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| PRESS COVERAGE | PRESS RELEASES | MEDIA CONTACTS | Progress & Freedom Foundation Luncheon with Rivada CEO Declan Ganley The failure of the "D Block" auction has prompted both the Federal Communications Commission and Congress to examine the terms and conditions for use of the spectrum. Will policy goals concerning public safety communications be re-evaluated? Will conditions on the spectrum be altered to ensure the spectrum is attractive to bidders in a possible re-auction? On Tuesday, April 29th, Declan Ganley, CEO of Rivada Networks, discussed these and related issues at a CEO Luncheon event hosted by The Progress & Freedom Foundation. The program featured a keynote speech by Declan Ganley, Chairman and CEO of Rivada Networks. After his remarks, Ganley responded to questions posed by a distinguished panel of spectrum and public safety experts. Analysts on the event panel were Michael Calabrese, Vice President and Director of the Wireless Future Program at New American Foundation; Hiram "Art" Contreras, Advisor to Mobile Future; and Paul Glenchur, Senior Vice President and Telecom Services Analyst at Stanford Washington Research Group. The seminar was moderated by Ken Ferree, President of The Progress & Freedom Foundation. PSST-Cyren Call Relationship Draws Criticism from Officials Robert Duncan, SVP-business development and government services for Rivada Networks, suggested that policy-makers focus on current technologies, which, combined with current infrastructure, can provide public safety interoperability. "We have that capability," he said. "It's currently deployed." Infrastructure exists for interoperable safety network, CEO says This last option is the one favored by Ganley. “Take some of that spectrum and sell it for as many dollars as you can get for it, with as few restrictions around it as possible, and give some of that money to the public safety agencies. Let them cut their own deals” with existing networks, he said. That is the model Rivada uses in its offerings. It provides rapid-deployment equipment to extend the reach and coverage of commercial networks and replace them locally when infrastructure is destroyed during a disaster. Customers, which include the Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Guard Bureau and first responders in 17 states, negotiate their own agreements with commercial carriers to get the necessary bandwidth and access priorities.
Planned safety network up in air Mr. Ganley's plan involves negotiating agreements with incumbent carriers throughout the country. Safety officials would merely use those networks during day-to-day operations, and in the event of an emergency, Rivada makes a private deployable cellular system capable of providing voice and data services if the commercial networks are overloaded or if service is not available in a given area. The company provides interoperable emergency communications to public safety agencies in 17 states, he said. "There isn't a single capability that I can think of that [the D block network] was promising to deliver that you cannot have today by leveraging off what's already there," he said. Mobile CEO: Public Safety Can Use Current Spectrum Public safety agencies should use existing mobile infrastructure for their communications instead of waiting for the U.S. to re-auction an unsold spectrum band, a mobile networking vendor's CEO said Tuesday. Public safety agencies such as police and fire departments would have access to a rapidly improving network by using existing commercial spectrum instead of the nationwide public safety network envisioned by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, said Declan Ganley, chairman and CEO of Rivada Networks. In contrast, a stand-alone public safety network would likely not have enough money to make frequent improvements, he said. "It is absolutely basic common sense to leverage off the infrastructure that is already there," Ganley said at an event hosted by the Progress and Freedom Foundation, a conservative think tank. "When you want to get a fire truck from A to B, you don't build a new road to get it there. CEO: RIVADA CONSIDERED 700 MHz BAND AUCTION BUT IT ‘COULDN’T MAKE THE NUMBERS WORK’ “There is massive amounts of state-of-the-art wireless infrastructure already out there,” Mr. Ganley said. “It absolutely is basic common sense to leverage off the infrastructure that is already there. You don’t build roads for fire trucks and police cars - you don’t build them dedicated roads. We don’t need to do that for communications.” He added that each community should be given the flexibility to use the current public safety allocation as it sees fit, adding, “There isn’t going to be a one-size-fits-all answer here, nor do those agencies want that forced on them.” Rivada Networks says the solution it has deployed to public safety customers in 17 states, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the state of Louisiana, and the U.S. military’s Northern Command, makes use of air time from commercial wireless carriers. If those networks are disrupted during major emergencies, Rivada says it has the ability to ensure coverage by deploying its own infrastructure. “It works and, you know what, it doesn’t cost billions and billions of dollars,” Mr. Ganley proclaimed. 700 MHz Auction Keeps U.S. Public Safety Network In Limbo Also at the hearing, Robert F. Duncan a retired U.S. Coast Guard rear admiral, said by connecting special hardware and software to existing commercial wireless infrastructures, public safety requirements can be met. Duncan, who is senior vice president of government services for Rivada Networks, recommended that the FCC drop its D-Block approach. "We need not, and cannot, embrace a regulatory approach which promises unclear capabilities at a distant time, and which will require massive investment in entirely new infrastructure, especially given the risk of creating a dependency on one commercial carrier," he said. Lawmakers Question What to Do With Public Safety Spectrum And Robert Duncan, a former U.S. Coast Guard admiral and senior vice president of government services for wireless services provider Rivada Networks, called for the FCC to use existing wireless networks for a public safety network. House hearing focuses on D Block Robert Duncan, senior vice president of government services for Rivada Networks, said his company’s model of reselling commercial carriers’ services to public safety is the most efficient way to address interoperability between first responders. Duncan said Rivada could solve the problem at a cost of $500 million. FCC sends unclear signal to bidders Another observer, John Kneuer, senior vice president at Rivada Networks, a provider of wireless network solutions, said bidders did not have an opportunity to review detailed technical specifications for the new network before the auction. As a result, he added, there was great uncertainty about how much it would cost to build and operate the network. “There was insufficient clarity in the technical specifications,” Kneuer explained. “They were not offered to the general public.” If the details are made public, it is more likely that prospective bidders will be able to negotiate better agreements and allow public safety to better leverage the commercial networks, he said. It might be better for more than one carrier to fulfill the first responders’ broadband needs, he added. “The danger of the D Block is that you are locking public safety into one preferred network provider,” Kneuer said. VIDEO: National Guard Conducts Hurricane Exercise April 06, 2008 Now the agencies have new communication technologies, including satellite service in case cell and landline service goes down and a mobile unit meant to provide current information to decision-makers on the ground. One of them is General Glenn Curtis. The use of different frequencies and other communications problems complicated coordination among federal, state and local agencies after Katrina and Rita knocked out power. Agencies test readiness in disaster exercise While it wasn't the first drill since Hurricane Katrina devastated parts of south Louisiana in August 2005, it did include technology and capabilities the agencies did not have at their disposal then, including satellites to fill in if cell and landline service goes down and a mobile unit meant to provide current information to decision-makers on the ground. Use of different frequencies and other communications problems complicated relief efforts among federal, state and local agencies after Katrina left much of New Orleans under water and virtually wiped out neighboring St. Bernard Parish. 700MHz auction: FCC decision coming on public safety block Rivada Networks, a provider of mobile voice and high-speed data services through commercial cellular and satellite operators, suggested the public safety community could look elsewhere for its broadband needs. "This is an opportunity, not a failure, for public safety, and the best step now is to focus on near-term, workable solutions," said John Kneuer, Rivada's senior vice president for strategic planning and external affairs. Instead of waiting for a re-auction, public safety agencies should work with existing wireless providers to see if their needs can be met, Kneuer said. "Rather than be tied to a single, identified new entrant ... public safety should be free to negotiate with any existing carrier that can provide them with the level of service that they need," he added. If existing carriers can service public safety's needs, then the D block could be re-auctioned for other purposes, Kneuer added. Some of the money could go toward the costs of providing public-safety wireless service, he said. FCC Spectrum Auction Ends, Successfully Public safety is "a very complicated marketplace, and the prospects for being an entirely new entrant in this space are questionable; challenging at best," said John Kneuer, former head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and current senior vice president for strategic planning and external affairs at Rivada Networks, when asked about the failure to attract d-block bids. Rivada Networks opted not to bid in the auction because of "uncertainly about ability to negotiate final network sharing arrangement" as well as concerns about how long it would take to actually get the network off the ground, Kneuer said. "People recognize that no matter what the outcome of the d-block [it is] not the best hope for public safety," he said. "There are lots of solutions that provide the capabilities that public safety needs." FCC’s 700 MHz BAND AUCTION CLOSES WITH $19.6 BILLION IN BIDS; DECISION ON D BLOCK AWAITS But John Kneuer, senior vice president-strategic planning and external affairs for Rivada Networks and former administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, said there’s a need to leverage existing wireless infrastructure and spectrum allocations, rather than deploying a complicated scheme for a new nationwide network. “The rush to call the D Block auction a failure is wrong. This is an opportunity, not a failure, for public safety, and the best step now is to focus on near-term, workable solutions,” he said. “If the D Block auction had produced a licensee, the needs of public safety would have been chained to one ‘monopoly’ private carrier with major uncertainties as to the financing, construction and maintenance of the network. That approach was sure to bring years of additional delay and conflict.” Rivada says it is providing advanced communications solutions to public safety and defense customers in more than a dozen states. Questions Arise On Next Step After FCC Safety Plan Fails Rivada Networks' Kneuer said the existing commercial cellular networks are more than sufficient for most public safety voice and broadband needs. The commercial service can be enhanced by temporary, deployable broadband networks, he said, used in times of crisis or when the commercial network is overloaded with traffic. The company announced last year it was joining with Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) to provide wireless service to the Louisiana Army National Guard through this method. Colonel Ronnie Johnson, director of communications for the state national guard, said the service has left him feeling confident the state could withstand another Katrina-like event. Build it and They Will Come In some areas, Rivada's partnerships with commercial operators turn into significant win-wins for both the operator and public safety entity. For instance, Rivada has been able to encourage operators to roll out CDMA-based EV-DO Rev. A technology in places where, on a commercial basis alone, it just wouldn't be feasible to do so. However, with guaranteed revenue coming from public safety in these areas, operators have more incentive to roll out such services - likely many years sooner than anticipated. Rivada's leadership comes from people who have been in the public safety trenches and have seen how quickly and completely communications can break down when a devastation-level event occurs. Duncan, for example, came from the Coast Guard. He was in charge of the Gulf Coast region when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2006. "It shaped my perception about what needs to be done," Duncan said. "The president talked to me directly, and he needed data on what was happening. What I really needed to have was something to take off my belt, take a picture and [send] it off to the Homeland Operations Center." Rivada Ready to Step in If D-Block Auction Fails Kneuer said Rivada and rivals see a business in meeting public safety's needs without a 700 MHz set aside. "There will be lots of people coming forward saying 'our requirements are this,'" he said. "We can meet them with a combination of existing networks, buildout in some geographic areas where there may not be commercial coverage, a suite of deployables for survivability and priority access." Some safety entities already are talking with Rivada, feeling they can't wait for the years-long process of building out a stand-alone public safety network. First STOVL Stealth Fighter Unveiled at Lockheed Martin Rivada Networks specializes in the I application of mobile broadband J wireless technologies for public safety and homeland defense, Rivada Networks provides its state-of-the-art, interoperable voice and data solutions to leading federal, state, and local customers throughout the United States and Europe. ( www.rivada.com ) EDITORIAL: Lines of Communication During a disaster, the National Guard could restore service for up to 100 cell phones and 40 to 50 laptops within half an hour. The system also has a device that can link an incompatible radio system, such as one that belongs to a police department, to a Guard unit so personnel with both agencies can talk to each other. Guard has new cellular system; It will survive next disaster, leaders say Rivada was one of several firms that pushed equipment into southeast Louisiana following Katrina to help restore emergency communications, and has worked with the [Louisiana National] Guard since then. Louisiana guard chooses unusual migration path; Rivada system to provide cellular connectivity, interoperable communications In the aftermath of major disasters—such as Hurricane Katrina—when commercial infrastructure often is rendered inoperable or is overloaded, Rivada will deploy its Interoperable Communications Extension Systems (ICES) that consist of cellular, satellite, and LMR technologies, all of which leverage commercial off-the-shelf equipment. Rivada wins contract from Louisiana National Guard “We can push data to the edge of the network, and from the edge of the network. You know that’s what’s required these days … real data right from the scene,” Bob Duncan, senior vice president for government services. People Column: John Kneuer Keeps Interoperability Focus “Joining Rivada Networks gives me the opportunity to continue to serve this important national and homeland security mission with the most advanced and efficient solution available,” John Kneuer, senior vice president for strategic planning and external affairs. Rivada Uses Satellite Services to Enable Interoperability Rivada's system uses the satellite to connect to the public-switched phone network outside a disaster zone. It's unique in that it sets up an Internet protocol switch onsite. Louisiana Army National Guard Upgrades to Broadband Interoperable Communications for Public Safety Rivada Networks says it has achieved this success by adapting -- rather than re-inventing -- the wheel. The Rivada solution leverages and supplements the existing infrastructure and off-the-shelf technology of the $1 trillion per year global wireless industry. Comm Daily (R) Notebook Rivada Networks contracted with the Louisiana Army National Guard to build a high-speed voice and data system for day-to-day Guard operations and disaster response. VoIP to the Rescue for Emergency Responders “The real novelty is to tie everything together in a way that has not been done before…We are taking all the investment in cellular networks and putting it at the disposal of emergency providers,” senior vice president for government services Bob Duncan. LAARNG adopts communications system designed by Rivada Networks “In partnering with Rivada Networks, we will utilize leading-edge technology to provide critical day-to-day wireless voice and data connectivity and seamless transition to emergency communications, when required, using the same systems,” Colonel Ronnie Johnson of the LAARNG. People on the Move John M.R. Kneuer has been hired as senior vice president for strategic planning and external affairs at Rivada Networks. Kneuer was assistant secretary of Commerce and administrator at the National Telecommunications & Information Administration. Telecommunications Reports Rivada Networks yesterday announced that the Louisiana Army National Guard is adopting a fully interoperable broadband public safety communications system designed by Rivada that doesn't require new spectrum allocation or depend on federal spectrum auctions or mandates. Rivada Networks names senior vice president “John Kneuer brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our mission to improve emergency communications. Our customers and business partners will benefit greatly from his insights and connections,” Declan Ganley, chairman and CEO of Rivada. On the Move Rivada Networks, a designer, integrator, and operator of interoperable public safety communications and information technology networks for homeland security forces and first responders, has hired John M.R. Kneuer, former administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, as senior vice president-strategic planning and external affairs. Rivada Networks Names New Senior Official John Kneuer, the former principal telecommunications policy adviser to president George Bush, will take up the position as senior vice president for strategic planning and external affairs. Rivada Networks names senior vice president Mr [John] Kneuer has served as the principal telecommunications policy adviser to President George Bush in his position as assistant secretary of commerce and administrator of the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA). Satellite People John Kneuer, who left last month as NTIA administrator, joins Rivada Networks, which specializes in interoperable public-safety communications with a satellite component, as senior vice president of strategic planning and external affairs. Deals Rivada Networks' broadband-based interoperable voice and data communications system, which is designed to survive natural or man-made disasters, is being adopted by the Louisiana Army National Guard. Consumer Electronics People John Kneuer, who left last month as NTIA administrator, joins Rivada Networks, which specializes in interoperable public-safety communications, as senior vice president of strategic planning and external affairs. First Responders Benefit from Louisiana Army National Guard's Adoption of Interoperability Network |
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