The First Responder Network Authority passed an $82 million budget for Fiscal Year 2020, which includes funding for future investments in the nationwide public safety broadband network.
“The FirstNet Authority is an organization solely focused on public safety’s critical communications needs and what we can do with FirstNet to help address these needs,” First Responder Network Authority Board Chair Edward Horowitz said. “Today, the Board took action to support this important work as network deployment continues and we look toward future investments, programs, and activities to evolve the network with continued public safety engagement.”
The First Responder Network Authority is an independent body within the U.S. Department of Commerce with to build the nationwide broadband network that equips first responders.
In addition to the $82 million for the authority’s operating budget, the board also approved $145 million for reinvestment in support of network enhancement.
First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) recently released the FirstNet Authority Roadmap, a strategic plan to guide the authority’s actions into the future. The roadmap prioritizes programs, activities, and investments in network improvements to ensure first responders have the communications tools they need. It is based on the principle that investments to improve the network must be derived from and benefit public safety. The roadmap is built around six technology domains that reflect the most important communications capabilities for public safety’s mission.
“This will be public safety’s Roadmap for the future of FirstNet,” Horowitz said. “The FirstNet Authority values the public safety community’s enthusiasm and participation in building this Roadmap with us. Their input helped us further understand public safety’s needs and priorities for broadband communications now and in the years to come. The Roadmap will be a living plan that will inform our decisions and strategies for investing in the network and public safety.”