Motorola is being offered a new 10-year, $56 million Louisiana contract to expand its role in the Louisiana Wireless Information Network, the statewide emergency radio system used by law enforcement, firefighters and other first responders, The Center Square reports.  The contract would also includ e portable radios, body-worn cameras and in-car video systems. State officials say consolidating services could save about $40 million, but Motorola is the only vendor being considered. The proposed contract has drawn criticism because LWIN, which Motorola began supporting after receiving a no-bid contract following Hurricane Katrina, has faced ongoing concerns about outages, coverage gaps and costs.  In 2024, the network recorded 3,432 cumulative hours of outages across about 150 tower sites. Emergency officials in Bossier City and Lafayette Parish have requested coverage tests after communication issues affected responders. Lawmakers agree the system needs improvement but have questioned whether Motorola should receive the contract without competition. Rep. Daryl Deshotel, R-Marksville, says Motorola bears some responsibility for reliability issues because of its maintenance role, while also noting that severe weather has contributed to network problems. The Office of Technology Services says only Motorola can provide the communications technology needed for statewide interoperability.  Radio engineer Dominic Tusa disputes that claim, arguing that LWIN’s use of Project-25 standards allows other companies, including L3Harris and TAIT Communications, to replace infrastructure while keeping existing radios operational. He argues the project should be competitively bid and questions whether $56 million reflects the true cost of upgrading a statewide system with about 150 tower sites. Tusa also criticized the lack of transparency regarding Motorola’s maintenance requirements, accountability for failures and potential penalties under existing contracts. He contends Louisiana should seek competing proposals and consider a redesigned system rather than extending Motorola’s role without an open bidding process. The Center Square has the full story. ...read more read less