by AllThingsECC.com | Jul 22, 2018 | Articles, Comm Center News
By Dave Buchanan
Public safety engagement has been at the heart of the First Responder Network Authority’s (FirstNet Authority) work since it was created by Congress in 2012. The FirstNet Authority has consulted with hundreds of thousands of first responders across the nation throughout the development of FirstNet—from the early stages of planning an approach, to the development of a Request for Proposal to build the network, to the award of the contract in March 2017. Following this hand-in-hand collaboration, all 56 states and territories decided to opt into the FirstNet network.
One year ago this month, the Commonwealth of Virginia became the first to opt in. Today, more than 1,000 agencies have joined FirstNet and are using it to help serve their communities. The FirstNet solution provides priority and preemption, and users have access to apps and device ecosystems, as well as local control features and more. Public safety’s dedicated spectrum (Band 14) is being built out and the dedicated FirstNet Core has launched with SIM cards that connect first responders to this physical infrastructure.
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by AllThingsECC.com | Jul 11, 2018 | Articles, Comm Center News
By Dean Prochaska, Director of Standards, First Responder Network Authority
This blog post is part of the “Tech Talk” series focused on the FirstNet Authority’s standards development activities to support the public safety community needs. This post recaps discussions linked to public safety and other related topics from the 3GPP Plenary meetings that were conducted from June 11-15, 2018 in La Jolla, CA. The First Responder Network Authority (“FirstNet Authority”) represented public safety interests at the plenary meetings.
In the FirstNet Authority’s ongoing effort to keep you informed regarding standards development activities impacting public safety, and following our recent update on the March Plenary meetings in Chennai, India, this blog discusses the latest developments from the 3GPP Plenary meetings held in La Jolla, CA, from June 11-15, 2018. The June quarterly meetings addressed standards in several areas relevant to the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN) in three separate plenary group meetings.
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by AllThingsECC.com | Jun 21, 2018 | Articles, Comm Center News
NPSTC Supports FirstNet as THE Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network
NPSTC NPSBN POSITION STATEMENT
The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) strongly supports Public Law 112-96 (02/22/12) that sets forth the requirements for having one Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN). THE NPSBN is what public safety advocated for from the beginning of discussions within the community, starting around 2006, and what Congress mandated–a single nationwide network.
NPSTC developed a public safety statement of requirements document in 2007 and a high-level broadband requirements document in 2012. Since then, NPSTC has developed many specific requirements documents to support the broadband for public safety implementation process, which were all approved by NPSTC’s 16 public safety member organizations.
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by AllThingsECC.com | Jun 8, 2018 | Articles, Comm Center News
Remarks by Sue Swenson, FirstNet Chair
Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Program Public Safety Broadband Stakeholder Meeting, San Diego, CA, June 5, 2018
Good morning everyone and welcome to America’s Finest City and the 2018 PSCR Conference.
We have spent so many years talking about what seemed to be the elusive nationwide public safety broadband network. It is thrilling this year that FirstNet is finally here and first responders are using its capability with great satisfaction.
I am so pleased to see what is happening in the world for first responders. The reality of a nationwide public safety broadband network has created a marketplace to develop solutions that will help save lives and make the work of public safety more efficient.
And we’re going to hear a lot about those solutions this week. By now you can see that this going to be a week full of great information on several areas of technology that can ultimately take advantage of the FirstNet broadband network. We’re going to hear a lot in key areas of interest:
- Public Safety Mission Critical Voice
- Location Based Services
- LMR to LTE
- Public Safety Analytics
- User Interface/User Experience
- Resilient systems and
- Security
And these solutions are focused on what has become the 5th network in the United States. Public safety now truly has its very own network with FirstNet!
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by AllThingsECC.com | May 4, 2018 | Articles, Comm Center News
By Michael Varney, First Responder Network Authority, Region 1 Lead
In the five years since the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing took place, Bostonians have remained true to the phrase “Boston Strong” – the two-word phrase that united the city and circled the globe in the aftermath of the senseless tragedy.
On that infamous day, thousands of spectators and residents can recall reaching for their mobile devices to frantically locate family and friends. Unfortunately, the high call volume saturated the local cellular networks causing signal delays and failed calls rendering mobile phones nearly useless. For area first responders on duty that day the consequences of poor network coverage and capacity was more dire — the lack of a reliable network delayed the ability to share the images and videos that ultimately helped to identify the alleged perpetrators.
Looking back on 2013, we learned that video and data changed the communications landscape for emergency response. As security preparations were underway for the 2018 Boston Marathon, FirstNet, the first nationwide wireless broadband network dedicated to public safety, was in place to bolster emergency communications for first responders.
This article appears on firstnet.gov dated May 2, 2018
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by AllThingsECC.com | Apr 30, 2018 | Articles, Comm Center News
By William Schrier, Senior Advisor
A number of public safety agencies are adopting FirstNet and gaining capabilities they have never had before. These FirstNet trailblazers are exploring the benefits of smart devices powered by a dedicated, high-speed wireless broadband connection. Capturing and sharing real-time data, live streaming, and incident mapping are just a few FirstNet-powered capabilities they’re incorporating into emergency response.
To provide public safety with the modern, lifesaving technology it needs, the First Responder Network Authority and AT&T are working to bring public safety’s innovation needs to the attention of app and technology developers. We are also helping public safety realize the benefits of integrating mobile data and devices in their day-to-day services. The key question is-
How can mobile data and devices improve emergency response?
This opinion article appears on firstnet.gov dated April 19, 2018.
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