FirstNet Verifies AT&T Initial Buildout of Band 14 'Complete': Board Chair
The FirstNet Authority verified that AT&T’s initial buildout of the public safety network’s infrastructure on its band 14 spectrum is “fully complete” and the authority has “a big year ahead of us” in 2024, Board Chair Richard Carrizzo said during the group’s quarterly meeting Wednesday. The FCC renewed FirstNet's license for the band in May for a term “not to exceed 10 years” from Nov. 15, 2022 (see 2305260057).
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The band 14 buildout is “a tremendous achievement” that “was done on time, on budget, and on task,” Carrizzo said. It’s still just the “beginning” and “our foundation.” FirstNet in 2024 will focus on “expanding and enhancing” the network, he said. “100% of our contract rural and nonrural milestones have been verified,” said Programs and Future Planning Committee Chair Jocelyn Moore. FirstNet’s verification of the band 14 buildout “certainly does not mean that we're done investing in coverage. We will be continually adding new band 14 coverage over the coming years.”
FirstNet CEO Joe Wassel described his first year leading the authority as a “wild ride” and said that the FCC’s renewal of its band 14 license was an “enormous milestone,” but “there is still work to be done.” He emphasized the continued push in FY 2024 for Congress to reauthorize FirstNet’s mandate, which is set to sunset in 2027. A 10-year investment plan for the authority is in its “final stages” of development and the authority needs “to continue to foster a culture of diversity and inclusion,” he said: “Our efforts will continue as we cross this great nation out into the territories, into the tribal, into the rural, and focus on underserved and underappreciated areas, as well as our metropolitan areas.”
FirstNet continues to “see major growth,” with the network reporting 5.3 million connections and more than 27,000 participating public safety agencies as of Q3 FY 2023, Moore said. More than 1,450 “solutions were deployed” on the network during the first three quarters of the fiscal year, including special events like Beyonce and Taylor Swift concerts. Finance and Investment Committee Chair Brian Crawford reported FirstNet obligated $22.6 million during the first two months of FY 2024, which is “within forecasted parameters” of the authority’s operating budget the board approved in August (see 2308230052).
“Even with all the coverage improvements we've seen over the last five years, macro coverage remains the No. 1 need stakeholders ask for in terms of continued investment,” said Advocacy Committee Chair Sylvia Moir. “Public safety demands high-speed data connectivity and real-time information to first responders to enhance their capabilities and improve emergency response times.” Although public safety entities believe in FirstNet’s “central and monitor network status and the two available mission-critical push-to-talk solutions, they are seeking additional functionality” to increase adoption “and enhance their overall user experience for their operational and situational awareness needs,” Moir said.