During NYC Subway Shooter Attack, FirstNet Performed Flawlessly
By James Careless On April 12, 2022, ten people were shot on a Brooklyn subway train in New York City by a lone gunman. The suspect, 62-year-old Frank James, was…
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Projected 5G device-to-device range falls short of LMR performance, simulator says
Device-to-device communications in 5G—known as sidelink—promise to provide new flexibility and functionality, but its potential range is expected to pale in comparison to the land-mobile-radio (LMR) direct-mode offerings used by…
FirstNet Authority CTO highlights coverage-extension efforts as initial Band 14 buildout nears completion
With AT&T almost done deploying the initial contracted FirstNet 700 MHz Band 14 infrastructure, the FirstNet Authority increasingly is focusing on solutions that will let public-safety users access the nationwide…
PSCR gets new support from NIST as current federal funding set to expire in fall
SAN DIEGO—Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) will see its primary $300 million allocation from Congress expire this fall, but at least a portion of this money will be offset by…
NIST Launches Prize Competition for First Responder Incident Management Tech Modernization
The National Institute of Standards and Technology has teamed up with consulting firm LMI and online outsourcing marketplace Freelancer to facilitate a contest that seeks existing or new inci SOURCE: executivegov.com DATE: June 7,…
AST SpaceMobile gets OK from FCC to test sat-to-phone tech with AT&T in U.S.
FCC experimental license identifies spectrum bands used by AT&T—including some 700 MHz Band 14 frequencies licensed to the FirstNet AST SpaceMobile—a LEO satellite company that plans to deliver broadband cellular…
FCC Commissioner, Barrasso celebrate dedicated first-responder network, first used by Casper PD
On Tuesday afternoon, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr and Sen. John Barrasso joined city officials at the Hall of Justice to get a look at the FirstNet mobile satellite-uplink trucks, brought…
How PSCR and FirstNet Authority are Connected for Public Safety
At the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Public Safety Communications Research Division (PSCR), we are frequently asked about our relationship to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA)…
Florida first responders’ communication network gets big update
The update comes after the Legislature approved a $451M contract renewal. Florida first responders can now access the most tech-advanced communications system available with a new partnership from L3Harris Technologies and FirstNet from AT&T — the…
AT&T Launches First-Ever Nationwide Location-Based Routing with Intrado to Improve Public Safety Response for Wireless 9-1-1 Calls
Device Location Now Used to Route 9-1-1 Calls and Dispatch First Responders to the Right Location Faster, Accomplishing Long-Standing FCC Policy Goal May 10, 2022 What’s the news? AT&T* is the…
First Responder Communication Proved Critical During Earthquake Response Exercise
FirstNet utilized as an important tool during a disaster recovery and response training Earthquakes rarely come with much warning and in California, the state with the most damaging earthquakes in…
FirstNet Authority, NIST Launch Immersive Virtual Experience Center for Public Safety
May 9, 2022 NEWS / PRESS RELEASE Boulder, Colo. – The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority), an independent agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration…
FirstNet Authority Board Approves Network Investment To Enhance In-building Coverage, Resiliency
Investment Will Enable FirstNet Users to Deploy Small Cell Technology Where They Need Coverage Most NEWS / PRESS RELEASE May 4, 2022 (Durham, NH) – The First Responder Network Authority…
First Responders Applaud FCC Proposal to Fund Next Gen 911 with Auction Proceeds
By James Careless It was the kind of funding news that many first responders were hoping for. On February 22, 2022, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel proposed using revenues from future…
FirstNet adoption tops 3.3 million connections and 20,500 agencies
FirstNet gained 300,000 subscribers during the first quarter, meaning the nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN) boasts more than 3.3 million connections provided across more than 20,500 agencies, according to NPSBN…