33 states opt-in to FirstNet so far

Vermont opted into FirstNet at the end of November, making it the 33rd state to do so. FirstNet, the First Responder Network Authority, will be the first nationwide wireless broadband network for the country’s first responders. Earlier this year, AT&T won the 25-year contract that will result in a $46.5 billion investment in infrastructure.

Each state must decide whether it will opt-in to FirstNet, with a deadline this month. Some states are considering alternative networks, which is against the goal of creating a single, nationwide, interoperable network.

The 33 states that have opted in so far are: Vermont, Maine, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii. Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands have also opted in.

Links:

Vermont to Transform Communications for Public Safety; Governor Scott Approves Buildout Plan for First Responder Network (FirstNet, Nov. 29, 2017)

AT&T wins contract to build FirstNet emergency communications infrastructure (Speed Matters, Mar. 30, 2017)