The First Responder Network Authority board has voted to reinvest funding to prepare FirstNet’s LTE core ahead of the planned 5G rollout, Urgent Communications reported Thursday.
Board members agreed to start acquisition procedures and begin expanding another effort to deploy 72 network assets intended to support communications during emergency operations.
“The business model also ensures that we, the FirstNet Authority, are directing the evolution of the network based on what public safety tells us they need from the network, both today and looking into the future,†noted Ed Horowitz, chairman of FirstNet.
AT&T, the contractor for the FirstNet effort, will provide funding for reinvestment initiatives and secure access to the 20 MHz of Band 14 spectrum as part of the agreement. The company announced that it completed 60 percent of FirstNet coverage in July.
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