Effective first responder communications are key to public safety. For police, fire, and EMS to serve and protect the public to the best of their abilities, these life-saving professionals must be able to communicate with each other clearly, consistently, and reliably.
This expected capability failed on 9/11, where emergency radio communications issues at the World Trade Center prevented some vital messages from going through. Due to incompatible networks, poor communications resulted in lives being lost that might have been saved: That’s the simple truth of it.
In response to that tragedy and this problem, Congress created the FirstNet Authority. It is an independent government agency that oversees FirstNet, the single nationwide first responder cellular broadband network reserved for public safety communications to meet public safety requirements and protect interoperability as required by the law. AT&T has been contracted to provide and operate FirstNet’s 4G/LTE wireless infrastructure under the Authority’s supervision.
FirstNet currently supports over 7 million users across 30,000 U.S. public safety agencies nationwide. It is addressing the communications gap that 9/11 so tragically revealed, and ensuring that nothing like this failure ever happens again.
Why FirstNet Reinvestment Matters
Technology never stands still: It is constantly evolving and improving. This fact means that public safety communications can be enhanced through technological advances, which is why the FirstNet Authority keeps reinvesting (without taxpayer dollars) in the FirstNet first responder network.
“We are dedicated to the future of public safety communications, and that starts with expanding and evolving FirstNet to meet first responders’ needs,” said Joe Wassel, recently retired Executive Director and CEO of the FirstNet Authority. He said this after announcing a series of investments in FirstNet improvements worth more than $8 billion over 10 years. “With this investment, we are ensuring FirstNet remains at the forefront of technology so that public safety can respond smarter, safer, and more effectively.”
Expanding Coverage for First Responders
Since being launched in 2018, FirstNet has grown to cover more than 2.91 million square miles in America. It is the largest and only wireless broadband network in the country dedicated to public safety. As part of this coverage, AT&T has built more than 100,000 Band 14 transmission sites — (Band 14 is reserved for FirstNet public safety users) — including commercially-underserved rural, remote, and tribal areas. Even during commercial network congestion, Band 14 gives first responders their own ‘fast lane’ with priority and preemption, which every community expects their public safety officials should have.
Advancing FirstNet Through 5G and Next-Gen Technology
5G is the Next Big Thing in wireless communications, offering significantly faster data speeds and more sophisticated applications than America’s existing 4G/LTE wireless networks. Through its 10-year, $8 billion-plus investments in 5G (in partnership with AT&T), the FirstNet Authority is ensuring that FirstNet users get the most out of this new technology — while still being able to use their existing 4G/LTE equipment on the network.
Already, FirstNet users have access to always-on priority and preemption across all AT&T 5G commercial spectrum bands. Going forward, thousands of new, purpose-built FirstNet 5G cell sites will be built across America, with the first 1,000 to be built by the end of 2026.
Mission-Critical Communication Upgrades
The FirstNet Authority is always implementing significant upgrades on the FirstNet first responder network. A case in point: FirstNet’s Mission-Critical Push-to-Talk (MCPTT) solutions provide first responders with radio-like PTT functionality on their Band 14-enabled wireless devices.
Technology never stands still: It is constantly evolving and improving. This fact means that public safety communications can be enhanced through technological advances, which is why the FirstNet Authority keeps reinvesting in the FirstNet first responder network.
FirstNet’s 3GPP-compliant PTT service offers high audio quality even in noisy environments, emergency alerting (“man-down” alerts), and one-to-one/one-to-many voice calling with prioritization. MC-PTT provides first responders with everything they love about using handheld radios, and none of the drawbacks.
Real-World Examples of FirstNet’s Impact
FirstNet is great in theory. But it is even better in practice.
Keeping fire fighters connected during commercial network congestion
The Lynnwood (Washington State) Fire Department’s (LFD) commercial cellular service was overwhelmed during a multi-alarm fire that knocked out power and affected communications. FirstNet provided the LFD with call preemption and priority service, ensuring that the department’s command and control team could communicate even while commercial networks were jammed.
Covering the distance for deputies
The Harris County (TX) Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) serves a jurisdiction of approximately 1,778 square miles. That’s bigger than the entire state of Rhode Island. To bridge the miles, the HCSO’s deputies have been equipped with FirstNet-enabled smartphones and mobile routers. This gives them uninterrupted access to CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch), video feeds, and GPS tracking — even when commercial cellular carriers are overloaded!
Helping after hurricanes
When Hurricane Ian devastated Florida in 2022, FirstNet was there to help. The FirstNet Authority deployed over 100 dedicated assets — including Cell on Wheels (COWs), Cell on Light Trucks (COLTs), and Satellite Cell on Light Trucks (SatCOLTs) — to restore and enhance communications in that stricken state. They also handed out 3,500 FirstNet Ready devices and SIM cards to first responders on the ground — ensuring the continuity of public safety operations even when commercial networks were offline
The Future of FirstNet and First Responder Communications
Technologically speaking, the future of FirstNet and U.S. first responder communications looks bright. But on the political side? There is a measure of doubt that needs to be dispelled.
This is because Congress must reauthorize the Middle-Class Tax Relief Act (the Act that created the FirstNet Authority) by 2027 for FirstNet to continue. Because FirstNet is proven to be all that was hoped for (and more), first responder groups such as the Public Safety Broadband Technology Association (PSBTA) are calling for FirstNet to be reauthorized indefinitely.
“There is no reason for our first responders to fear FirstNet won’t be there for them and the American public, when Congress can reauthorize the FirstNet Authority permanently,” said PSBTA Deputy Director Michael A. Barnbeck. “We owe this to our first responders, who risk their lives everyday for our safety. We owe it to the American public, and to the memory of all who perished during 9/11 due to inadequate emergency communications. It’s time for Congress to reinvest its faith in the First Authority, as it reinvests financially in FirstNet.”