Coverage

First responders in Hyndman, Bedford County, are getting a major boost in their wireless communications with the addition of a new, purpose-built FirstNet cell site that AT&T turned on. This new site is a part of the FirstNet network expansion taking place across the state, bringing increased coverage, capacity and capabilities for public safety.

The First Responder Network Authority is pleased to unveil the 2020 FirstNet Roadmap. The newly updated Roadmap incorporates feedback from thousands of public safety stakeholders and reflects emerging technology trends identified by academic and industry experts in the fields of communications and technology. The Roadmap is central to the delivery of a differentiated broadband communications experience for public safety.

First responders in Northern Minnesota will soon be getting a major boost in their wireless communications with construction underway of a new, purpose-built FirstNet cell site – one of the first primarily powered by solar in the Midwest.

FirstNet is building new cell sites as well as upgrading existing cell sites in New York state, bringing Band 14 to local first responders. This enhanced coverage gives public safety uninterrupted access to the network and the resources they need.

The Tennessee National Guard has been deployed across the state for incidents ranging from disaster relief after devastating tornadoes to pandemic response. FirstNet has provided the National Guard with a secure and reliable network that helped overcome communications challenges and allowed Guardsmen to serve their communities more efficiently. 

With a fleet of 76 deployable assets ranging from Satellite Cell on Light Trucks to the FirstNet One Aerostat, FirstNet is prepared for hurricane season. These assets are pre-staged and available to respond when disasters strike.

The Arlington Police Department in Texas is using FirstNet to support tools that help officers better serve their communities. FirstNet’s dedicated network gives Arlington Police confidence and reliability across the city to remain connected to the resources they need most.

In Walker County, Alabama, Sheriff Nick Smith said that digital radios running over FirstNet kept deputies connected to dispatch and an aviation unit that helped locate missing persons. Walker County deputies currently carry DuraForce Pro 2 smartphones by Kyocera which use FirstNet, a broadband network for first responders offered by AT&T.

During a missing person search last fall in a remote part of the western Black Hills in South Dakota, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office had no cell-phone service. Within hours of calling FirstNet, Captain Tony Harrison said that the AT&T-FirstNet team set up a mobile cell tower to allow deputies to communicate with dispatch and locate the missing person.

Kentucky’s first responders are got a major boost in their wireless communications with the addition of new, purpose-built FirstNet cell sites in 9 counties – Adair, Allen, Casey, Clay, Edmonson, Floyd, Laurel, Perry and Whitley – and more than 600 other network enhancements.

Florida’s first responders got a major boost in their wireless communications with the addition of new, purpose-built FirstNet cell sites and more than 2,000 other network enhancements. This new infrastructure is a part of the FirstNet network expansion taking place across the state, bringing increased coverage, capacity and capabilities for public safety.

In Chesapeake, Virginia, the local fire department is exploring ways to manage response for non-emergent care. The Chesapeake Fire Department launched a Mobile Integrated Healthcare program to provide residents with effective access to healthcare. With FirstNet, they are able to access real-time data in the field and coordinate with high-risk patients throughout the community.

First responders in Western Massachusetts got a major boost in their wireless communications with the addition of new, purpose-built cell sites. The sites – located in the communities of Worthington, Hardwick and Huntington – are part of the FirstNet network expansion taking place in Massachusetts, which is bringing increased coverage, capacity and capability to first responders across the state.

The FirstNet Authority is taking part in several panel discussions, as well as a virtual booth for the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ 2020 Fire-Rescue International ReIGNITE conference. During the event, attendees can take the opportunity to learn about FirstNet’s innovations for public safety agencies and all of the resources available to them through the network.

Alabama’s first responders got a major boost in their wireless communications with the addition of new, purpose-built FirstNet cell sites supporting 8 communities: Anniston, Banks, Berry, Clio, Orrville, Ranburne, Union Springs and Woodland. This new infrastructure is a part of the FirstNet network expansion taking place across the state, bringing increased coverage, capacity and capabilities for public safety.

New cell sites in the state of South Carolina will bring improved coverage to first responders. The new sites are part of the FirstNet network’s expanding infrastructure for the state.

New cell sites in the state of North Dakota will bring improved coverage to first responders. The new sites are part of the FirstNet network’s expanding infrastructure for the state.

The momentum continued at the September 2020 3GPP Plenary meetings with Release 17 (R17) work fully underway. Several studies are moving into the normative work phase and address public safety areas of interest, including enhanced location services, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) such as drones, direct mode enhancements including sidelink relay, and 5G multicast-broadcast.

Harris County, Texas, was one of the early adopters of FirstNet. As the nation’s third most populous county, first responders in the area need to be prepared for any event. The Harris County Radio Services Organization operates the regional radio system for public safety in Harris County, and FirstNet is allowing them augment that radio system in remote areas and in times of heavy network congestion. 

A new cell site in the state of Maryland will bring improved coverage to first responders in the city of Waldorf. The new site is part of the FirstNet network’s expanding infrastructure for the state.