FirstNet has decided to establish its headquarters in Northern Virginia.
The board voted Oct. 25 to make that its corporate headquarters, with Boulder, Colo., the home of technical, engineering and network design. A spokesperson said the board is still discussing lease options, so an exact location has not yet been picked.
FirstNet is the organization created by Congress to oversee the development of the interoperable broadband emergency communications network being funded with proceeds from spectrum auctions.
The board said it picked Northern Virginia — essentially a D.C. suburb — to be close to "a high concentration of wireless, technical and public safety expertise" and "the U.S. Commerce Department and public safety stakeholders and associations located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area."
Commerce's labs, including the Public Safety Communications Research program (PSCR), are located in Boulder, so that was pretty much a no-brainer.
FirstNet will also set up regional offices in the 10 FEMA regions.
