Public Safety Advocate: The FirstNet Authority Roadmap

Public Safety Advocate: The FirstNet Authority Roadmap

Welcome to November 2020. The election is finally behind us, Covid-19 continues to wreak havoc in the United States, and the number of wildfires, major storms, and hurricanes continue to make our first responders’ work even more essential. When FirstNet was created in February of 2012, it was a result of the public-safety community having banded together across disciplines. The Public Safety Alliance (PSA) sought and received support from a variety of organizations including Governors, Mayors, and most Land Mobile Radio (LMR) vendors…

Mission-critical services, coverage options highlight in FirstNet Authority Roadmap update

Encouraging the development of solutions that address unique public-safety coverage solutions and enhance mission-critical voice, data and video communications are among the focus areas highlighted the recently updated FirstNet Authority Roadmap that outlines strategic technological priorities for the FirstNet system.

Last month’s release represents the first update to the Roadmap, which was created last year as a strategic document that is designed to help identify development priorities for the FirstNet system…

FirstNet is Interoperability

By Edward Parkinson, CEO, FirstNet Authority

The vision for a Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (FirstNet) is rooted in the interoperability challenges that have faced our nation’s first responders for decades. The 9/11 attacks served as a catalyst for recommendations from the 9/11 Commission for interoperability across networks that transcend individual agencies. 

Congressional action led to the development of the organization that I lead, the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority), that is charged by federal law to ensure the building, deployment, operation, and improvement of the nationwide public safety broadband network in consultation with public safety. READ MORE

Addressing the E911 Cloud Gap

The use of cloud calling has exploded over the last year. While the primary driver has been COVID-19, the transition from on-premises to cloud systems was well underway, with the pandemic simply accelerating the inevitable. Digital transformation initiatives are highly dependent on communications, and cloud systems typically deliver innovative features faster than legacy systems. At one time, moving communications to the cloud was considered risky business, but it’s now riskier to not adopt cloud systems… READ MORE

FCC Takes Another Step away from Net Neutrality Rules

After 15 years of unrelenting regulation and litigation, the days of net neutrality as a live policy issue in Washington may be numbered.

As for public safety communications, many public safety agencies use dedicated, specialized networks that are distinct from the wireless broadband services offered to ordinary consumers by mobile carriers. And to the extent that public safety agencies rely on commercial wireless networks, several major companies offer services that give enhanced priority to public safety-related communications…