House Panel Examines Status of FirstNet and Emergency Communications

The House Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, chaired by Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), held a hearing entitled “Oversight of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) and Emergency Communications.” Created by the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, FirstNet is tasked with building and maintaining a nationwide, interoperable broadband public safety network. Members heard from FirstNet, states, and private sector entities that want to partner to explore ways to improve the connectivity, reliability, and security of this nationwide public safety network.

Sam Ginn, Chairman of First Responder Network Authority, explained the challenges the FirstNet Board is currently facing in establishing this first-of-its-kind nationwide interoperable public safety network. He said, “Deploying a public safety grade wireless broadband network with the scale of U.S. nationwide geographic coverage is an international first. The FirstNet network will be distinctive from all other networks in two critical ways. First, it will be the only network that is ever built entirely to public safety-level specifications for security and reliability. Second, it will be the only network to cover an entire nation of our size geographically, as opposed to coverage by population centers. Combine these two features and you begin to see just how groundbreaking – and challenging – our task is.”

Chris McIntosh, Virginia’s Statewide Interoperability Coordinator, and Ray Lehr, Director of Maryland’s Statewide Communications Interoperability Program, both explained the hurdles some states are facing with FirstNet and ways the states can be better involved to improve the nationwide network on a more local level.