The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released a notice seeking expressions of interest for positions on the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) board. Expressions of interest are due April 11.

AT&T named Jason Porter to lead its public sector and FirstNet organizations.

AT&T announced that the FirstNet network now covers more than 2.71 million square miles after the carrier added 100,000 square miles to network’s footprint in 2020.

Dejero, a provider of critical connectivity solutions that deliver high-quality live video and real-time data over IP, announced that its GateWay network aggregation devices received FirstNet Ready approval and are now available for use on FirstNet.

Sonim Technologies announced that its SCAN and SOS applications, part of its SonimWare Enterprise Mobility Software, are now FirstNet Certified and accessible via the FirstNet App Catalog.

The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) continued its after-action review of the bombing of an AT&T building in Nashville, Tennessee, meeting last week with public-safety officials and FirstNet subscribers in states that were affected by the service outage.

In its financial results for 2020, AT&T said it now has more than 1.9 million FirstNet connections and more than 15,000 agencies are now using the FirstNet service.

FirstNet, built with AT&T, launched four new solutions, including high power user equipment (HPUE) and Z-axis support, to help public safety in its mission.

Verizon is urging other carriers and industry partners to embrace what it calls “true interoperability” for all public-safety professionals. To that end, the carrier plans to launch an alliance focused on interoperability later this year.

2020 was a busy year for the industry as the COVID-19 pandemic forced first responders to find new ways to provide services and a variety of regulatory actions drastically changed the spectrum landscape.