The First Responder Network Authority announced that FirstNet has now been adopted by more than 18,500 public safety agencies and organizations nationwide, which accounts for more than 2.8 million connections.
First Net Authority is an independent agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) that oversees FirstNet, which is a public-private partnership with AT&T to provide a dedicated telecommunications network for emergency responders and the public safety community.
“From accelerating innovations in mapping technologies to simplifying access to devices, FirstNet continues to raise the bar for what it means to be a network built for and by public safety,” said Ed Parkinson, CEO of the FirstNet Authority. “Feedback from America’s first responders is at the center of everything we do, and the FirstNet Authority will continue to work with public safety and AT&T to evolve and enhance the network based on their operational needs.”
The First Responder Network Authority said its growth in the third quarter of the Fiscal Year 2021 has also given the organization “market leadership” within the law enforcement community. It said that the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department, Brevard County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office, and Newark Police Department, as well as the Florida Division of Emergency Management, are among the latest agencies to sign on to public safety’s network.
“In less than 5 years, we’ve built a network with and for America’s first responders and have built an ecosystem with the communication tools and technologies they need every day, on every mission,” said Jason Porter, president of Public Sector and FirstNet at AT&T. “As FirstNet’s market leadership grows, we will continue to innovate new solutions and enhance existing ones, helping to ensure public safety has access to the information they need when they need it.”
In a press release, First Net Authority also reported that it has surpassed 95 percent of its nationwide Band 14 coverage target with the FirstNet Authority “well ahead of schedule.” Additionally, the network now offers and supports more than 315 FirstNet Ready devices and more than 180 apps in the FirstNet app catalog.
