The world-class team of global communications industry leaders that make up a company formed to bid on building the first nationwide 4G LTE broadband wireless network to successfully deliver the FirstNet network for public safety in the U.S. was announced this week.
Rivada Mercury’s group of leaders, which hold deep technology and public safety experience, will include Rivada Networks, the Harris Corporation, Ericsson, Nokia, Intel Security, Fujitsu Network Communications, and Blac & Veatch.
The organizations have proposed the construction of a nationwide dedicated mission critical LTE network in the 700 MHz spectrum that is licensed to FirstNet. The interoperable voice and data network would be used for public safety and would offer an innovative business model to ensure long term financial viability for the network.
“The Rivada Mercury team is comprised of proven technology companies—each leaders in their field with unmatched technology capabilities and experience serving the public safety community with innovative and forward-leaning solutions,” Joe Euteneuer, CEO of Rivada Mercury, said. “Our team’s approach to FirstNet offers many benefits for America’s public safety community, namely we will provide public safety with a purpose-built Band 14 network and immediate turn-key access to the largest non-Band 14 coverage footprint in the U.S.”
Rivada Mercury will use Rivada’s pioneering Dynamic Spectrum Arbitrage (DSA) technology, allowing for the dynamic sale of excess critical-grade network capacity to commercial tenants without the risk of interfering with the broadband access of first responders.
“As a pioneer in dynamic spectrum arbitrage, Rivada Mercury’s innovative technology will both fund the FirstNet build out and sustained operation and maintenance by selling excess capacity to commercial users,” Euteneuer said.
The proposed open-access, market-based approach to the network would also enable traditional carriers to better optimize their bandwidth-use financially and operationally.
“By every measure—strength of technology, sustainability of the business model and ability to deliver on customers’ needs—Rivada Mercury is the strongest possible combination for public safety, policymakers and investors alike,” Dr. Dennis Martinez, chief technology officer at Harris Public Safety and Professional Communications, said. “By developing a purpose-built network, we’re finally giving the public-safety community the network on which they’ve been waiting for years. We’re creating new jobs and our low-risk business model enables us to reinvest in the network.”
Rivada Networks also announced the appointments of former Govs. Jeb Bush (R-FL) and Martin O’Malley (D-MA) to its board of directors last week to provide strategic counsel and guidance as the FirstNet network rollout begins.
“Every day, the men and women who serve our nation as first responders save the lives of others with little regard for their own safety,” Bush said. “They do so without fanfare or desire for glory. It is our duty, in turn, to protect and guard those men and women with every resource possible. The solution that Rivada Networks developed is both visionary and inspired. As we move forward, I am proud to join the Rivada team and support the communications solution it offers to some of America’s most loyal and valuable servants.”