The First Responder Network Authority, commonly referred to as the FirstNet Authority or simply FirstNet, is an independent government authority of the United States that was created under the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (MCTRJCA). The purpose of FirstNet is to establish, operate, and maintain an interoperable public safety broadband network. To fulfill these objectives, Congress allotted $7 billion and 20 MHz of radio spectrum to build the network.