AT&T is known as America’s public safety wireless communications provider and the carrier that built FirstNet. Currently, they cover more first responders than any other network in the country. Now they are trying to expand that coverage with 5G. They’re also working on boosting dedicated in-building connectivity and enhancing 9-1-1 resiliency across Tennessee. FirstNet will be used there as a wireless backup.
“Our commitment to first responders is unparalleled. By delivering 5G on FirstNet in this unique way, public safety is getting a head start on the future of connectivity, without compromising on the reliability they require for their critical communications,” said Jason Porter, President, Public Sector and FirstNet, at AT&T. “And with first responder agencies now able to put their network in buildings where they need it most, we’re equipping first responders with a network that’s second-to-none today and for decades to come.”
Expanding 5G
AT&T has expanded 5G on FirstNet to more than 40 cities. Places like Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Minneapolis, Nashville, Phoenix, Seattle and St. Louis can now access AT&T mid-band 5G+ spectrum. The benefits of this ultra-fast connectivity will certainly meet unique mission needs. This means first responders in about 100 markets across the country have access to at least 1 of the 3 flavors of 5G (using low-, mid- and high-band spectrum) that AT&T is delivering on FirstNet.
Boosting dedicated in-building connectivity
In efforts to further assist first responders, a network investment was sent to AT&T from the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority). This now allows qualified first responder agencies on FirstNet to get FREE Cell Booster Pro systems. Thousands of these will be dispersed and will be used in areas where the agencies have previously experienced connectivity challenges.
Lisa Casias, the Acting CEO for the First Responder Network Authority, said in a statement to AT&T, “The FirstNet Authority’s investments in the network are guided by the needs of public safety. This unique process is a testament to FirstNet truly being built for and by public safety. We are pleased to work alongside public safety to bring them the tools needed to keep our communities safe.”
The Cell Booster Pro is an enterprise-grade mini cell site that provides reliable connectivity for public safety on FirstNet. However it will also provide better service for employees and visitors on the AT&T commercial network. The Cell Booster Pro transmits public safety’s high-quality Band 14 spectrum as well as AT&T commercial LTE. With the ability to mesh 3 of these mini cell sites within a building, agencies can increase coverage by up to 45,000 square feet, supporting nearly 200 users.
Enhancing 9-1-1 resiliency across Tennessee
AT&T is also uniquely positioned to equip 9-1-1 call centers, or public safety answering points (PSAPs), and first responders with an integrated infrastructure. This allows them to be more flexible, resilient and agile. This is the reason they’ve integrated AT&T ESInet with the FirstNet network. It will extend network connectivity to remote PSAPs that are either hard to reach or experiencing an outage. The State of Tennessee is leading the country in deploying this innovative solution at every PSAP across the state. This further protects the nearly 7 million people who call the Volunteer State home.
“We understand that we play a vital role in providing a link to members of our community and first responders,” says Curtis Sutton, Executive Director, Tennessee Emergency Communications Board. “We took key lessons learned following the emergency events in December 2020 and worked with AT&T and other agencies to design a solution to increase our reliability and resiliency. In addition to creating redundancies through traditional connections with AT&T ESInet, we are implementing a wireless connection with FirstNet, which gives us an even more robust dependability than we could have imagined.”
Interoperability with FirstNet enables redundancy, resiliency and agility with AT&T ESInet so that PSAPs can focus on keeping their communities safe. If AT&T ESInet detects a disruption to the primary connection of a 9-1-1 call center, it will automatically route 9-1-1 calls over the FirstNet network to a remote PSAP. This integration strengthens PSAPs to maintain operations. It also creates a path for future Next Generation 9-1-1 technologies, including videos and images. These technologies allow PSAPs to coordinate with first responders more efficiently, improve situational awareness and reduce response times.
Why is this important?
AT&T is the only carrier that can provide end-to-end emergency communication solutions, from 9-1-1 to dispatch to response. For them, it’s all about where first responders need connectivity. Emergencies are unpredictable and during these critical moments, the public safety community needs reliable, interoperable communications. Today, more than 21,800 agencies and organizations – accounting for 3.7 million connections (as of Q2 2022) – use FirstNet to stay mission-ready. AT&T has seen significant growth in FirstNet because the public safety community recognizes commercial networks aren’t designed to properly handle the specific and niche demands of first responders. And commercial networks are not subject to the rigorous level of oversight and accountability by the federal government. That’s why public safety has FirstNet.