AT&T-FirstNet passes 2.8 million connections; FirstNet board gets new members

By Kelly Hill

October 29, 2021

AT&T says that its “aggressive” expansion of Band 14 coverage is more than 95% complete

The number of public safety and first responder connections on the AT&T-FirstNet network has passed 2.8 million, AT&T reported, with more than 18,500 agencies and organizations across the country making use of the network.

That 2.8 million figure is up from around 2.5 million connections at the end of the second quarter, and around 2.2 million connections at the end of the first quarter of 2021, reflecting steady growth of about 300,000 connections per quarter.

AT&T said that recently added customer agencies include the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Newark Police Department in New Jersey.

AT&T said that it continues to be ahead of its nationwide coverage targets set by the First Responders Network Authority for the network build-out of Band 14 spectrum. The carrier noted that there are now more than 315 devices that can support operation on the FirstNet network, and more than 180 apps in the FirstNet app catalog.

In related news, the FirstNet Authority has a newly appointed board and a new board chair. The terms of 11 out of the 12 non-permanent members of the FirstNet Board were up this year, and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced appointments this week.

Stephen Benjamin, the mayor of Columbia, South Carolina and a former member of the Federal Communications Commission’s Intergovernmental Advisory Committee, is the FirstNet Authority’s new board chair.

Four board members were reappointed for second three-year terms:

• Richard Carrizzo of Missouri, who is chief of the Southern Platte Fire Protection District in Kansas City, Missouri, and immediate past president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC).
• Brian Crawford of Louisiana, who is EVP and chief administrative officer of the Willis-Knighton Health System and a retired fire chief and city administrator. 
• Billy Hewes of Mississippi, who is the mayor of Gulfport, Mississippi, a former Mississippi state senator and a member of the National Park System Advisory Board.
• Paul Patrick of Utah, who is the division director of Family Health and Preparedness for the Utah Department of Health and also past president of the National Association of State EMS Officials.

The newly appointed board members include:

• Alexandra Fernandez Navarro of San Juan, Puerto Rico. She is a commissioner on the Puerto Rico Public Service Regulatory Board, and a member of the FCC Intergovernmental Advisory Committee as well as NTIA’s State Broadband Leaders Network.
• Kristin Graziano, who is sheriff of Charleston County, SC and a member of the Major County Sheriffs of America.
• Peter Koutoujian, sheriff of Middlesex County, Massachusetts and president, Major County Sheriffs of America, as well as former president of the Massachusetts Sheriff’s Association; and a former Representative in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
• Warren Mickens of Colorado, who is a retired VP of CenturyLink Communications; and a former VP of Nokia/Alcatel-Lucent.
• Sylvia Moir of Arizona, the retired police chief of Tempe, Arizona’s Police Department; the former interim police chief of Napa, CA; past president of the Police Executive Research Forum; and chair of the IACP Community Policing Committee.
• Jocelyn Moore of New York, who is a venture capital consultant, a member of the board of directors of DraftKings and a former EVP for the National Football League, as well as former deputy staff director of the Senate Finance Committee; and former deputy chief of staff, policy director and legislative director for Senator John D. Rockefeller IV.

“NTIA congratulates the new board members and welcomes them to the team. Under the leadership of Mayor Steve Benjamin, FirstNet is poised to continue to deliver for first responders,” said Evelyn Remaley, acting assistant secretary of Commerce for communications and information, in a statement. “I also want to thank all of the outgoing Board members for their tireless service and commitment. They led the FirstNet Authority through a time of incredible growth and ensured that it is well positioned to serve public safety for many years to come.”

Reposted from RCRWireless News