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FirstNet Authority staff and Coverage Enhancement Workshop participants, including a uniformed law enforcement officer, stand in a circle speaking

Enhancing FirstNet coverage where public safety needs it most

The FirstNet Authority understands that coverage must be expanded in strategic areas that reflect the needs of public safety. Our Coverage Enhancement Program gathers input from public safety on where they need coverage to help guide strategic network investments. Workshops across the nation have provided a forum for state and local government officials and public safety leaders to meet with FirstNet Authority staff to relay where coverage is inadequate and how that impacts operations.

A truck, UTV, and transport trailer outfitted with FirstNet devices such as HPUE parked outside a Northwest Fire and Rescue station.

Bridging the gaps: How Northwest Fire and Rescue uses FirstNet in rural Utah

In rural southern Utah, where red rock canyons, forests, small towns, and wide-open terrain coexist, communications for public safety can be a challenge. Given the dramatic differences in the terrain, Northwest Fire and Rescue turned to FirstNet for a secure, robust and dependable network that provides improved communications and rescue capabilities in the backcountry.

Valley Regional and Fire helmet on display in front of American flags

Valley Regional Fire and Rescue enhances communications across critical interstate corridors

The rugged terrain and remote geography of Luzerne County, North Carolina have long presented challenges for first responders who depend on communications to protect residents and visitors. With the addition of a new hilltop cell site in Drums, which improves coverage and capacity around Butler Drive and Old Turnpike Road, the Valley Regional Fire and Rescue team and surrounding public safety agencies will now benefit from expanded coverage.

A large conference room filled with rows of people seated at long tables, facing toward five presenters sitting at a dais and two jumbo screens in front of them at a 3GPP meeting

3GPP completes Release 19, while progress begins on 6G work

In December 2025, the FirstNet Authority participated in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) 6G Workshop meetings in Baltimore, Maryland. The meeting highlights included the declaration that Release 19 specifications are frozen, and all the working groups are focused on Release 20, particularly the 6G study activities.

A series of interconnected web of lines and points serving as a backdrop to a close-up view of a first responder’s hand holding a FirstNet-enabled mobile device; The FirstNet Operations Manual report cover.

Optimizing public safety broadband with the FirstNet Operations Manual

The FirstNet Operations Manual is a comprehensive, user-friendly reference designed for all disciplines of public safety — including emergency management, law enforcement, fire services, emergency medical services, and 9-1-1/emergency communications. The manual was developed by experts in FirstNet solutions and operations to provide public safety professionals with the knowledge, tools, and resources to use FirstNet effectively in different situations. Get your questions answered in our new resource for public safety.