The FirstNet Responder Network Authority, an independent authority within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, has released a roadmap that provides an overview of public safety's operational needs and technology trends for mobile broadband communications over the next five years.
The roadmap, informed by input from industry and public safety agencies, is a response to a call from U.S. Congress to ensure the development, building, and maintenance of a nationwide mobile broadband network dedicated to meeting the needs of the public safety community. Among other goals, the document lists a priority to "collaborate with industry and advocate for the development of standards, devices, technologies, and systems that collect, synthesize, analyze, and share information regarding personnel, assets, threats, and hazards in a manner that improves public safety operations."
Furthermore, the roadmap lists a priority to continue an active role in 3GPP and other relevant standards development focused on Mission Critical Push-to-Talk (MCPTT) and dispatch advancement. 3GPP, or 3rd Generation Partnership Project, unites several telecommunications standard development organizations to produce the reports and specifications that define 3GPP technologies. Its organizational partners include the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS), a member and accredited standards developer of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).