Rivada Networks

Rivada Networks is a US-based communications technology business with offices in the US and Ireland. Rivada Networks was founded on July 6, 2004[1] and its current CEO and chairman is Irish businessman Declan Ganley.[2] Rivada Networks is financially backed by Peter Thiel.[3] An October 20, 2020 CNN report said that the White House had allegedly increased pressure to fast track a contract to lease the Department of Defense's underutilized spectrum in a public private partnership between the DoD and Rivada Networks, to use DoD's mid-band spectrum to eventually share 5G airwaves with wireless providers.[4] Karl Rove, who is a paid lobbyist for Rivada,[5][3] and Newt Gingrich have been lobbying since early 2019 for the DoD/Rivada deal[3] which CNN says, would be "premium real estate for the booming and lucrative 5G market."[4] Rivada says that is "not interested in a nationalized 5G network."[6]

Rivada Networks
TypePrivately held company
IndustryTelecommunication
FounderDeclan Ganley
Area served
North America
Key people
Declan Ganley (Chairman and CEO)
Websitehttps://www.rivada.com/

Background

The name Rivada is derived from the acronym, "Radio Interoperable Voice and Data Applications."[7]

Rivada Networks is part of a joint venture with Port Graham Development Corporation called Rivada Port Graham Solutions.[8] In April 2012, Rivada Port Graham Solutions was one of 30 prime contractors awarded a contract on the US Secret Service's $3 billion Tactical Communications (TACCOM) contract for the US Department of Homeland Security. Contractors received contracts in one or multiple technical categories, and each indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract has a 2-year base and three 1-year options. Some of the technical categories on the contract include portable/mobile radios, control/base stations, software, upgrades, repeaters, routers, comparator systems, engineering, design, installations, maintenance, frequency managers, spectrum managers and test equipment.[9][10]

In May 2016 it was disclosed that Rivada Networks had partnered with Harris Corporation, Ericsson, Nokia, Intel Security, Fujitsu Network Communications, and Black & Veatch to form Rivada Mercury. Rivada Mercury unsuccessfully bid to build a nationwide LTE network in the 700 MHz spectrum licensed to FirstNet.[11][12]

Rivada Networks 5G business model

In November 2018, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman, Ajit Pai, announced the first spectrum auction for 5G services as part of a multi-year "aggressive spectrum strategy" to "facilitate America's superiority in 5G."[13] 5G—the "next generation of cellular technology"—will increase internet speed allowing, for example, users to "stream HD videos on your mobile network", and doctors to "perform remote surgery.[14]

In his February 19, 2019 Fox News article, "America in race against China—and the clock—to control future of tech", Newt Gingrich, called for a public-private partnership where private capital would facilitate a "wireless moonshot" by taking advantage of a "shared spectrum available for a carrier-neutral, wholesale-only, nationwide 5G network" to "show the world that Chinese wireless dominance is not inevitable".[15] In early spring 2019, Karl Rove, a Rivada Networks investor,[3] had been actively lobbying Senate Armed Services Committee members and Senator John Cornyn—co-author of the Secure 5G and Beyond Act, to promote Rivada Networks' 5G business model which involved leasing the Pentagon's mid-band spectrum, according to a May 2019, The New Yorker by Sue Halpern.[5] Halpern described how, the Department of Defense's spectrum which spans the United States, is often unused—it is set aside for "classified, unclassified, and emergency communications."[5] and that Brad Parscale[16] and Gingrich were making a similar case about "underutilized spectrum".[15][17]

In April 2019, Washington, D.C.-based Jonathan Lee, whose work as an attorney involves FCC matters, questioned why "lifelong 'free market' defenders" like Newt Gingrich and Karl Rove were embracing a DoD/Rivada partnership.[18][5]

An October 20, 2020 CNN report said that Mark Meadows—acting on behalf of President Donald Trump—has increased pressure to fast track a non-competitive lucrative contract Rivada to lease 350 megahertz of the Department of Defense's mid-band spectrum, which CNN's says, would be "premium real estate for the booming and lucrative 5G market."[4]

Rivada has repeatedly said that is "not interested in a nationalized 5G network."[6]

See also

References
  1. "Core Data". sam.gov. Retrieved 2013-02-19.
  2. "Declan Ganley". rivada.com. Retrieved 2013-02-19.
  3. Mcgill, Margaret Harding; Hendel, John. "Karl Rove jumps into wireless battle that is dividing Trump world". POLITICO. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
  4. Jake Tapper, Anchor and Chief Washington Correspondent (Director). "Administration officials alarmed by White House push to fast track lucrative 5G spectrum contract, sources say". CNN Politics. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  5. Halpern, Sue (May 24, 2019). "Karl Rove and a Pitch for a Nationwide 5G Network Tailor-Made for Trump's 2020 Campaign". The New Yorker. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  6. "Rivada: We're not interested in nationalized 5G". FierceWireless. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  7. "About Us". rivada.com. 2013-12-20. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
  8. "Welcome to Rivada Port Graham Solutions". rivadaportgraham.com. Retrieved 2013-02-19.
  9. "30 Win $3B Secret Service Contract". washingtontechnology.com. Retrieved 2013-02-19.
  10. "DHS Tactical Communications". fbo.gov. Retrieved 2013-02-19.
  11. "This Bid for Emergency Services Could Change How Broadband Is Sold". Fortune. 2016-06-07. Retrieved 2016-06-26.
  12. "Nokia, Ericsson join Rivada Mercury in bid to build public safety broadband network". 2016-06-07. Retrieved 2016-06-26.
  13. "FCC's First-Ever High-Band 5g Spectrum Auction Begins Today" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. November 14, 2018. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  14. Zhou, Marrian (November 14, 2018). "FCC kicks off 5G spectrum auction to help make hype reality". CNET. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  15. Gingrich, Newt (February 19, 2019). "Newt Gingrich: America in race against China - and the clock - to control future of tech". Fox News. Retrieved October 20, 2020. Decisive action building a public-private partnership in the near term demands that we make shared spectrum available for a carrier-neutral, wholesale-only, nationwide 5G network to be built in the next two to three years across the entire country. This could be a kind of wireless moonshot (but with private capital) that will spur microelectronics manufacturing here at home, accelerate the deployment of next-generation networks, and show the world that Chinese wireless dominance is not inevitable.
  16. Brad Parscale [@Parscale] (February 21, 2019). "Something is wrong with mobile broadband in America where we pay the most of the entire world for 1GB of data. A 5G wholesale market from underutilized spectrum would drive down prices and improve rural availability" (Tweet). Retrieved October 21, 2020 – via Twitter.
  17. Gingrich, Newt (March 12, 2019). "To Win in 5G, We Must Break Government Monopolies". National Review. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  18. Lee, Jonathan (April 2, 2019). "A National 5G Network Offers Less Benefits & More Risk Than Proponents Think". TeleComSense. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
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