Telecom: Broadband Adoption

State & Local Broadband Best Practices Survey

1. ID (System Generated): 31270

2. Project Name (System Generated): DC Regional Wireless Broadband Network

3. State: DC

4. Title of project or program: Regional Wireless Broadband Network

5. Identify the type of organization that administers this project:

   1. Government Agency

   2. Other:

6. What is the project’s geographic coverage area? Municipal

7. Is the purpose of the project to construct broadband infrastructure in/to:

   1. Improve Public Safety Services

8. Is the purpose of the project to promote broadband use by:

9. What technologies are used by the project?

   1. Other Wireless Technology

   2. Other technology: 3G Public Safety Wireless

10. If the project involves utilizing noteworthy hardware or software products, please identify the major vendors and/or partners for the project:

11. Did the project involve building infrastructure that produced a new or faster broadband service? Yes

    1. What is the rated or marketed speed of the fastest new or updated broadband service offered to:

       Business consumers?1.5 mbps Download & 600 kbps Upload mbps

       Residential consumers? mbps

    2. Are these “peak” speeds or “average” speeds? Average

    3. Are these speeds “symmetrical?” (users can simultaneously upload and download at this speed): No

12. What consumers are served by the infrastructure project:

    1. Public Safety & Homeland Security

    2. Other:

13. If the purpose of the project is to stimulate demand for broadband services, please indicate how it achieved this goal:

    1. Other method:

14. If the purpose of the project is to improve affordability of broadband services, please indicate how it achieves this goal:

    1. Other method:

15. If the purpose of the project is to promote the availability of broadband services in rural areas, please indicate how it achieves this goal:

    1. Other:

16. Please provide detailed project description including time sequence for the project's implementation: The Regional Wireless Broadband Network (RBWN) is the first and only 700 MHz broadband network in the United States dedicated to public safety users. It is authorized via an experimental license in the 700 MHz band provided by the Federal Communications Commission. The RWBN is supported, managed and operated by the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO). Alcatel-Lucent won an RFP competition among major vendors which contracted or subcontracted the installation and testing of the radio access and core network. Still a pilot network, the RWBN has been used since 2007 on a trial basis by various public safety agencies (i.e. DC Fire & EMS; US Park Police; US Department of Health & Human Services; US Department of Homeland Security & Federal Emergency Management Agency) for major events in the District, including the 2009 Presidential Inauguration & 4th of July Celebrations. Currently, the RWBN consists of 12 radio sites and 280 network devices (i.e. PC cards) that facilitate wireless interconnection of local and federal public safety mobile devices throughout the District of Columbia. In addition, users of the RWBN can access applications that, up to this time, were only accessible from desktop computers.

17. Identify the project funding sources:

    1. Other Federal Sources

    2. Other: Urban Area Security Initiative

18. What is the project cost?

    1. Total capital expenditures to date:

       $ 10 millions as of [fiscal/calendar] year 2009

    2. Annual program operating budget (estimated if not yet fully operational):

       $ millions as of [fiscal/calendar] year 20

19. What impediments or problems were encountered in completing the project or program? The FCC changes the allocation of public safety frequency bands in 700 MHz in July 2007. The absence of a broad emerging market for public safety networks in the US after the failure of the FCC's D-block spectrum auction, has resulted in no new technology or product developments for the 700 MHz spectrum, thereby inhibiting the growth and expansion of the RWBN in DC.

20. What actions were taken to resolve or minimize project or program impediments and problems? The DC OCTO is active within the public safety community to help determine the federal regulatory and market requirements for public safety broadband policy that will facilitate improvements to the RWBN.

21. What other lessons were learned during the process of undertaking and completing this project or program?

22. Project or program website link: http://octo.dc.gov/octo/cwp/view,a,1304,q,628505,octoNav,32780.asp

23. For further information contact:

    1. Name: Ken Boley

    2. Title: Director, Intergovernmental Initiatives

    3. Organization: District of Columbia Office of the Chief Technology Officer

    4. Telephone Number: (202) 478-5879

    5. E-Mail Address: kenneth.boley@dc.gov