Business View Magazine - November 2016

Business View Magazine - November 2016 65 ty. The establishment of FirstNet was made possible when Congress passed the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. This historic law allocat- ed valuable spectrum and up to $7 billion in funding for the construction of the FirstNet network. When the FirstNet build-out is ready to begin in 2017, NATE member companies will be helping provide the wireless infrastructure services and equipment nec- essary to make this interoperable network a reality. FirstNet will ultimately help save lives and provide law enforcement officials, fire fighters, and EMS personnel with the critical communications capabilities and re- sources they need to respond to emergency situations. NATE also recently established an Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Committee consisting of experienced drone service providers, pilots, and tower contractor executives. The NATE UAS Committee is playing a pro- active role in monitoring the trends and regulatory en- vironment associated with rapidly evolving drone tech- nologies and making recommendations to the wireless and broadcast infrastructure community on best prac- tices when it comes to UAS integration. The committee is also focusing on collaborating with federal agencies, members of Congress, and other interested stakehold- ers in the development of guidelines to promote the safe commercial and private use of these systems. The committee plans to continue this dialogue to en- sure that the wireless infrastructure industry’s priori- ties remain at the forefront of the conversation as key decisions are made regarding this technology.