In 2018, the State of Vermont awarded Televate a contract to assist the state with the SLIGP 2.0 program, supporting FirstNet broadband coverage testing and other eligible SLIGP 2.0 services. Televate used PinpointTM to assist the Department of Public Safety in evaluating FirstNet coverage.
Project Tasks
Televate recently assisted the state in defining drive test routes based on direct input from public safety stakeholders who expressed concerns regarding FirstNet system coverage. These areas were located within FirstNet designated Interim Operating Capability (IOC) areas of the state and were also illustrated as primarily broadband covered areas on the FirstNet coverage maps.
Televate designed and executed a formal test plan to determine the actual coverage within the Vermont defined IOC test environments. Employing the Televate Pinpoint application and measurement equipment typically employed by the commercial carrier engineers, a comprehensive FirstNet coverage test was performed. The resulting report detailed the outcome of the drive test together with recommendations for the State, applicable to those considering subscribing to FirstNet and those who have already subscribed. The report additionally exposed coverage gaps between the FirstNet maps and the actual available coverage, along with suggestions for FirstNet to improve the accuracy of the broadband coverage mapping. This report is available to the public at FirstNet Coverage Test Report – January 2020.