The Public Safety Broadband (PSB) program is dedicated to supporting and developing knowledge, policies, and procedures for use of data interoperability, broadband, Land Mobile Radio (LMR)/Limited Term Evolution (LTE) applications, and Radio over Internet Protocol (RoIP) for the State of Wisconsin.
This page provides an overview of the program and its history. There are several resources provided below. Questions may be directed to interop@widma.gov.
There are many entities that provide broadband resources in Wisconsin, some of which are touched on below. The State of Wisconsin is carrier-neutral and does not promote one carrier or resource over others.
History
Wisconsinโs PSB program was originally established to help determine Wisconsinโs requirements for what would become the First Responder Network (FirstNet). In 2012, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act created the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) and tasked it with creating a dedicated broadband network for our nationโs first responders. This legislation also allocated 20 megahertz of the electromagnetic spectrum, along with funding and authority to the FirstNet Authority to create a Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN). The goal of this network was to provide dedicated broadband support for our nationโs first responders. All states were required to develop this capability. Every state had the option to either build out a comparable network themselves, or โopt inโ to the federal contract and allow the FirstNet Authorityโs contractor, AT&T, to build the network. In December 2017, Wisconsin chose to โopt in.โ
If you have additional questions on the โopt inโ or buildout processes, please contact the OEC team at interop@widma.gov.
As part of the โopt inโ process, AT&T was required to build the network to specifications set by the State of Wisconsin and the FirstNet Authority no later than five years from the opt-in decision. The Wisconsin buildout is set to be completed no later than March 30, 2023.
Current State of Public Safety Broadband
There are four major cellular carriers operating in Wisconsin today: FirstNet/AT&T; T-Mobile; Verizon; and U.S. Cellular. Each of these carriers has dedicated resources to public safety needs. More information can be found on the individual carrierโs websites:
Does Your Agency Need Resources for an Incident or Event?
- The State of Wisconsin maintains an emergency hotline for counties and local jurisdictions to call for assistance with communications. The Wisconsin Emergency Hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and can be reached at 1-800-943-0003, option 2.
Deployable Broadband Assets
- Major cellular carriers maintain deployable assets to assist public safety for both incidents and planned events. To request an asset, contact the cellular company directly. Contact information is listed below.
Please have the following information ready when making a request:
- Primary and secondary points of contact
- Type of emergency
- Purpose/use of deployable asset
- Location (address, county, latitude, longitude)
Note: broadband deployable resources typically require a 100 foot by 100 foot open and level area that has a clear view of the southern sky.
- Any services required (voice, data, streaming, etc)
- Need for on-site technical support for duration of deployment
24/7 Broadband Response Group Contact Numbers:
- FirstNet Response Operations Group: 800-574-7000
- T-Mobile Emergency Management Team: 888-639-0020
- Verizon Response Team: 800-981-9558U.S. Cellular: 877-785-5819