The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) received an unmodified, or clean, audit opinion on its financial statements for fiscal year (FY) 2020. This is the eighth consecutive year that the FirstNet Authority has earned a clean audit. The audit identified zero material weaknesses, zero significant deficiencies, and zero management-level control deficiencies.
The FirstNet Authority’s mission is to ensure the building, operation, and maintenance of FirstNet, the nationwide public safety broadband network. Inherent to this mission is our responsibility to be strong fiscal stewards of the public safety resources entrusted to us. One way we uphold this responsibility is by ensuring consistently clean audit opinions.
The FirstNet Authority continues to exercise sound stewardship over our financial resources in the interest of public safety’s network. During FY 2020, the FirstNet Authority funded contractual commitments that resulted in the expansion of FirstNet. We also made the first investments to fund network enhancements, which include expanding the fleet of FirstNet deployables to meet public safety’s increasing demand and initiating generational upgrades to enable 5G network capabilities.
We are committed to ensuring sound financial management controls with reliable financial reporting practices. Our finance team works diligently to uphold policies and procedures that strengthen internal controls over financial reporting. Each business division within the FirstNet Authority is dedicated to excellence in executing our financial practices, a dedication shared by the FirstNet Authority leadership and the Department of Commerce.
The audit for FY 2020 was conducted by the independent auditors, Harper, Rains, Knight & Company, P.A., and the full FY 2020 financial report can be accessed here.
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