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A police SUV with lights on and lit flare sit in a snowstorm at night.
29 Jan

FirstNet’s Dedicated Public Safety Broadband Network is Driving Innovation for Law Enforcement

Over the past decade, police chiefs nationwide have begun to increase their departments’ use of mobile broadband technology. A reliable mobile broadband network helps agencies capture and share information, coordinate with other agencies, and take advantage of new technologies to protect and serve their communities. David Cook, FirstNet Authority Senior Public Safety Advisor, reviews how police departments in New York are benefiting from FirstNet, the nationwide public safety broadband network.

Hot-air balloon participate on a field glow at third annual FireLake Fireflight Balloon Festival in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
21 Jan

FirstNet ‘immeasurable’ at Oklahoma balloon festival

In August, the Citizen Potawatomi Nation (CPN) hosted the third annual FireLake Fireflight Balloon Festival in Shawnee, Oklahoma, this year attracting an estimated 20,000 attendees. Large events like the balloon festival require months of advance preparation to ensure the community’s safety and security. As part of these efforts, festival planners had to prepare for potential impacts on public safety communications, including commercial network congestion.

A room full of attendees at the June 2019 3GPP meetings listen and take notes on laptops as a panel of four speakers at the front give a presentation, a police officer holds a FirstNet enabled device
17 Jan

Public-Safety Features Officially Part of Next 3GPP Standard Release

In December 2019, the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) held its final quarterly meeting of the year in Sitges, Spain. Dean Prochaska, FirstNet Authority Director of Standards, summarizes the discussion and what the standards body is working toward next.

An aerial view of a Satellite Cell on Light Truck (SatCOLT) sitting in a parking lot.
15 Jan

FirstNet Deployables are Unique Offering for Emergency Managers

When disaster strikes or large crowds gather, public safety officials need a broadband network they can rely on to remain connected. FirstNet’s fleet of deployables is an important resource for emergency managers for planned and unplanned events to ensure that connection is available. First Responder Network Authority Senior Public Safety Advisor Timothy Pierce describes the deployables that are available to FirstNet subscribers and how those resources can make a difference for first responders.

Annapolis Maryland Police patch, broadband tower and power lines
09 Jan

City of Annapolis Comes Together to Provide Reliable Communications to Public Safety Agencies

Historic Annapolis, Maryland, hosts nearly two million tourists annually, and public safety officials are responsible for protecting these visitors and local residents throughout the town and in the surrounding Chesapeake Bay. City leadership recognizes the necessity of reliable communications for these first responders and is rolling out FirstNet city-wide. FirstNet Authority’s Senior Public Safety Advisor Lori Stone discusses this initiative and how it is benefiting Annapolis’ public safety community.

 

Three police officers consult information on a smartphone, a firefighter looks at a rugged device, an EMS technician next to a patient gurney in the back of an ambulance looks down at a smart device
20 Dec

A Growing and Diverse Ecosystem of FirstNet Devices

In a world where technology trends are ever changing, the FirstNet Authority and our network contractor, AT&T, are working diligently to deliver a dedicated public safety broadband network. In addition to a reliable and secure connection, we are working with AT&T to build a diverse device ecosystem that will meet the needs of public safety.

An emergency manager points towards a screen displaying a map, an officer holds a smartphone displaying an app, an EMS technician interacts with a display screen
19 Dec

Using and Developing Apps on FirstNet: the next phase of public safety communications

A robust broadband ecosystem for public safety demands a proven pool of mobile apps based on the needs of the responder community. The FirstNet applications strategy is to enable the creation of public safety mobile applications while maintaining support for existing commercial applications. This will establish a portfolio of resilient, reliable, secure and easy-to-use mobile applications for first responders.

FirstNet Public Safety Advisory Committee members discuss matters during a meeting, Twenty-three representatives of all disciplines of public safety stand for a PSAC group photo
17 Dec

PSAC meeting highlights 2019 accomplishments and 2020 initiatives

The FirstNet Authority Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) held its bi-annual meeting in Austin, TX, where more than 20 PSAC members gathered to discuss 2019 activities and accomplishments and 2020 goals and initiatives. Kenzie Capece, FirstNet Authority Senior Public Safety Advisor, recaps the conversation on the FirstNet Authority Roadmap and special presentations from FirstNet, Built with AT&T, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

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