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Wireless commission warns of $152M platform upgrade and seeks long‑term replacement funding
Summary
The Wireless Communication Commission told lawmakers it faces rising leases, utilities and aging equipment across about 161 state radio sites and presented a vendor estimate of roughly $152 million to upgrade the Motorola platform; it proposed a multiyear ask (about $12.2M/year over 10 years) and requested an immediate $2.5M annual start to replace aging infrastructure.
The Wireless Communication Commission (WCC) presented its fiscal request, emphasizing maintenance needs and a planned vendor platform transition that could require substantial multi‑year investment.
A WCC representative told the committee the system supports roughly 68,000 subscribers and operates about 161 owned communication sites (186 if other colocations are counted). The agency said much of its budget supports tower leases, generator and HVAC maintenance, propane for hardened sites and utilities. The commission warned that much of the infrastructure is aging — some sites are 16–17 years old — and urged a replacement plan.
On the vendor upgrade, the commission said Motorola is moving from its current G‑series platform to a D‑series platform and that vendor budgetary estimates for a full system conversion were roughly $152,000,000. The commission proposed spreading that cost over a decade, citing a planned 10‑year ask of about $12.2 million per year, and separately requested an additional $2.5 million annually beginning this year to begin replacing aging components.
Members asked about emerging technologies such as satellite services and radios that roam between LMR, LTE and Wi‑Fi. Commission staff said those technologies may reduce tower needs in some circumstances but raised reliability concerns in major emergencies when commercial cellular may be unavailable. Committee members also questioned interoperability with other vendors and the statutory standards (P25) that govern compatibility.
The commission did not present a negotiated contract in the hearing; lawmakers asked for further price negotiation details, options to reduce the bundled estimate and possible funding plans to maintain system uptime during any multi‑year transition.
