No-bid $56M Motorola deal draws scrutiny over LWIN failures

(The Center Square) − Motorola is seeking another major statewide communications contract from Louisiana while the emergency radio network it already operates continues to face questions over outages, coverage gaps and mounting costs.

Communications giant Motorola is being offered a 10-year, $56 million statewide contract to expand its role in the Louisiana Wireless Information Network, the shared radio system used by law enforcement officers, firefighters and other emergency responders across Louisiana. No vendors other than Motorola are being considered.

The contract would also allow Motorola to supply portable radios, body-worn cameras and in-car video. State officials argue that combining multiple services and agencies into one contract could save the state $40 million by spreading expenses across the statewide network.

Motorola secured its initial role in the system after Hurricane Katrina through another no-bid contract. It now supplies and maintains the technology at the heart of LWIN, a network plagued by ...