https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • Product Guides
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • IWCE
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Premier Partners
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookie Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • TU-Auto
  • In the field
    • Back
    • In the field
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Internet of Things
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Call Center/Command
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Network Tech
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Operations
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Regulations
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • Organizations
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
Urgent Communications
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Omdia Crit Comms Circle Podcast
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • Product Guides
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
    • Sponsored content
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • Why Attend
    • Exhibitor Listing
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Join the Event Mailing List
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • TU-Auto
  • newsletter
  • In the field
    • Back
    • Internet of Things
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Cybersecurity
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
acc.com

Urgent Matters


FirstNet’s Sue Swenson expresses confidence in AT&T’s ability to make network vision a reality

  • Written by Donny Jackson
  • 13th June 2017
When ATT won the nationwide FirstNet contract, some expressed concern that the telecommunications giant could be so focused on its massive commercial business that the public-safety initiative would be overshadowed. FirstNet Chairwoman Sue Swenson says early indications make her confident that the carrier has the proper public-safety-centric focus to build the public-safety broadband network.

What is in this article?

  • FirstNet’s Sue Swenson expresses confidence in AT&T’s ability to make network vision a reality
  • FirstNet’s Sue Swenson expresses confidence in AT&T’s ability to make network vision a reality

FirstNet’s Sue Swenson expresses confidence in AT&T’s ability to make network vision a reality

SAN ANTONIO—FirstNet still must complete a great deal of work, but the organization is more confident about building its much-anticipated nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSN) than it has been during any stage of its previous five years in existence, according to FirstNet Chairwoman Sue Swenson.

Swenson said that confidence is a reflection of two primary factors:

  1. FirstNet’s trust in AT&T, the telecommunications giant that was awarded the 25-year nationwide FirstNet contract in March; and the carrier’s commitment to meet the needs of the public-safety community.
  2. Building a nationwide LTE system is a task that has been done before (and by AT&T specifically)—a stark contrast to most major FirstNet accomplishments to date, which called for the organization to complete tasks that had not been done before.

Indeed, tackling unprecedented challenges has become almost commonplace at FirstNet, Swenson said yesterday during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications conducted at the annual Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Stakeholder Meeting. For Swenson, the trend began when she was charged in 2013 with negotiating spectrum-lease deals with early-builder entities, most of which funded their public-safety LTE projects with federal grants from the Broadband Technologies Opportunity Program (BTOP).

“Think about my first beginning,” Swenson said. “I had to do BTOP negotiations and create spectrum-management lease agreements that had never existed before. We had to create an objectives-based RFP, which had really never been done before, which was key to our success—at least one of the keys. So, everything was brand new—doing the public notice, clarifying the legislation. Everything was breaking new ground, so you were never quite sure how it was going to end up.

“Now that we’re moving into the phase of deployment, and—as you know, I’m quite familiar and quite comfortable in this area—I know the magnitude of it … but it’s not like it hasn’t been done before.”

While AT&T has a storied history of building communications networks, Swenson is well aware of the biggest concern voiced publicly and privately about FirstNet contractor: As a massive telecom firm with more than 100 million wireless subscribers, would the FirstNet public-safety initiative—a much smaller endeavor, in terms of the number of potential customers—get overlooked as AT&T officials concentrated on the company’s commercial business?

Although the question is an understandable one, Swenson said she is very pleased with AT&T’s commitment to serving the first-responder community.

“I’m very excited about AT&T’s view, perspective and focus on public safety,” Swenson said. “There’s no doubt in my mind—not even for a second—that they aren’t maniacally focused on public safety. So the worry about, ‘Well, it’s just going to fold into the commercial business [of AT&T]’—no.

“They’ve created a whole organization. I was talking to somebody this morning who said they were very impressed with the people who are there [at AT&T] with public-safety backgrounds. That tells me that the anxiety that people had about, ‘Are they really going to be focused, and is this really going to deliver to public safety?’ [will not be an issue].

“Plus, our role at FirstNet is to make sure that happens. Whoever we’re working with, we are the entity that represents public safety. Obviously, they can represent themselves, but we’ll be working directly with AT&T. And I’ve already seen it, where they are very receptive to our input and are asking for it.”

1 | 2 |
FirstNet’s Sue Swenson expresses confidence in AT&T’s ability to make network vision a reality
Tags: Commentary Funding Long Term Evolution (LTE) NTIA/FirstNet Policy Public Safety Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet System Installation Urgent Matters Commentary

Related Content

Commentary


How 5G is making cities safer, smarter, and more efficient

26th January 2023

3GPP moves Release 18 freeze date to March 2024

18th January 2023

Do smart cities make safer cities?

  • 1
6th January 2023
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

AT&T becoming a “public-safety company” with FirstNet, NG911 work, exec says dlvr.it/Sj8FXL

9th February 2023
UrgentComm

Command-injection bug in Cisco industrial gear opens devices to complete takeover dlvr.it/Sj6X3l

8th February 2023
UrgentComm

AR-based next-gen maps aim to rebalance detail and simplicity dlvr.it/Sj4gdM

7th February 2023
UrgentComm

Vodafone UK starts ‘risky’ shift to 5G standalone dlvr.it/Sj4dPJ

7th February 2023
UrgentComm

ChatGPT may be fastest-growing app of all time, UBS Says dlvr.it/Sj4NfL

7th February 2023
UrgentComm

Public-safety coalition renews efforts to secure federal NG911 funding dlvr.it/ShwGfn

4th February 2023
UrgentComm

Newscan: Cyberattacks on DoE national labs draw lawmaker scrutiny dlvr.it/Shvpw3

3rd February 2023
UrgentComm

The shine begins to wear off 5G private wireless dlvr.it/Shth0P

3rd February 2023

Newsletter

Sign up for UrgentComm’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about Communications and Technology.

Expert Commentary

Learn from experts about the latest technology in automation, machine-learning, big data and cybersecurity.

Business Media

Find the latest videos and media from the market leaders.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • American City & County
  • IWCE
  • Light Reading
  • IOT World Today
  • Mission Critical Technologies
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.