Mutiny At the April 23rd FirstNet board meeting, board member Paul Fitzgerald accused the board of being hijacked by members with commercial wireless backgrounds, excluding the Public Safety Advisory Council (PSAC), and a lack of transparency in violation of the legislation that established the group. Since the meeting here have been 9 different stories written … Continue reading »

Carriers respond to service disruptions in wake of Oklahoma tornado AT&T has said it is coordinating with local authorities and bringing additional resources to the Oklahoma City area following the devastating tornadoes.  Verizon has said it is operating at nearly 100% capacity throughout the affected areas.  Verizon has said it will launch cells on wheels … Continue reading »

FirstNet appoints special review committee to investigate its practices In a special teleconference on May 8, FirstNet board Chairman Sam Ginn announced a new special review committee. The committee’s job will be to investigate the alleged improprieties and questionable deals that board member Paul Fitzgerald has accused the FirstNet board of making. The independence of … Continue reading »

FCC looks for feedback on nationwide public safety broadband network The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is seeking public comment on the national public safety broadband network (NPSBN).  The FCC is seeking comments in three areas: technical service rules for the new NPSBN, FCC’s responsibilities related to the oversight of FirstNet’s operations, and ways to address … Continue reading »

Obama calls FCC pick ‘the Bo Jackson of telecom’ President Obama has announced he will nominate Tom Wheeler as the next chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).  Some have criticized Wheeler’s past experience as a lobbyist, but White House press secretary Jay Carney defended Wheeler noting that he worked for the wireless industry a … Continue reading »