The united states of FirstNet

The First Responder network has burst upon the public safety scene in the United States. Dedicated spectrum for such a first responder mobile data network was first proposed in 1997. The idea morphed into a private network offering first responder priority in 2007 following a proposal by Morgan O’Brien of Cyren Call Communications. In 2009, APCO International launched an initiative to allocate the ‘D Block’ of spectrum and mobilised its thousands of public safety officials to that end. Eventually the idea was endorsed by Vice President Joseph Biden.

The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) was established in 2012, with an RFP seeking a private partner to deploy the network issued in 2016 and a contract awarded in March 2017 to AT&T to deploy it. The governors of every US state and territory (56 in total) agreed to allow AT&T to proceed (rather than build a network in their state on their own) by the end of 2017. In a real sense, by the time Comms Connect Sydney convenes in June 2017, the real FirstNet network will only be five months old.

In many ways, the FirstNet network is significantly different from the visions of public safety officials prior to March 2017. First Responder agencies who use FirstNet today have priority on not just the 20 MHz of 700 MHz spectrum allocated by Congress to FirstNet, but all of the current LTE commercial spectrum currently deployed by AT&T. Depending on the market, this could be 100 MHz, 120 MHz or more — a vast capacity which today supports more than 100 million users.

FirstNet has a dedicated 24x7 customer care centre and a dedicated 24x7 security operations centre with over 100 professionals. These centres provide support and security never before enjoyed by public safety. And AT&T is building 72 deployables (cell-on-light-truck and cell-on-wheels) that will rapidly restore networks after disasters or bring LTE networks to remote locations during wildfires and similar events.

The deployment of FirstNet has also uncovered new challenges and opportunities. For a start, competition has been fierce. Other US carriers have announced programs to try to match many of the features of FirstNet. While competition often results in lower prices and better products, these competitors do not have to meet the stringent requirements of a 25-year contract with the federal government.

Contracting has been an unexpected roadblock. State contracting agencies have balked at just accepting and using nationwide contracts. This makes it harder for many public safety agencies to get FirstNet today. Nevertheless, 650 public safety agencies in 48 states and territories have signed up for FirstNet service.

And applications have been slow to migrate. Of 450-plus public safety applications in the US, 300 do not have a mobile app on the Apple or Google Play stores. The rest are Windows applications or are mobile (responsive designed) websites. FirstNet and AT&T have stringent security requirements for apps, and many small companies have not yet budgeted for that expense.

FirstNet is a bold initiative, blazing new ground for law enforcement, fire-and-rescue, emergency medical services and emergency management worldwide. We are only at the very beginning — the first few months — of a 25-year journey. Hang on to your hats, the excitement and innovation of this powerful new tool for first responders is only beginning to emerge.

Bill Schrier is senior adviser to the FirstNet, where he leads the Authority’s IoT work on smart, safe communities. He will be speaking at Comms Connect Sydney in June.

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