Newspaper: Oregon Radio Project ‘In Trouble’

A five-year project to build a state-wide radio network for Oregon public safety agencies is one year behind and the current $485 million cost may not be the final tab, according to a newspaper investigation. A long story in The Oregonian says the project planned for 300 antenna sites, but only six location are ready for construction, and that the legislature froze funding for the project last February because of the slow progress. Even so, project officials told reporters the project is on schedule, despite documents that say the network won’t be finished by 2014. Read the full story here. Update: An editorial in the same newspaper days later was riddled with errors and misconceptions about the FCC regulations, spectrum management, IP-based radio and the purpose of a state-wide radio network.