Advertisement NH decides to opt in to FirstNet after all Governor says other states ran out of time to opt out Share Shares Copy Link Copy

New Hampshire will not opt out of a national wireless network for first responders as originally planned, the governor announced Thursday.Gov. Chris Sununu had announced earlier that New Hampshire would opt out of the national FirstNet system built by AT&T and instead work with a startup company called Rivada to build its own network.But Sununu said Thursday, the day that a final decision had to be reached, that the state will opt in and go with AT&T's system. The governor said other states had also expressed concerns about AT&T's plan, but time ran out for them to get comfortable with opting out."While Rivada’s plan remains the better option for New Hampshire, I have determined that the additional risk associated with being the only state to opt out creates too high a barrier for New Hampshire to continue down the opt-out path alone," Sununu said.FirstNet is intended to provide a broadband system for first responders that can be used across state lines in the event of a major emergency. The bandwidth can also be used commercially.Sununu said opting out and going with Rivada would have given the state better coverage, more system control and an opportunity to share in revenue streams. But with 48 other states and territories already opting into FirstNet, it became too risky for New Hampshire to go it alone."Through this entire process, New Hampshire has been able to maintain strategic leverage and ensure that the alternative AT&T proposal was one of the best in the country," Sununu said.The governor said the decision means that AT&T will build 48 new cell tower sites across the state.