firstnet has made strong progress. it is achieving its milestones according to the strategic road map related to state consultations, draft requests for network proposals, and public notice and comment. in addition firstnet is now fully funded due to the proceeds from the fcc's recent auction. this coming year will be critical as firstnet transitions to a new phase focused on developing and deploying its network. to be clear we understand the mission will not be fulfilled quickly. we want firstnet to set ambitious, but realistic time frames and deadlines. and we understand that some internal deadlines have not, and will not, be met. none of that undermines the hard work being performed by this terrific team in place at firstnet. creating a multibillion dollar public safety wireless network is a major undertaking. we take our responsibility for this project very seriously and we will continue to help enschuur that firstnet succeeds in its important mission. thank you again for the opportunity to discuss firstnet's progr

they have a different role than firstnet does. i will tell you we worked hard to get those projects on board because we are learning a lot from them. >> okay so i want to ask you about when we will see functionality because it is important. while i understand the issue of interoperability and making sure that is implemented throughout the network i think these state grants are very important. we had this horrible incident almost to its one-year anniversary which was the zero so mudslides which literally cut to communities in half and they were without medication required 30 different agencies to respond. i think everybody now knows exactly what we want and what it's going to take in this particular area because of the typography. you have some communication challenges just a nap. literally at one point we were trying to greenlight basically putting the broadband but -- backup for a mile connected to the trees. that's what we had to do. we couldn't have residents we had over 40 people lost their lives in this incident. everybody wa

firstnet is very different. this is an -- and i think it's really important for people to note even if you decide to let us deploy your network in your state, instead of building your open radio access network, the public safety agencies are not obligated to sign up. there's not a mandate they have to. so think of what that says to news terms of developing the network. we have to create a compelling value prop signature that gives them more -- proposition that gives them more value than they have today. so that is why we're spending so much time with public safety to understand their needs so what we deliver to public safety is what they want to use. so we're very conscious of that issue, and we're working very hard to get information out. we're working with the associations to try to get more information out to the people who are on the street because it's very very difficult -- in fact we were at the fop meeting in san diego last saturday, and law enforcement in san diego was not that familiar with firstnet, b

building firstnet is no easy task and wants congress to give firstnet a chance to succeed. it's important for first responders to have the communications tools they have to protect all of us. many senators have already raised the rural issue. i think rural is tremendously important in new mexico so i wanted to focus on that. ms. swanson is talked in your written testimony and i think to a question asked by senator daines about tribal the tribal issues and how tribes are going to be included. i want to applaud you on having a person dedicated to the tribes. that's usually the way it works the best is somebody that really understands these tribal issues and develops a long-term relationship and worked with them. could you expand a little more on your testimony, your written testimony about how you are going to make sure tribes aren't left out in this moving forward? >> certainly. as you know the act requires that we engage with tribal so there was no ambiguity about that so we are very clear about that. setting that aside first i really understand the importance of tribes. as

law enforcement was not that familiar with firstnet. i presented. we are working hard to get the message out. >> thank you. we want to make sure our 1st responders are informed. >> thank you. >> thank you. i just want to say thank you for the work that you are doing. tasked with doing something that is unprecedented not just in government but american history that is extraordinarily and absolutely urgently needed. all of us this serve in the united states senate know the urgency of this. i spent years as a mayor with a mayor with crisis and crisis in crisis and saw that communications whether going into a burning building with no visibility how important are radio is. for us hurricane sandy we saw in the most painful ways how critical communication was. there was a situation an earthquake in new jersey. after surviving the earthquake in california all my communications communications, police department, fire department, it all went down. fortunately we had a plan but that made me realize the challenges. this challenges. this is what you are doing a

they have a different role than firstnet does. i will tell you we worked hard to get those projects on board because we are learning a lot from them. >> okay so i want to ask you about when we will see functionality because it is important. while i understand the issue of interoperability and making sure that is implemented throughout the network i think these state grants are very important. we had this horrible incident almost to its one-year anniversary which was the zero so mudslides which literally cut to communities in half and they were without medication required 30 different agencies to respond. i think everybody now knows exactly what we want and what it's going to take in this particular area because of the typography. you have some communication challenges just a nap. literally at one point we were trying to greenlight basically putting the broadband but -- backup for a mile connected to the trees. that's what we had to do. we couldn't have residents we had over 40 people lost their lives in this incident. everybody wa

to help on firstnet. we led a collaborative process through which they developed a strategic roadmap and cost model validated by outside independent experts. the department provide certain legal procurement human resources and administrative support to firstnet where it does not otherwise have its own resources or direct authority. in doing so we seek to streamline and expedite federal processes. we work with firstnet nonstatutory compliance, internal controls, financial management systems and annual independent audit. ntia also implements the grant program that supports consultations with state regional, tribal and local jurisdictions. in december the department inspector general issued a report regarding the management of certain disclosure reports and the monitoring of certain firstnet contracts. the department appreciates the inspector general's efforts and takes the matter seriously. we concurred with the recommendations and we've taken a number of steps to address them. it's important to emphasize t

building firstnet is clearly no easy first and i want congress to give firstnet a chance to succeed. it is important first responders have the communications tools they need to protect all of us. now, many senators have already raised the rural issue. i think rural is tremendously important in new mexico and so i want you to focus on that. miss swenson, you talked in your written testimony, and i think to a question asked by senator daines, about tribal -- the tribal issues and how tribes are going to be included. i want to applaud you on having a person dedicated to the tribes. that's usually the way it works best is somebody that really understands these tribal issues, develops a long-term relationship, and works with them. could you expand a little more on your testimony, your written testimony, about how you're going to make sure the tribes aren't left out in this moving forward? >> certainly. as you know the act really requires that we engage with tribal, so there was no ambiguity about that, so we're very clear about that, but setting that aside, firstnet really understands the

but it is a high priority for firstnet. >> will you have enough money? stick it is too early to answer that specifically we just are looking at the planning process. to find data fitted sufficient to build up the network so to incorporate that into the financial model. but like everything we do with firstnet it is all new. there are things we have actually changed. in to keep you posted on how we're doing got. >> thinking is essential to harden against cybersecurity because when it is not a natural disaster whoever is attacking us will attack us with cybersimultaneously. what will you do? finigan is a high priority that needs to be addressed so just to make sure that the firstnet team has all they need so to work period in hand to make sure they have the resources from across the of federal government. i think many if you are familiar with the framework with a number of experts involved with the of secretary lew as well. >> it was missed you will need to work with them and intelligence agencies because the technology is so rapidly changing in these areas

what involvement has firstnet had with answering points and 911 community? >> actually we're in communications with the as you know as well the nat administers the next again program and that is what we are working on. >> and we should invite you to join the 911 caucus. we have emergencies that we respond to. my last question, miss swenson, is i understand that minnesota was the second state to have its consultation with first net last september. what are the takeaways with that meeting from the stakeholders of minnesota? >> as i indicated earlier i think it is important that we learn from each of the states their individual circumstances. every state has a set of circumstances that are very different. your topography is different and your priorities are different and we've learning in each of the consultations is unique to your state to incorporate that into the process. >> very good. thank you very much. >> senator udall. >> thank you very much chairman soon, and thank you for focusing this hearing on this very, very important topic. and let me first just

we recognize it is a serious issue that needs to be addressed as part of the firstnet buildout. not only are we working to make sure they have the support they need but our cio is involved our team is involved

auction that raised $45 billion in revenue meeting all the funding targets including fully funding firstnet and nextgen 9/11. considering this new reality and the massive appetite for spectrum by wireless carriers, hasn't the fcc been liberated from these fully funded objections and its reconsideration of its previous decision on the size of the spectrum reserve in the incentive auction? >> that's what issues that we're going to be addressing again as the together the final rules for the auction. i understand your point that we have now lived up to our committed obligations and this is an issue that we'll be dealing with the next couple of minutes. >> commissioner clyburn commissioner rosenworcel, to you have comments on that for a briefly? >> one of the things i joke about and -- all predictions were wrong that two and a half three times the amount of money that was predicted was raised. your right to say that we've met our obligations and we will continue through other options including incentive auctions to deliver spectrum to the american people. >> i agree with chairman we'll be lookin

all states, whether they use firstnet's network or build their own, will connect to our national core. that's what creates the interoperability across the nation. now in terms of the cost, that will be something for your team in montana to determine. we're going to give the governor a plan that will lay out the coverage we have planned based on the consultation we do with your state in terms of the priorities and we will give you what the cost of that is or the pricing to your end users. you will then have that to make a determination as the state and the governor makes that decision as to whether or not you want to take on responsibility. >> you'll have a cost. >> we won't determine your cost. you're going to determine that. you're going to an issue an rfp. we'll tell you what our plan is. you can compare it to