The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, exposed major problems in communication among emergency responders. During the rescue efforts at the World Trade Center and Pentagon, different agencies could not communicate because their radio systems were incompatible. This led to a breakdown that forced first responders to use paper notes and runners.
In response, FirstNet was created as a dedicated wireless communications platform for first responders. Built by AT&T through a partnership with the federally established First Responder Network Authority, FirstNet provides more than 30,000 police, fire, EMS, and other public safety agencies with a prioritized network. This system allows emergency calls to go through even when commercial networks are overwhelmed during disasters.
Former New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly recently wrote an op-ed in the New York Post urging Congress to reauthorize the First Responder Network Authority before its mandate expires in February 2027. If Congress does not act, the authority will lose its legal ability to oversee this nationwide public safety broadband network.
“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.”
AT&T reports that FirstNet now covers over 2.99 million square miles—the largest network footprint in the country—and serves more first responders than any competing commercial networks. As part of its $8 billion investment over ten years with the First Responder Network Authority, AT&T has finished building 1,000 new FirstNet sites across the United States ahead of schedule.
Kelly also highlighted how FirstNet played a critical role during recent flash floods along Texas’ Guadalupe River over July Fourth weekend—a disaster that killed more than 100 people—by keeping rural first responders connected.
“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.”
