最新消息：摩托罗拉解决方案公司（Motorola Solutions）正“急急忙忙”完成价值超过6亿美元的佛罗里达州系统合同，该系统需要在2021年6月投入使用
据摩托罗拉解决方案公司的一位官员称，佛罗里达州议会最近批准了一项预算案，授权州政府官员与摩托罗拉解决方案公司谈判一项价值高达6.878亿美元的合同，未来两年内建设一个全州范围的P25网络，但关键问题需要解决才能开始部署
. 摩托罗拉解决方案公司提议建设一个144站点、700/800mhzp25第2阶段系统，比Harris公司为该州建设190个站点P25网络的出价低了约3亿美元
据摩托罗拉解决方案公司的一位官员称，佛罗里达州议会最近批准了一项预算案，授权州政府官员与摩托罗拉解决方案公司（Motorola Solutions）谈判一项价值高达6.878亿美元的合同，未来两年内建设一个全州范围的P25网络，但关键问题需要解决才能开始部署
去年，一名行政法官驳回了Harris的抗议，Harris是佛罗里达州现有的全州执法无线电系统（SLERS）的供应商，但P25系统的竞标失败，支持摩托罗拉解决方案公司（Motorola Solutions）。摩托罗拉解决方案公司（motorolasolutions）提议建设一个144站点、700/800mhzp25第2阶段系统，比Harris公司为该州建设190个站点P25网络的出价低了约3亿美元
摩托罗拉解决方案公司副总裁兼东南地区州和当地市场总经理斯科特·阿德勒说：“州议会预算中确实有授权管理服务部与摩托罗拉解决方案公司签订合同的语言，紧急通讯采访中说。“我们对这个机会感到非常非常兴奋。我们已经为这笔交易做了几年的工作，并准备将其推向下一个阶段。”
摩托罗拉解决方案公司计划建立、拥有和运营拟议的全州P25网络。尽管阿德勒表示，作为摩托罗拉解决方案公司SLERS投标的一部分，大约14000台收音机将提供给州政府工作人员，但摩托罗拉的一位发言人后来澄清说，州政府机构必须为这些收音机买单。然而，佛罗里达州的机构将不需要支付订阅费让这些雇员访问P25网络
阿德勒说，佛罗里达州的地方公共安全机构预计也可以选择使用拟议的P25 sler，但预期当地机构将支付订阅费，并必须购买自己的收音机
摩托罗拉的一位发言人今天向IWCE的紧急通信部门澄清，任何P25无线电都可以提议的SLERS系统上工作。阿德勒说，究竟会使用哪种收音机还没有确定
阿德勒说：“这是一个经过协商的问题。“我们的目的是向政府和其他用户展示摩托罗拉设备的价值，并让他们选择摩托罗拉作为供应商。”
佛罗里达州采购中的一项关键规定是，新的P25网络必须2021年6月底前投入使用，也就是目前与哈里斯公司签订的SLERS合同到期的时候。阿德勒表示，此次采购要求中标者48个月内全州范围内部署该系统，摩托罗拉解决方案公司正准备这样做
但Adler说，摩托罗拉解决方案网络计划中的“70多个站点”需要建设新的塔架，这比现有的塔架上的站点需要更多的时间来实施。另外21个站点是SLERS现有站点，由Harris所有，Harris表示不打算让另一个供应商进入其塔楼—这是一个正进行的诉讼的主题
阿德勒表示，距离2021年6月的最后期限还有不到26个月的时间，不久的将来签订一份合同将对摩托罗拉解决方案非常有帮助
阿德勒说：“作为规范的一部分，该州概述了48个月内建成该系统的必要性。”。“我们当然遵守了这个规范。我们的愿望是找到一种方法来加速这一进程
“很明显，这是我们急于求成的原因之一，因为我们知道国家有一些对他们很重要的时间表。我们所能做的一切来加快我们网络的建设和部署，确实符合各方国家和摩托罗拉的最大利益。因此，我们将尽一切努力不到48个月的时间内提供网络。”
阿德勒说，考虑到这一点，摩托罗拉解决方案公司正准备，以确保公司获准开始部署P25 sler时能够迅速采取行动，但合同最终敲定之前，可以采取的行动是有限制的
他说：“我们正尽我们所能为最终谈判和合同的执行做准备。”。“就许可证或材料方面的任何硬成本而言，这显然是我们与国家签署合同之前不会做的事情
“我们正尽全力加速……并不到48个月内交付这一系统。我们有一支专注于佛罗里达州的资源骨干，他们正尽我们所能……确保我们执行合同时，我们能够顺利完成任务。”
但执行这项合同可能比一般情况下更具挑战性。特别是，摩托罗拉解决方案的投标意味着双方同意未来的合同中加入“为方便而终止合同”的条款，这一条款最初导致哈里斯对新的SLERS计划表示保留
根据行政法法官布鲁斯·卡普珀（Bruce Culpepper）去年的抗议裁决，“这项规定授权司法部有权以任何理由或任何理由终止SLERS合同。”。如果立法机关认定州政府不再需要或不需要SLERS一家，那么该部门如何“为了方便”取消合同。“为方便而终止合同条款将允许该部不承担任何财政义务的情况下终止其协议。”
几位业内人士表示，这类语言很难得到任何供应商的认可，尤其是因为摩托罗拉解决方案公司（Motorola Solutions）必须进行大量前期投资，才能全州范围内实现P25系统
其他消息来源指出，这种语言过去可能是可以接受的，当时人们普遍认为，只有通过LMR系统才能发出对公共安全至关重要的声音。但如今对这一概念的把握还不太明朗，因为AT T宣布计划今年晚些时候向FirstNet用户提供来自多家供应商的关键业务推送通话（MCPTT）服务
MCPTT目前尚未得到证实，但许多人相信MCPTT未来几年内可能是P25的一个可行的替代方案，特别是那些可以可靠地覆盖4G或5G的地区
阿德勒承认，摩托罗拉解决方案公司寻求与佛罗里达州达成最终合同协议之际，“为方便而终止合同”的措辞将成为讨论的焦点
阿德勒说：“这肯定是我们雷达屏幕上的一个项目，我们一直与政府讨论，并希望整个谈判过程中继续解决这个问题。”
一些观察家想知道资金是否会成为一个问题，因为佛罗里达州议会没有为拟议的P25网络确定新的资金来源，该网络预计将比使用哈里斯公司专有EDACS技术的现有SLERS更昂贵
阿德勒表示有信心佛罗里达州将为该州范围内的项目提供必要的资金，摩托罗拉解决方案公司以25年的合同竞标该项目
阿德勒说：“我们的预期是，州政府通过其资金来源和摩托罗拉通过我们整个提案中明确提出的支付流程将同步，我们将处于良好的状态。”。“我们的期望是，我们要求州政府为我们的服务提供的服务和他们将提供的服务将保持一致。”
Florida’s legislature recently approved a budget that authorized state officials to negotiate a contract worth as much as $687.8 million with Motorola Solutions to build a statewide P25 network during the next two years, but key issues need to be resolved before deployment can begin, according to a Motorola Solutions official.
Last year, an administrative law judge dismissed a protest from Harris—the incumbent vendor for Florida’s existing statewide law-enforcement radio system (SLERS) but a losing bidder for the P25 system—upholding the award to Motorola Solutions. Motorola Solutions proposal to build a 144-site, 700/800 MHz P25 Phase 2 system was about $300 million less than the Harris bid to build a 190-site P25 network for the state.
“There was language included in the state legislature’s budget that did authorize the Department of Management Services to execute a contract with Motorola Solutions,” Scott Adler, Motorola Solutions’ vice president and general manager for the state and local market in the southeast region, said during an interview with . “We’re very, very excited about that opportunity. We’ve been working on this deal for a few years and are ready to take it to the next point.”
Motorola Solutions plans build, own and operate the proposed statewide P25 network. Although Adler said that about 14,000 radios would be provided to state personnel as part of Motorola Solutions’ SLERS bid, a Motorola spokesperson later clarified that state agencies would have to pay for these radios. However, Florida state agencies would not have pay a subscription fee to have these employees access the P25 network.
Local public-safety agencies in Florida also are expected to have the option of using the proposed P25 SLERS, but the expectation is that the local agencies would pay a subscription fee and have to purchase their own radios, Adler said.
A Motorola spokesperson today clarified to that any P25 radio could work on the proposed SLERS system. Adler said which radios actually would be used is yet to be determined.
“It’s something that has be negotiated,” Adler said. “It’s our intent that we show the state and additional users the value of the Motorola device and that they would select Motorola to be that provider.”
A key stipulation in the Florida procurement was that the new P25 network must be operational by the end of June 2021, which is when the current SLERS contract with Harris is scheduled to expire. Adler said the procurement called for the winning bidder to deploy the statewide system within 48 months, something Motorola Solutions is prepared to do.
But “70-plus sites” in the Motorola Solutions’ network proposal require the construction of new towers, which require more time to implement than sites on existing towers, Adler said. Another 21 sites are existing SLERS sites and are owned by Harris, which has indicated that it does not intend to let another vendor on its towers—a matter that is the subject of ongoing litigation.
With less than 26 months until the June 2021 deadline, getting a contract signed in the near future would be very helpful to Motorola Solutions, according to Adler
“The state, as part of its specification, outlined the need to have the system built in 48 months,” Adler said. “We certainly conformed to that specification. Our desire is that we would find a way to accelerate that.
“Obviously, this is one of the reasons why we are chomping at the bit to get going, because we know that the state has some timelines that are important to them. Anything that we can do to accelerate the construction of and the deployment of our network is really in all parties—the state and Motorola—best interest. So, we’re going to do everything we can to deliver the network in less than 48 months.”
With this in mind, Motorola Solutions is making preparations to ensure that the company can move quickly when given permission to begin deployment of the P25 SLERS, but there is are limitations to the actions that can be taken until a contract is finalized, Adler said.
“We are doing everything in our power to prepare for final negotiations and the execution of our contract right now,” he said. “In terms of any hard costs—in terms of permitting or materials—obviously, that would be something that we would not be doing until we have an executed contract with the state.
“We are doing everything in our power to accelerate … and deliver this system in less than 48 months. We’ve got a cadre of resources focused on the state of Florida that are working on anything and everything that we can … to make sure that, when we execute this contract, we are hitting the ground running.”
But executing this contract could be more challenging than is typically the case. In particular, the Motorola Solutions bid implies an agreement to a “Termination for Convenience” clause in the prospective contract—a stipulation that initially caused Harris to express reservations about the new SLERS initiative.
“This provision authorizes the Department the right to terminate the SLERS contract for any reason, or no reason whatsoever,” according to last year’s protest ruling by Administrative Law Judge Bruce Culpepper. “One example of how the Department might cancel the contract “for convenience” would be if the Legislature determined that the state no longer needed, or wanted, the SLERS. The Termination for Convenience clause would allow the Department to terminate its agreement without incurring any financial obligation.”
Several industry sources have said that such language would be difficult for any vendor to approve, especially because Motorola Solutions would have to make significant upfront investments to make the statewide P25 system a reality.
Other sources have noted that such language might have been acceptable in the past, when there was general agreement that mission-critical voice for public safety could only be delivered through an LMR system.But there is less certainty today about that notion today, as AT T has announced plans to provide FirstNet subscribers with mission-critical-push-to-talk (MCPTT) services from multiple vendors later this year.
MCPTT is unproven today, but many believe MCPTT could be a viable alternative to P25 during the next few years, particularly in locations where reliable 4G or 5G coverage is available.
Adler acknowledged that the “Termination for Convenience” language will be a discussion point as Motorola Solutions seeks to reach a final contract agreement with the state of Florida.
“That’s certainly an item on our radar screen that we’ve been discussing with the state and would expect to continue to address throughout the course of our negotiations,” Adler said.
Some observers wondered whether funding could be an issue, because the Florida legislature did not identify a new funding source for the proposed P25 network, which is expected to be more costly than the existing SLERS that uses proprietary EDACS technology from Harris.
Adler expressed confidence that the state of Florida will provide the funding necessary for the statewide project, which Motorola Solutions bid as a 25-year deal.
“Our expectation is that the state—through its funding source—and Motorola—through the payment streams that we have articulated throughout the proposal—will synchronize, and we’ll be in good shape,” Adler said. “Our expectation is that what we’re asking the state to provide in return for our services and what they will have available will align.” |
