Morgan O’Brien: Is He Up to Something–Again?

In a two-page announcement issued today, Cyren Call Communications Corp. announced that it has terminated its relationship with the Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST), citing “various factors” that include lack of funding to help the Trust pursue its goal of a nationwide, public safety wireless network. More interestingly, Cyren Call founder and Nextel co-founder Morgan O’Brien explained his company’s break-off by saying, “There is a new environment taking shape and a new team is being assembled in Washington, DC.” O’Brien is well-known for his bold moves in the wireless industry, creating Nextel from scratch by stitching together a collection of radio licenses, offering to reband the 800 MHz spectrum, and for his plan create a national public safety network. In the press release, O’Brien said, “Those of us pursuing the creation of a nationwide network for public safety…will need patience as the dust settles and priorities begin to take shape.” O’Brien praised PSST chair Harlin McEwen for his work on the project, and concluded, “I have every confidence the process of finding a suitable mobile broadband communications solution for public safety again will receive the urgent and sustained attention it deserves with new people in place at the FCC and in Congress.” Download (pdf) the full press release here.