Corruption and bureaucracy have ruined the planned nationwide emergency LTE network

Our belated attempt to build a nationwide emergency LTE network has already faced criticism due to board members’ close ties to wireless carriers; the organizations investigation of itself not exactly eliminating those concerns. That was followed up with concerns about potential budget shortfalls, with insiders concerned the $7 billion doled out to the program may not be anywhere near enough. 

Ever since first responder emergency communications failed back on 9/11, there has been a concerted effort to try and build some kind of wireless, national emergency communications network. In typical Congressional fashion this included several years of yelling, screaming, disagreement, and general histrionics. After more than a decade the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 finally created the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), which according to its website will coordinate the build of an 700 MHz LTE-based emergency broadband network that piggybacks on existing networks.