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Update on February 22 Network Outage

In the early hours of the morning on February 22, 2024, our network partner, AT&T, experienced a broad outage that impacted public safety users of FirstNet. The FirstNet network was restored by around 5:00 a.m. CST — about 3 hours since service was initially affected for some FirstNet subscribers across the country. The FirstNet Authority is working with AT&T to implement strategies and corrective actions to help prevent FirstNet from experiencing an outage like this in the future.
Compilation of different FirstNet deployables, including: miniCRD, a CRD on the back of a boat in the water, a SatCOLT, a Cell Booster Pro, a Flying Cell on Wings (COW), another SatCOLT, a CRD on the ground, a CRD on the back of a pickup truck, a mobile broadband kit

Versatile FirstNet deployables for any scenario

SatCOLTS are a popular offering in the FirstNet deployables fleet, but the fleet has more to offer than just big trucks with tall antennas. Some of the newest options in the FirstNet fleet offer flexible, versatile coverage options that can help with a wide variety of response scenarios.
A football sits on a football field’s green turf; Assistant Secretary Alan Davidson, NTIA, and FirstNet Authority staff pose in Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas

Super-sizing safety communications for the Big Game

The FirstNet Authority team joined staff from AT&T to spend a January afternoon confirming that Allegiant Stadium in Nevada had broadband connectivity from top to bottom for the Big Game. Events like this are major tests for FirstNet, and the FirstNet Authority team has put in long hours to ensure that FirstNet passes with flying colors.
A mobile dispatch vehicle “Kansas 911” “Mobile Dispatch Training”; a hand holding a mobile phone showing a location app; a telecommunicator on the phone at a workstation

Kansas uses cutting-edge technology to enhance 911 services

Officials from the Kansas 911 Coordinating Council discuss how the state uses cutting-edge technology to enhance 911 services for telecommunicators, responders in the field, and the public. The state is using FirstNet to enable data sharing, mobile dispatching, and redundancy for 911 agencies.
A large group of people dressed in business attire seated at conference tables while taking notes on electronic devices at a 3GPP plenary session; a network overlay of lines is shown waving across the photo.

3GPP begins Release 19 work for public safety as Release 18 progress continues

The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) held Plenary meetings in December 2023 focused on the feature progress for Release 18, planning for Release 19, and preliminary discussions for Release 20. During these meetings, the FirstNet Authority served as an active participant working to develop standards for mission critical services.