FirstNet Board Agrees on Investments in Network Coverage

The First Responder Network Authority board Wednesday approved launching a 10-year initiative with $2 billion in coverage investments. In June, the board approved $534 million for network enhancements as part of a $684 million budget package for FY 2025 (see 2406240031). “We know that the No. 1 priority for public safety continues to be coverage,” said Jocelyn Moore, chair of the board’s Programs and Future Planning Committee. FirstNet has already invested in in-building coverage, building more deployables, priority access for public safety officials and upgrading its wireless facilities to 5G from 4G, she said. FirstNet is focused on expanding its network in tribal, rural and territorial areas, Moore said. FirstNet is also examining satellite-direct-to-device capabilities for users of the network. The network now has more than 6.1 million connections and “we’re far from done.” A FirstNet team attended the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and is in Chicago this week for the Democratic National Convention, said Sylvia Moir, Advocacy Committee chair. FirstNet has coordinated with AT&T "to ensure needs are met to support public safety operations,” she said. The investments the authority is making in the network will enable 5G for all public safety users across 50 states and outlying territories, said Brian Crawford, Finance and Investment Committee chair. “Those investments ensure that the network not only maintains parity with other commercial service providers but is also able to fully support a suite of evolving 5G-enabled services,” he said. The meeting was the last for five members, who are at the end of their three-year terms -- Chair Richard Carrizzo, Crawford, Moir, Billy Hewes and Paul Patrick. The board met at the Utah Department of Public Safety in Salt Lake City. Authority Executive Director Joe Wassel said board members were in Utah as school starts and keeping 35,000 students and faculty safe is “a serious business.”