Public Safety Broadband

Chief Christopher Lombard was awarded the Chief Harlin R. McEwen Public Safety Broadband Communications Award today for his remarkable leadership and extensive contributions to public safety broadband communications.

FirstNet Authority Board member Undersheriff Sylvia Moir discusses how FirstNet, the public safety broadband network, is aiding first responders in reducing harm and safeguarding communities. Learn how the network supports first responders on the frontline everyday at FirstNet.gov.

Steve Devine, APCO Chief Technology Officer, talks about the biggest trends in 9-1-1 technology, including the transition from analog to digital systems with Next Generation 9-1-1. Steve also discussed the role of public safety broadband in the emergency communications center and the issues APCO is prioritizing to support telecommunicators.

The deployment of FirstNet, the nationwide public safety broadband network, is estimated to have created thousands of jobs and generated $5.6 billion in wages and salaries to date, according to a new economic impact study developed for the First Responder Network Authority.

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Annual Report to Congress highlights the achievements and continued progress that the FirstNet Authority has made throughout FY 2023. Details of the FirstNet Authority’s milestone successes in ensuring the deployment of the FirstNet network and securing the renewal of its Band 14 license by the Federal Communications Commission demonstrate a continued commitment to innovation and serving our nation’s public safety community.

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.

The First Responder Network Authority is launching the next phase of FirstNet through a series of strategic investments totaling more than $8 billion over 10 years. The FirstNet Authority and its network partner, AT&T, join to unveil the latest network investment of $6.3 billion, delivering full 5G capabilities on FirstNet, expanded mission-critical services, and enhanced coverage.

Download our FAQ to get answers to questions about FirstNet and the FirstNet Authority. 

FirstNet Authority Board member Sean McDevitt knows telecommunications. As a Board member, Sean leverages his more than 30 years in the information technology and telecommunications industry to help enhance the nation’s public safety wireless broadband network. Sean shares insights on the evolution of technology, FirstNet’s pivotal role in keeping first responders connected, and the next phase of the network.

The FirstNet Authority’s public-private partnership with AT&T achieved a major milestone by completing the initial network buildout in all 50 states, 5 territories, and the District of Columbia. This buildout serves as a launching pad for the future of FirstNet, or FirstNet 3.0. Executive Director Joe Wassel identifies three keys to success in evolving the network in a way that is strategic and meets public safety’s needs.

The completion of the initial five-year buildout of FirstNet represents a defining accomplishment for public safety’s network. With the initial buildout completed, the First Responder Network Authority is shifting to the next phase of evolving, enhancing, and expanding FirstNet, focusing on constant innovation to ensure first responders can reliably communicate and access advanced, purpose-built solutions to keep both themselves and their communities safe.

Renee Gordon, FirstNet Authority Board Vice Chair, has dedicated her career to public safety. In her roles as a 9-1-1 leader and police officer, she has seen first responders put to the test when faced with life-or-death decisions. In honor of National First Responders Day, she shares her perspectives as a first responder and how a responder’s risk calculus improves with FirstNet.

Jackman is a rural community nestled away in the Northwestern Mountains of Maine. The town struggled with communication due to their remote location. Now, by leveraging FirstNet, they've transformed public safety for the area, enabling residents to take advantage of telehealth capabilities and ensuring that calls for help are met with swift and timely assistance. Learn more: https://www.firstnet.gov/newsroom/blo...

The remote region of Jackman, Maine, was experiencing dwindling healthcare options, especially on nights and weekends when the local health clinic was closed. Through an innovative telehealth project, the region now has 24/7 urgent care with the help of FirstNet. The network connects local paramedics to emergency physicians at a hospital 120 miles away, allowing them to treat patients after hours and improve access to quality of care across the region.

Public safety agencies that operate on the water, like Hyannis Fire in Massachusetts, deal with unique challenges. That's why the FirstNet Authority went on site with agencies across the county to gather insight into the operational needs of these maritime first responders. These findings will help define future strategies to enhance the effectiveness of maritime emergency response operations. Learn more at FirstNet.gov/PSAM.

First responders respond to incidents in all types of environments—on land, in the air, and on water—and they need to be able to communicate wherever the mission takes them. The FirstNet Authority established a working group to study how public safety currently uses broadband for aviation and maritime operations and how it could be used in these environments in the future.

Hear from FirstNet Authority Board member Sheriff Kristin Graziano on how FirstNet is helping law enforcement to get the job done safer and more efficiently. She explains that with first responders at the table explaining their challenges and needs, FirstNet is truly built FOR public safety, BY public safety.

FirstNet Authority Board member Sheriff Kristin Graziano is a seasoned public safety leader with more than 30 years in law enforcement. We had the opportunity to catch up with Sheriff Graziano to discuss her proudest accomplishments, how FirstNet supports law enforcement, and her personal approach to public safety.

Ambulance runs can go to the most remote of places—in both rural and urban environments. A useful piece of technology for EMS is FirstNet’s high-power user equipment, or HPUE. HPUE boosts signal power up to six times the normal strength at the edges of the network. Lieutenant Humza Shamsuddin, Technology Director for the Bristol Kendall Fire Protection District in Illinois, explains how his agency uses HPUE for EMS.

The tragedies of September 11 continue to be significant in our current times. The FirstNet Authority is a ripple effect of that day and the days that followed when first responders struggled to communicate amid the chaos. FirstNet exists today as the nationwide public safety broadband network — to keep first responders sharing every day and in every emergency.