The First Responder Network Authority Board has approved a resolution to increase network coverage and speed up the transition of the national public safety broadband network to 5G capabilities.
The board cleared Resolution 117, called “Network Evolution,” and raised the authority’s fiscal year 2024 investment budget to $547 million during its virtual meeting on Monday, FirstNet Authority reported.
In August, the FirstNet Authority Board approved a budget package of $451 million to fund operations and pursue network improvements in FY 2024.
“This investment is the next major milestone in the FirstNet Authority’s efforts to expand and upgrade public safety’s network,” said Joe Wassel, executive director and CEO of the FirstNet Authority.
“We are accelerating the evolution of FirstNet’s 5G capabilities and making sure the network continues to deliver the innovation and reliability that first responders need, now and in the future,” Wassel added.
The latest network investment came a month after AT&T completed a five-year initial buildout of FirstNet.
Approximately 27,500 public safety agencies and organizations in the U.S. are using the FirstNet network, which now supports over 5.5 million connections.