Inspector General Says FirstNet Needs Better Oversight

According to a Department of Commerce Inspector General's report, the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), set up under Commerce's National Telecommunications & Information Administration, has been insufficiently monitored by Commerce on financial and disclosure matters.

That comes as the FCC's AWS-3 auction is winding down, which will supply over $7 billion to fund and operate the network.

For starters, the report found that Commerce did not have the requisite information on FirstNet financial disclosure files or information on FirstNet board members. Those members did not file timely disclosure reports.

For the full story go to Multichannel.com.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.