AT&T says all 50 states will participate in FirstNet wireless broadband network for emergency responders, funded with $6.5B over 5 years by federal government
Emergencies are unpredictable. First responders’ access to communications shouldn’t be. So, AT&T is building FirstNet to reach all first responders. Not just those in urban areas.
A good portion of firefighters are volunteers located in small or rural communities. The network must deliver for them and all who keep us safe a solution that’s more available and reliable than their existing networks.
To do this, we started with our existing AT&T LTE infrastructure as the foundation. This is how we’re able to bring FirstNet to first responders today.
In 2018, we’ll build on that foundation. Using 20 MHz of high-value, Band 14 telecommunications spectrum provided by the Authority, the AT&T-built FirstNet network will give first responders even more coverage and capacity across the country. We’ll put Band 14 on tens of thousands of new and existing towers nationwide.
AT&T is also working with states and public safety to identify and harden certain critical sites. These include sites that are in regions vulnerable to hazards like hurricanes, snow and ice storms, tornadoes, flooding and wild fires.
The full FirstNet experience will come to life over the next 5 years. And as it does, we’ll continue to explore upgrades – like 5G – that will give first responders the best connection on their own network dedicated to them when they need it.
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