How FirstNet helps public safety during big, complex moments

July 17, 2025

Key points

• As public safety communications issues persisted during large-scale emergencies like 9/11, Congress listened to the demands of public safety and passed bipartisan legislation to create a dedicated network for first responders.
• The result was FirstNet®, Built with AT&T – an entire program dedicated to and designed for America’s first responders and those critical to their emergency response, launched in partnership with the federal government during the first Trump Administration.
• FirstNet is the only public safety communications platform that can truly support public safety during the most critical moments, because it is the only network that is designed to meet public safety’s needs.

During a disaster, every first responder has a part to play. 

When bridges collapse, hurricanes hit or wildfires rage, a wide range of public safety agencies rush to the scene. They represent different jurisdictions and have different expertise, but each is an important piece in the emergency response puzzle – and it’s critical they can communicate with one another. If communications break down or technology is incompatible across agencies, situations can go from bad to worse.  

America has learned this lesson the hard way. On 9/11, first responders from police, fire and EMS agencies had difficulty communicating with each other because of congested networks and disparate radio systems that weren’t designed to work together. During Hurricane Katrina, public safety had to resort to exchanging paper notes when the traditional land mobile radio (LMR) systems used by first responders from different towns were not compatible. As these problems persisted during other events, Congress listened to the demands of public safety and passed bipartisan legislation to create a dedicated network for first responders.

The result was FirstNet®, Built with AT&T – an entire program dedicated to and designed for America’s first responders and those critical to their emergency response. Launched in partnership with the federal government during the first Trump Administration after AT&T was the only nationwide wireless carrier to respond to the government’s request for proposal, FirstNet gives emergency responders always-on priority and preemption across 5G and LTE, ensuring their critical communications are protected from network congestion. As the largest network for public safety, FirstNet covers more than 2.99 million square miles – 250,000 more than commercial networks, on average – and continues to expand coverage based on direct feedback from first responders. And, in partnership with the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority), the network runs on a self-sustaining operating model – which means FirstNet serves first responders and continues to evolve and innovate based on public safety’s needs, without any taxpayer dollars.

When the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump turned a campaign rally into chaos last summer, for example, FirstNet performed as designed – it prioritized hundreds of federal, state and local first responders, protecting their communications from network congestion. While public safety officials on commercial networks reported trouble communicating in Butler, Pa., those on FirstNet “did not have notable interference with their connectivity,” the congressional task force investigating the incident found. 

Today, there is no major event – planned or unplanned – where FirstNet does not play a critical role. Most recently, as catastrophic flash floods devastated Texas’ Hill Country over the 4th of July, FirstNet was there. So far, the FirstNet Response Operations Group™ (ROG) has responded to more than a dozen requests from federal, state and local public safety agencies to deploy portable cell sites ensuring that those on the scene are able to stay connected in their response and recovery efforts. With AT&T based in Texas, this tragedy hits home – and we will continue to be there for our neighbors and first responders for as long as they need us.

Over the past year and a half FirstNet has supported emergency response communications at other major events like the tragic collision between a passenger plane and military helicopter over Washington, D.C.; the Francis Scott Key bridge collapse in Baltimore; the devastation across Western North Carolina during Hurricane Helene; and the wildfires in Southern California. Incidents like these are exactly why Congress created FirstNet – enhancing communications across jurisdictions and technologies helps save lives and protect our communities.  

Much of the success of FirstNet comes from the partnership with the FirstNet Authority, a federal agency that continues to invest in public safety’s network for coverage and mission-critical broadband solutions, such as push-to-talk capabilities. This means that, in addition to serving as a bridge for previously siloed radio systems, FirstNet can rapidly create talk groups to facilitate communication and location tracking of public safety personnel, vehicles and equipment.

Sometimes, these big moments demand extra coverage and capacity – and that’s where the FirstNet ROG steps in. Led by a team of former first responders, ROG oversees the wireless industry’s only fleet of portable cell sites dedicated to public safety communications. They aren’t constrained by the needs of commercial networks -- they go when and where first responders ask for dedicated connectivity, providing an unprecedented level of support for public safety that Congress envisioned when it created FirstNet. 

Because AT&T is public safety’s partner helping deliver FirstNet, we have a congressional charge to expand and evolve public safety’s network, so they stay at the forefront of innovative, lifesaving technologies. It’s a large part of why the U.S. is the world leader in technology development for public safety, and it’s also why we joined with the FirstNet Authority last year to announce a 10-year, $8 billion investment initiative that is expanding public safety’s coverage nationally. This investment is creating a standalone 5G core and expanding mission-critical services – all of which will help FirstNet evolve to support public safety’s future needs.

The bottom line is this: FirstNet is the only public safety communications platform that can truly support public safety during the most critical moments, because it is the only network that is designed to meet public safety’s needs. FirstNet has the highest level of scrutiny – with rigorous oversight and accountability by the federal government – which is why we are responsive to first responders’ needs in ways that commercial networks and carriers are not. We are proud to partner with public safety and are committed to continuing to deliver a second-to-none experience for the first responder community. Because no connection is more important than one that helps save lives.