September 22, 2016–Governor McAuliffe announced Wednesday that the Virginia State Police will receive more than $7.3 million in grant funding to transition all existing radios and communications systems on the Commonwealth’s Statewide Agencies Radio System (STARS) to the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN). The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) awarded the funding as part of its Band 14 Incumbent Spectrum Relocation Grant Program (Band 14 Program). Virginia is one of only eight states and local public safety agencies in the nation to be selected for funding.  The Band 14 Program awarded the state police $7,304,459 in order to provide the necessary financial assistance to support the relocation of all existing STARS radios and systems from Band 14 in advance of the deployment and operation of the NPSBN. McAuliffe announces $7.3M grant awarded to transition public safety communications