce debate inside the Trump administration — and an outcry from the industry — over the next 6-8 months over how such a network is built and paid for.
Two options laid out by the documents:
The U.S. government pays for and builds the single network — which would be an unprecedented nationalization of a historically private infrastructure.
An alternative plan where wireless providers build their own 5G networks that compete with one another — though the document says the downside is it could take longer and cost more. It argues that one of the “pros” of that plan is that it would cause “less commercial disruption” to the wireless industry than the government building a network.
Between the lines: A source familiar with the documents' drafting says Option 2 is really no option at all: a single centralized network is what's required to protect America against China and other bad actors.
(Excerpt) Read more at axios.com ...
And can anyone imagine, no matter how much a privately built network would cost, that the government built one would not cost more by many times the private built?
People engaged in gaslighting will always claim to be honest.
FirstNet was awarded to AT&T, and they are the only carrier building/ operating it.
For now it is a 3G/4G-LTE network carved out of the existing spectrum using dynamic traffic management for prioritization of primary and extended first responders’ data traffic.
As the Band 14 RAN and the FirstNet network core deploy, primary and extended FirstNet members will utilize FirstNet specific SIMs, as well as next-gen Band 14 [ newly allocated spectrum ] for prioritization AND pre-emption on both Band 14 spectra as well as the general commercial LTE spectra. New rugged endpoints are coming out fast, specific for FirstNet. FirstNet has an IoT and ‘smart cities’ play as well.
As 5G gets finalized and deployed, the services, particularly broadband and location services (including Z-axis location) get big upgrades. FirstNet as a network and the services on top of it essentially enable a ‘networked battlefield’ operating environment for First Responders - when it’s completed. Dense urban areas first to get the 5G, rural areas to get LOTS more towers.
FirstNet is the real deal, this article was poppy-cock.
As a former volunteer fireman, I was/am fascinated with what FirstNet will deliver.
Exactly.
Few people really know this.
Serkit - you are misinformed.
FirstNet was REQUESTED by public safety, for throughput and inter-operability.
It was funded by the Feds (our taxes) after 9-11.
The States ALL had the option to build their own OR opt-in to FirstNet. Eventually ALL the states and US territories opted in.
The killer apps for now in early FirstNet are LMRI (land mobile radio inter-operability) and traffic prioritization (First Responder data traffic WILL get through). It happens to cut the costs of LMR operation as well.
Also, the ability to prioritize and pre-empt traffic on the FirstNet network is enabled NOT to some faceless gnome in DC, but rather a “local control” console. This means that if there is an emergency at the Port of Savannah, then the Public Safety team in that geography/jurisdiction can go online, SEE the affected towers suffering congestion, and set priority and pre-emption for those specific towers. It’s really powerful what FirstNet does and will do.
And GrandMa still gets to call, even if 7 engine companies and 5 EMT centers are guaranteed throughput.
I wouldn’t try to malign FirstNet until you know a lot more about it.
I aged-out of being a volunteer fire fighter. FirstNet would have been GREAT for us. Motorola radios are $5 - $10K APIECE. FirstNet would have let us use $500 Sonim rugged handhelds. PLUS the Sonim/Kyocera/Samsung gizmos will have apps on them that would help keep “me” and the public alive and safe.
Bingo! 5G is still a moving target, with SOME topologies and near-standards published.
It. Doesn’t. Work. That. Way.
Get informed, the info is public.
FirstNet is not Skynet.
Add one more to your list:
4. Anyone who thinks a centralized 5G network won't somehow restrict content to U.S. based end consumers is stupid.
Think about it: China restricts what its Internet users see by restricting access from the Internet through a centralized chokepoint into the country's network.
Once a 5G network is centralized, the US Government can do the exact same thing: Restricting content it allows ONTO the 5G network and restricting content generated within the 5G network via a centralized administration & filtering scheme.
It's a one-world order dream to control what we see. This would be one way to accomplish it.
Thank. You. So. Much.
Get informed. Learn when to use a period or semicolon instead of a comma.
Emphasis method in the modern lexicon.
You’re still misinformed ;-)
go here: https://firstnet.gov/
What a way to twist that Trump thinks that companies should try to provide fast and reliable communications to as many of us as possible instead of letting some companies monopolizing areas at the expense of spotty/no coverage...Cable One has been in the Biloxi area for decades and the original agreement for them to monopolize it was to provide full coverage/access - 24 years ago, I moved to an area that wasn’t covered even though the contract said it needed to be - still no cable access and they still enjoy a cable monopoly....
It will never comply with the SafeCom Interoperabilty Continuum. The "killer aps" will come with come with monthly recurrent costs. Any mission critical push-to-talk is a long way away. AT&T has yet to improve coverage and capacity.
Yes, I have done a lot of homework on this and heavily involved.
Here is another "gotcha" in the Opt-In issue: If a state has statutory language that it cannot have any contact lasting longer than 10 years, yet to Opt Out the state would be required to have a 25 year contract, there is no recourse than to Opt In or be subject to Federal fines.
On top f all if it, the AT&T contract for FirstNet somehow was crafted so that it is never subject to FOIA....we will never know what is in the contract!
They have a lot to prove, in my state anyway, before any public safety agencies come in on board. Some will bite, but it will be a long while to be ubiquitous since AT&T has a poor track record of performance, and trust has been blown repeatedly.
Looks like he also started the “stop the NRA . com” website.
Looks like I also guessed his religion correctly.
You must have been on the losing VzW bid team ;-)
How is ‘second net’ working out for ya?
just bustin yer chops.
If you are so well informed, then you are aware that IOC 2.0 (like only the SECOND step after award/protest/ real start) is March of this year. Of course there’s not a LOT to show today. It just got started. 2.5 in August.
This is a huge effort.
I disagree about SafeCom Interoperability. We will just have to disagree, and I am pretty certain that DHS and FirstNet will end up with a (highly) secure interopable standard and buildout. From a First Responder’s standpoint, I just want “it” to work when I push the talk button on whatever gizmo I am issued, and I can talk to whoever I need to on a mission critical basis, as needed. That WILL happen. No question. Now, does it fit the existing ‘continuum’ as published? Dunno, but again as a First Responder, I just need the sh!t to work. And it will. It pretty much does today — I can key a radio, and the Chief can respond from Orlando on his iPhone. Very little latency also. THAT is real today.
Yes, the killer apps will have a cost. It would be unrealisitc to think they don’t/ Turnout gear has a cost. Motorolas have a cost. What world do you live in that you expected no cost?
The Gotcha you reference read to me like reasonable arm-twisting to make this work. HUGE capital investments work best with a long-term vision. A lot of states also have convenience contracts with vendors, enabling them to cancel a multi-year contract at any time with no early-term fees. FirstNet is different: so be it. It works.
I can’t speak to the FOIA business, but the FN RFP is public. You can read it at Firstnet.gov. ALL the carriers have classified deals with the Fed-Gov, so IF parts of the DHS/FN gig are classified and not subject to FOIA, so be it.
But really, WHAT is your heart burn about this? You must be in a northern Verizon-served state. You obviously have a h@rdon about AT&T, so DO you work for VzW? ;-)
If it works even 80% of the promise, it might enable the First Responder community to live longer and save more lives.
Win the next contract.
Update - did you mean the AT&T *response* or award is not FOIA?
I thought at first you meant the RFP.
I have no idea what is open records. I just need it to work.
To all the “conservatives” and “constitutionalists” who are crapping their pants right now, consider this....
The Constitution of the U.S. has 18 specifically enumerated rights and responsibilities of the federal government. Among these are levying taxes, immigration and naturalization AND......
ESTABLISHMENT OF POST OFFICES AND POST ROADS
While I do think that it is WAY too far of a jump to say “regulating interstate commerce” means limiting what a farmer is allowed to grow or allowing the establishment of the ATF, I think it is perfectly reasonable to say that the 21st century 5G network is just the natural modern extension of the 18th century postal system and could reasonably be though of as a constitutional responsibility of the federal government.
How is ‘second net’ working out for ya?
just bustin yer chops.
Ha! The things Verizon and AT&T have in common is that NEITHER is forthright, NEITHER can answer technical questions, and BOTH talk trash about each other.
I have said many times: Verizon is not our enemy, and AT&T is not necessarily our friend.
The only dogs I have in this fight is the two dozen first responder agencies and three PSAPs, and thus far, AT&T is coming out on the short end for a whole host of reasons.
I thought at first you meant the RFP.
I have no idea what is open records. I just need it to work.
The actual contract with the marketing penalties is all still hidden from view, not subject to FOIA. I hope it works, but in order to get to the 'hope' we need to get past the hype.
I hear ya on the hype.
See the X-axis on this chart: https://blogs.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/files/2017/08/Emerging-Technology-Hype-Cycle-for-2017_Infographic_R6A.jpg
I just need it to work better than the LMR etc we have today.
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