As part of a $1.8 billion investment in the nation’s broadband infrastructure, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced on Wednesday grants to five regions to build new or improve existing public safety radio systems to handle broadband data. Vice President Joe Biden announced 94 broadband grants that expand Internet access, mostly for rural and underserved areas of the country. But he also announced public safety grants totaling $220 million, which the Obama administration said constitute, “a critical set of demonstration projects and a head start on President Obama’s commitment to support the development of a nationwide, interoperable public safety wireless broadband network.” The regions include Charlotte (NC), the states of New Mexico, Mississippi and New Jersey, and the San Francisco Bay area. Interestingly, the $50.6 million grant to the San Francisco region was given directly to Motorola. News accounts variously say Motorola will make an in-kind donation of $21.9 million to make up the total cost of the regional radio network, or will otherwise provide “private funding” for the remaining funds. Grants to the other four regions are being made to the government entities. Download (pdf) a fact sheet on the public safety grants here, and read the White House press release about all the grants here.
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Motorola making a $21 million donation? I don’t think so.
The San Francisco Business Times newspaper story says:
“Local agencies have identified nearly $21.9 million in matching contributions for the project, which will serve 200 existing public safety sites and up to 50,000 public safety users serving roughly six million people.”
The Motorola press release on the system and grant
http://mediacenter.motorola.com/content/detail.aspx?ReleaseID=13202&NewsAreaId=2
doesn’t say a word about any ‘donation’.
Sounds to me like the local agencies are coming up with the $21.9 million.
In its application to the NTIA for the grant, Motorola described the project as, “a public-private partnership between Motorola, public safety agencies, and broadband providers in the San Francisco Bay area.” The involved cities and public safety agencies will not have to fund the $21.9 million that is not covered by the federal grant. Instead, Motorola says the money will come from “private funding,” presumably from the broadband providers or other companies building the network. The final system will be built, maintained and owned by Motorola. Download (pdf) a application summary of the project here.
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