AT&T Starts Band 14 Deployment, Will Soon Deliver FirstNet Core
Rollout of the nationwide public safety network on Band 14 began last week, and the core network is expected to be ready by month’s end, FirstNet officials said at a Thursday board meeting livestreamed from Little Rock. About 350 agencies in 40 states have adopted FirstNet, comprising more than 30,000 connections, said Director-Consultation Dave Buchanan.
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“As we continue to shift gears … a lot of the organization is going to be focused on continuing the public safety advocacy and making sure that we really understand what public safety needs and will drive the investment,” said CEO Mike Poth. The network authority has shifted into “operational mode,” with deployment taking place from 2018 to 2022, said Chair Sue Swenson.
Band 14 network deployment is underway, a major milestone, said Director-State Plans Rich Reed. The core network will be completed by the end of this month, and delivered to FirstNet for testing, Reed said. It’s expected AT&T will start adding users to the core network by June, he said. FirstNet is satisfied with the company’s progress and has little concern about the company meeting deadlines, he said.
AT&T is installing Band 14 equipment in FirstNet’s lab in Boulder, Colorado, this week, said FirstNet Chief Technology Officer Jeff Bratcher. “It will be on the air, tied to the production core, that we’ll be able to simulate loaded congestions in a controlled environment and run the applications through their paces in that environment.” Device support for Band 14 is growing, including the new Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+. FirstNet disrupted the public safety communications ecosystem, with nontraditional vendors excited about getting into the network, Bratcher said.
"FirstNet users can move to the network core once it launches at the end of March as part of a controlled introduction," an AT&T spokeswoman emailed. "The network core will be generally available to all FirstNet subscribers once it has fully completed testing, which we are expecting in the April/May timeframe." AT&T is pleased with its progress and wants to deliver the public safety network quickly, she said. "From the rollout of Band 14 to the launch of the nationwide network core, we’re working to meet or exceed the goals that have been set by the Authority."
FirstNet saved $3.1 million since the beginning of FY 2018 that the authority can reinvest back into the network, said FirstNet Chief Financial Officer Kim Farington. She said the organization is on budget this fiscal year. Through February, FirstNet has used 36 percent of its $73.6 million obligations budget and 38 percent of its $101.8 million expenses budget, she said.
Swenson is “not as concerned about the road ahead as I was about the road behind,” the FirstNet chair said. Getting all 56 states and territories to opt in was a major achievement, she said. “I think some of us were surprised that that actually happened.”
For public safety in Bay, Arkansas, FirstNet means increased use of data on communications devices not only for response but also for preparation and training, said Bay Fire Chief Kevin McMasters. The area lacks good broadband access, he said. Being able to deliver training videos online could reverse a downturn in recruitment and retention stemming from the lack of time for training, he said.