STATEMENT OF 
CHAIRMAN AJIT PAI
Re: Procedures for Commission Review of State Opt-Out Requests from the FirstNet Radio Access 
Network, Order, PS Docket 16-269
As communities devastated by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma begin the hard work of rebuilding, 
our work at the Commission to promote public safety continues.  With today’s Order, we take another 
step towards the creation of a nationwide interoperable public safety broadband network.  Specifically, we 
finalize the technical criteria the Commission will use to evaluate plans from those states that elect to opt-
out of the network that will be deployed by the First Responder Network Authority.  
During the recent storms, we have witnessed heroic acts by many first responders.  They put their 
lives on the line each and every day to keep us safe.  We owe it to them to give them the tools they need 
to do their jobs.  Effective and reliable communications service is one of those tools.  I’m proud that 
we’re doing what we can and must to help them communicate in times of trouble.