FirstNet board approves budget, recognizes Swenson
In its first fiscal year of being funded by payments from network contractor AT&T, the First Responders Network Authority board allocated funds nearly evenly to operations, reserves and network reinvestment. The FirstNet board approved a $241 million operating budget during its quarterly meeting yesterday.
Of the $241 million, FirstNet allocated its spending for:
-$81 million for an operating budget for the next fiscal year
-$81 million in reserves for operations
-$78 million for network reinvestment
“This budget is an investment in the future of our organization and in public safety’s network,” said FirstNet CEO Mike Poth in a statement. “With the network deployment in full swing, the FirstNet Authority is laser-focused on driving the network build-out and innovation to advance public safety communications.”
FirstNet awarded the $6.5 billion contract for the national public safety network to AT&T in 2017. FirstNet highlighted a number of achievements in the past year, from the completion of its state plan process — and all U.S. states and territories opting in to the FirstNet network build — to the launch of a dedicated core network and operationalization of the FirstNet test lab in Boulder, Colorado.
AT&T Communications CEO John Donovan told investors on AT&T’s most recent quarterly call at the end of July that the FirstNet network build is “accelerating.”
“We expect to have between 12,000 and 15,000 Band 14 sites on-air by the end of this year, 2018, and we’re ahead of our contractual commitment,” Donovan said on the call, adding that “more than 1,500 public safety agencies across 52 states and territories have joined FirstNet, nearly doubling the network’s adoption since April.”
The FirstNet board also passed a resolution recognizing Sue Swenson for serving as chair of the board for four years. Her second term expires this month, but Swenson will continue to serve on the board and as chair of FirstNet’s Governance and Personnel Committee.
