The First Responder Network Authority will not award the contract for its nationwide broadband public safety network on Nov. 1 as anticipated, CEO Mike Poth said.

“FirstNet will continue to execute the acquisition process outlined in the [request for proposals] beyond the Nov. 1 target date for the award,” he said in an Oct. 28 statement on FirstNet’s website. “We will continue to work diligently with our federal partners to complete the RFP process in line with the [Federal Acquisition Regulation] while being as transparent as allowable.”

Although he could not discuss the specifics of the acquisition process, Poth said FirstNet officials were “moving closer to a contract award in accordance” with the FAR.

FirstNet issued its RFP for the sprawling, national emergency radio network in January, and it outlined an ambitious procurement plan to select a lead vendor by November and have final deployment plans in place next year.

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