The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) released its new Roadmap for the future of FirstNet today, a nationwide broadband network dedicated to public safety.

The Federal government is looking forward to implementing 5G wireless services as they become available, but building security into 5G services from the beginning will be key to a successful implementation, said officials from the Department of Defense (DoD), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the General Services Administration (GSA).

Sens. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., introduced the TOWER Infrastructure Deployment Act (TOWER Act) with the goal of increasing broadband deployment across the country and addressing the workforce shortage within telecommunications industry.

The Commerce Department’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) took the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) to task in a July 22 report that finds “control weaknesses” in FirstNet’s handling of a $336 million payment it made to its contractor AT&T.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai on June 17 announced formation of a new agency task force aimed at putting more broadband service to work to advance precision agriculture.

A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation on June 12 in a move to improve the accuracy of the Federal government’s broadband availability maps. The legislation, dubbed the Broadband DATA Act, was introduced by Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss. and committee members Gary Peters, D-Mich., John Thune, R-S.D., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will be facilitating $20.4 billion of investments into high-speed broadband networks across rural America over the next 10 years, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced during a briefing with President Trump on April 12.

Detroit announced it will hire Joshua Edmonds as its first director of digital inclusion to help make computer and internet access more accessible to the city’s citizens.

Broadband access is essential in the 21st Century. To achieve availability across the country, the Federal government must have accurate broadband access data to ensure that funds and resources are being spent to expand coverage to unserved areas. However, accuracy issues with the broadband map have plagued the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)–the Federal entity tasked with compiling the data.