We all recall first responders’ heroism on Sept. 11, 2021, but don’t always remember that their rescue efforts were hindered by a massive electronic communications breakdown that forced them to resort to paper notes and runners to communicate at Ground Zero.
The inability of emergency responders from different departments and jurisdictions to communicate over their various radio systems at the World Trade Center and Pentagon that day spurred the creation of FirstNet, a dedicated wireless communication platform built by AT&T from the ground up specifically for first responders nationwide.
Under AT&T’s partnership with the federally created First Responder Network Authority, more than 30,000 police, fire, EMS, and other public safety agencies now have a dedicated spectrum that prioritizes their calls over civilian traffic and ensures communications remain open during a disaster, even as commercial networks are crashing under pressure.
In a recent op-ed published in the New York Post, former New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly called on Congress to act quickly to reauthorize the First Responder Network Authority, which by law is set to expire in February 2027. Without reauthorization, the authority loses its legal mandate to oversee the nationwide public safety broadband network, jeopardizing the service that first responders depend on.
“FirstNet represents responsible governance and a major victory for American strength: a government that empowers private enterprise to solve big problems without expanding the federal budget,” Kelly wrote in his op-ed. “FirstNet’s reauthorization honors the sacrifice of 9/11’s heroes and ensures future generations of first responders never face the same communication breakdowns."
Now with more than 2.99 million square miles of coverage, FirstNet has the largest network footprint in the country, covering more first responders than competing commercial networks, according to AT&T. As part of the telecommunication giant’s 10-year, $8 billion investment in this initiative with the First Responder Network Authority, AT&T has completed the buildout of 1,000 new FirstNet sites across the U.S. well ahead of schedule.
In his op-ed, Kelly noted that FirstNet recently was critically important in keeping first responders connected in rural areas of Texas Hill Country during devastating flash flooding along the Gaudalupe River that killed over 100 people during the July Fourth weekend.
“Over the life of its contract, AT&T will return $18 billion back into the network to keep it strong. And all of it is done without a dime of taxpayer money,” Kelly wrote. “FirstNet represents responsible governance and a major victory for American strength: a government that empowers private enterprise to solve big problems without expanding the federal budget.”
