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Utah Communications Authority highlights radio cutover, 9-1-1 upgrades and cheaper "microsites"
Summary
UCA told the subcommittee the statewide radio cutover is complete and funded from restricted fees, NextGen 911 improvements are rolling out, and a pilot microsite costing about $30,000–$40,000 could fill coverage gaps that previously required $1,000,000 sites.
Gary Sifis of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst’s office summarized the Utah Communications Authority’s funding structure and restricted accounts that support statewide 9-1-1 and radio services.
Tina Matthew, executive director of the Utah Communications Authority, told the subcommittee the agency completed a radio cutover that was paid with cash from the restricted fund and no debt service. "That's a credit to you all," she said, calling the project a "huge win for taxpayers" and noting the project was about $70,000,000.
Matthew described improvements to the NextGen 911 phone system, including location-based routing aimed at reducing call transfers, and two newly procured applications for call/data integration and a virtual response assistant to handle nonemergency calls. She said UCA now has 145 radio sites online and is testing a first microsite that will be delivered within two weeks. "We think that this will save us a ton of money. We're talking about 30 to $40,000 versus 1,000,000 dollars for a site," Matthew said, adding that a successful microsite pilot would lead to immediate orders for more units to fill coverage gaps.
Committee members praised the agency’s progress, highlighting improved rural coverage and interoperability; several members urged rapid continued deployment. Staff and members asked follow-up questions about proof-of-concept testing, costs, and whether individual PSAPs must purchase certain add-on applications. Matthew confirmed some features ("Live 911") are purchased by individual PSAPs and are not centrally purchased by UCA.
The presentation generated committee support but no immediate appropriations during the session; UCA emphasized ongoing maintenance and rollout work for remaining sites.
