Despite Pending Protest, $345 Million Communication Contract Approved

In order to beat the clock on a broadcast license that could expire, the Board of Public Works on Wednesday approved an eight-year contract with Motorola worth $345 million for broadcast interoperability – despite a pending protest.

Board votes split two to one on the contract, with Treasurer Nancy Kopp and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown voting to approve it, and Comptroller Peter Franchot voting against. Franchot wanted to delay the vote on the contract until the protest from low bidder ARINC had been resolved.

The contract with Motorola to build a single communication network for all of the state’s first responders to communicate with -- also known as interconnectivity -- has been hailed as the state’s top Homeland Security priority by the O’Malley administration. The Federal Communication Commission has granted the state a license for a 700 megahertz broadcast signal for this project, and Maryland Department of Information Technology Secretary Elliot Schlanger said that the license is set to expire in January 2012. If the state does not utilize the license by then, Schlanger said, Maryland faces losing it.

GO HERE to read more.