When disasters strike, public safety officials need access to a reliable communications network to facilitate and coordinate resources in a moment’s notice. During a wildfire that started near the National Center for Atmospheric Research facility, the City of Boulder, Colorado experienced firsthand how FirstNet Compact Rapid Deployable assets quickly resolved connections issues by reestablishing communication within 15 minutes.
Blog
In the Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Report to Congress, the FirstNet Authority highlights efforts to advance public safety communications technology through innovation and insight. The report details the forward-thinking, state-of-the-art technology made available to the public safety community through FirstNet and ongoing efforts by the FirstNet Authority to enhance the nationwide public safety broadband network.
In the City of St. Augustine, Florida, when multiple public safety agencies are involved in different aspects of securing the city―whether in the aftermath of a hurricane or during a large planned event―communication is critical to ensure all partners are informed and working as a single unit. Agency personnel citywide are connected to FirstNet, an interoperable network that provides reliable communication when they need it most.
Emergency management thrives on good communications. One FirstNet tool that aids communications is push-to-talk on hand-held mobile devices. Push-to-talk capabilities over FirstNet deliver better situational awareness for responders in the field and in the emergency operations.
The fourth-quarterly 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Plenary e-meetings of 2022 concluded in December. Participants focused work on 3GPP Release 18’s (R18) feature progress and schedule. During the meetings, the group decided to extend the R18 freeze date by three months to March 2024 to ensure the quality of the R18 3GPP specifications.