Business View Magazine
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ty. The establishment of FirstNet was made possible
when Congress passed the Middle Class Tax Relief
and Job Creation Act of 2012. This historic law allocat-
ed valuable spectrum and up to $7 billion in funding
for the construction of the FirstNet network.
When the FirstNet build-out is ready to begin in 2017,
NATE member companies will be helping provide the
wireless infrastructure services and equipment nec-
essary to make this interoperable network a reality.
FirstNet will ultimately help save lives and provide law
enforcement officials, fire fighters, and EMS personnel
with the critical communications capabilities and re-
sources they need to respond to emergency situations.
NATE also recently established an Unmanned Aerial
Systems (UAS) Committee consisting of experienced
drone service providers, pilots, and tower contractor
executives. The NATE UAS Committee is playing a pro-
active role in monitoring the trends and regulatory en-
vironment associated with rapidly evolving drone tech-
nologies and making recommendations to the wireless
and broadcast infrastructure community on best prac-
tices when it comes to UAS integration. The committee
is also focusing on collaborating with federal agencies,
members of Congress, and other interested stakehold-
ers in the development of guidelines to promote the
safe commercial and private use of these systems.
The committee plans to continue this dialogue to en-
sure that the wireless infrastructure industry’s priori-
ties remain at the forefront of the conversation as key
decisions are made regarding this technology.
