Five Top Beneficiaries of the U.S. Government's $100 Billion FirstNet Program

HOUSTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / February 13, 2019 / Emergency situations demand quick responses.

Unfortunately, breakdowns in communication have made that virtually impossible. From wildfires and collapsing buildings to Category 5 hurricanes and medical emergencies, communication is key. Without it, lives are lost. Communities are destroyed.

All because of poor communication.

We learned that painful truth on September 11, 2001 when dozens of agencies could not effectively relay critical information to key first time. In fact, before the North Tower fell, a good number of police officers heard the warnings and could evacuate in time.

Sadly, that same information never reached some of the firefighters caught in the building.

Many died because of that.

After, it was learned that radio systems for the Fire Department, the Police Department and the Port Authority Police were incompatible with one another. Failure lead to the loss of life.

Other times, during a crisis or emergency, networks can be clogged by consumers, making it difficult for the essential first responders to even respond or coordinate.

Imagine fighting for your life - and there's no one there to help.

Currently, that's just not acceptable. However, FirstNet, or the First Responder Network Authority changes all of that.

According to FirstNet:

''It's hard, and at times impossible, for emergency responders from different jurisdictions or from different public safety organizations to communicate and work together to save lives. That's where the FirstNet network will come in. FirstNet will help solve the communications challenges that our nation's public safety personnel have faced in responding to local emergencies, as well as large-scale emergencies such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina.''

The new network will now give first responders priority in emergency situations to send voice or text messages, images, video and location information in real-time.

All by using what's referred to as push-to-talk-over-cellular technology (PoC).

PoC will allow first responders to quickly communicate effectively at the push of a button.

It's considerably better than traditional PTT, or push to talk over radio because it's now on a cellular network operated by carriers such as AT&T, Sprint and Verizon rather than a radio network.

With such technology, all first responders over time will have to upgrade to cellular based solutions versus traditional two-way radios that are proven to be ineffective.

The U.S. Government is Putting $100 Billion Behind It

One of the biggest beneficiaries is AT&T (NYSE: T), which won a 25-year, $100 billion contract to build a nationwide public safety network. In fact, the company has already announced that all 50 states, Puerto Rico and D.C. have signed on to use FirstNet.

Of course, investors should see considerable dividends from the news. AT&T will hold a monopoly on the network until 2021, meaning it's the only one that can not only sell the FirstNet Band, but also the SIM cards that are used in the technology.

For More Information on AT&T, Click Here.

Motorola Solutions Inc. (NYSE: MSI) is another beneficiary. It acquired Kodiak Networks, a provider of broadband push-to-talk (PoC) software which is the preferred software for AT&T and Verizon to provide two-way communication by smartphone.

''Acquiring Kodiak Networks is another step-in building Motorola Solutions' communications and collaboration software suite and establishing annual recurring revenue streams,'' said Bruce Brda, executive vice president, Products and Solutions at the time. ''Kodiak's broadband PTT software expands our offerings for mobile network operators, especially in commercial markets, and complements our software and carrier capabilities.''

For More Information on Motorola Solutions Inc., Click Here.

Sierra Wireless Inc. (NASDAQ: SWIR) is a unique investment opportunity with its Sierra Wireless AirLink MG90 High-Performance Multi-Network Vehicle Router. According to the company, it already supports FirstNet's high priority and pre-emption for first responders - and FirstNet's 700MHz Band 14 spectrum.

''We're pleased to welcome Sierra Wireless to the FirstNet ecosystem,'' said Chris Sambar, senior vice president, AT&T - FirstNet. ''The more tools public safety has access to on their network, the more we can help them achieve their mission. Sierra Wireless already has a well-established relationship with the first responder community, and with the FirstNet Ready designation, first responders can be confident that Sierra Wireless' AirLink MG90 router is a trusted solution that meets FirstNet's standards for relevancy, high security and performance.''

For More Information on Sierra Wireless Inc., Click Here.

Siyata Mobile Inc. (TSXV: SIM)(OTCQX: SYATF) should be another major beneficiary of the FirstNet push. In fact, it's the only provider of in-vehicle push button technology on the 4G network in North America. With more than 3.5 million first responder vehicles on the road that would require this technology, FirstNet represents a $3+ billion opportunity for Siyata alone.

According to RCR Wireless, ''As FirstNet rolls out, public safety vehicles will be required to upgrade their legacy LMR [land mobile radio] and Two-Way-Radio gear with PoC [push to talk over cellular] that is Band 14 compatible. CCS Insight predicts the market for these kind of rugged handsets will increase by twenty-five percent this year to 22.2 million units. They also expect this market to continue to grow to 54.5 million units by 2021.''

For More Information on Siyata Mobile Inc., Click Here.

Axon Enterprise, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAXN) is also deeply involved with FirstNet.

According to Axon CEO and founder Rick Smith, as quoted by Urgent Communications, ''FirstNet connectivity is a crucial component of the Axon Body 3-our next-generation body-worn camera,'' Smith said in a prepared statement. ''It'll allow the device to stay connected in the field allowing officers to take advantage of the camera's near real-time situational awareness features such as gunshot detection, voice transcription and priority wireless evidence offload - ultimately helping to increase officer safety.''

Chris Sambar, senior vice president, AT&T-FirstNet added, ''Combining FirstNet's reliable connectivity with the Axon Body 3 will help law-enforcement officers capture and relay critical events back as they happen without having to worry if they're in range of their vehicle's Wi-Fi system or waiting to dock the device.''

For More Information on Axon Enterprise, Click Here.

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