The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issued a Federal Register Notice to seek expressions of interest from individuals who would like to serve on the Board of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority Board or Board).  Prospective candidates must have expertise or experience in at least one of the following areas: public safety, network, technical, and financial. The FirstNet Authority Board is responsible for providing overall policy direction and oversight of FirstNet to ensure that the nationwide network continuously meets the needs of public safety. 

The 15-member FirstNet Authority Board includes 12 non-permanent members, the Secretary of Homeland Security, Attorney General of the United States, and Director of the Office of Management and Budget. One of the 12 non-permanent members to the FirstNet Authority Board resigned prior to the end of his term.  The Secretary of Commerce will appoint an individual to complete that Board member’s term through September 2024.   

The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (Act) created the FirstNet Authority as an independent authority within NTIA.  The Act charged the FirstNet Authority with ensuring the building, deployment, and operation of a nationwide, interoperable public safety broadband network, based on a single, national network architecture. The FirstNet Authority holds the single nationwide public safety license granted for wireless public safety broadband deployment.