Public Safety Broadband
Every year, the FirstNet Authority provides a report to Congress, outlining the activities, operations, financial condition, and accomplishments from the previous fiscal year. Tom Shull, FirstNet Authority Director of Government Affairs, provides an overview of the FirstNet Authority’s Annual Report to Congress for Fiscal Year 2019.
In this episode, Ellen Ryan, Deputy Division Chief for the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Public Safety Communications Research Division, discusses the division’s Open Innovation program, including current and future grant and prize challenge opportunities.
First responders rely on dogs for many tasks that no human or technology can do. As K9 units continue to proliferate across public safety, industry is designing new technologies to keep them safe and increase their effectiveness. Many of these technologies require a reliable, secure broadband connection to function properly.
A new cell tower in Stamping Ground, Kentucky, is bringing first responders in Scott County enhanced coverage and capabilities through FirstNet.
Edward Parkinson delivers remarks at CES Government 2020 to discuss the expanding public safety broadband marketplace and the FirstNet Authority's plans for FirstNet in 2020, including: FirstNet's role promoting innovation in the marketplace and advancing initiatives to identify industry trends and promote global public safety broadband opportunities.
The Brazos County Sheriff's Office in Texas uses FirstNet to turn their police vehicles into mobile offices and stream dashboard video back to headquarters.
The Colorado Springs Police Department, Colorado Springs Fire Department, and other city emergency responders rely on FirstNet's dedicated and highly secure communication platform to improve patient care and command decisions.
The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office in South Dakota is exploring the benefits that FirstNet can bring to the rural area, including priority and preemption and cost savings.
When disaster strikes, public safety and local officials need the best tools to save lives, and a critical response infrastructure is necessary to help economies recover and remain resilient after these events. In recognition of this, three agencies within the Department of Commerce have come together to launch the Accelerate R2 Network Challenge to foster innovations in response and resiliency technologies.
As mobile broadband communications become increasingly embedded in public safety operations, states are updating policy and process documents to account for this new way of communicating. The Missouri Department of Public Safety updated the Missouri Field Operations Guide, a statewide reference tool that outlines established and trusted interoperable communications solutions for first responders, to include FirstNet.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced today the appointment of two leaders in public safety and law enforcement to serve on the Board of the First Responder Network Authority.
Expanding deployable assets, upgrading the FirstNet core to be 5G Ready are focus of first investments opportunities aligned with public safety priorities in FirstNet Authority Roadmap
The Columbia Fire Department is one of several city agencies joining FirstNet. This is the largest deployment of FirstNet in the state of South Carolina.
When wildfires broke out near Stanley, Idaho, first responders turned to FirstNet to help connect responding agencies. With the help of a Satellite Cell on Light Truck (SatCOLT) deployable asset, first responders from multiple agencies were able to communicate as they fought the blazes.
The FirstNet Authority marked a significant milestone with release of a new Roadmap for the future of FirstNet, the nationwide public safety broadband network.
In May 2019, thousands of spectators met in Utah to celebrate the moment when the last spike of the first transcontinental railroad was driven into 1,800 miles of track linking East with West. FirstNet was on hand to support the event, providing the Utah National Guard with new ways to communicate and operate.
FirstNet continues to gain rapid momentum with 600,000+ device connections being used by more than 7,250 public safety agencies.
FirstNet Authority Acting CEO Ed Parkinson spoke at the 2019 Technical & Business Conference hosted by NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association, discussing how rural network deployment will support first responders.
The aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City highlighted the critical need for dependable communications among first responders during emergencies and disasters.