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Motorola updates commission on multi‑site public‑safety radio build; White Rock site and road access are critical
Summary
Motorola Solutions and Tennessee Advanced Communications Network staff told the Carter County commission they are moving forward on a TACN simulcast radio upgrade for Carter County, but the White Rock site requires road upgrades and faces federal land-permitting steps; ARPA funding deadlines were cited as a constraint.
Motorola Solutions provided the Carter County Board of Commissioners an update on July 15 about the county’s participation in the Tennessee Advanced Communications Network (TACN) radio expansion, saying construction is moving forward but remains contingent on access to a remote site known as White Rock and on completing required road and permitting work.
“White Rock is a new site… If we do not get that road expanded and reinforced to take an 88,000‑pound shelter, we're dead in the water,” said Kate Stilwell, Motorola’s program director for Tennessee, describing the site as a linchpin for coverage of Stone Mountain, Buffalo Mountain and other donor sites. She told the commission that Motorola had proceeded at its own cost to complete environmental and historical reviews while working to clear final U.S. Forest Service requirements.
Stilwell said the county’s equipment order includes next‑generation D‑Series station shelters, an Astro 25 simulcast system and microwave backhaul. She said TACN and the state are contributing funding and that the work is being staged for equipment shipment and site construction in the third quarter of 2025. Motorola and TACN staff emphasized that the county’s portion of the program has an ARPA funding window that effectively requires physical construction to begin well before the end of 2026.
The presentation included technical details about new 190‑foot towers and 12×26 shelters, generator and fuel storage inside the shelters, and the volume and special handling required to place large shelters on remote ridges. Stilwell asked the commission and staff to prioritize improving the access road to White Rock; without a road capable of handling heavy-haul equipment, she said, the project timeline and the ARPA funding window could be jeopardized.
Commissioners asked about partnerships with neighboring jurisdictions and the required memoranda of understanding. Motorola staff said they had coordinated with Avery County, N.C., and other local partners on microwave and simulcast alignments and that White Rock would serve as a primary node connecting several sites.
Stilwell invited commissioners to visit staging sites and nearby installations to view shelters and construction methods; she said Motorola would circulate the full slide deck and provide on‑site dates for shelter demonstrations once schedules are firm.
The briefing concluded without specific votes; commissioners said they would follow up with county staff on road‑building procurements and ARPA schedule implications.
