https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • IWCE
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Premier Partners
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • Microwave/RF
    • T&D World
    • TU-Auto
  • In the field
    • Back
    • In the field
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Internet of Things
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Call Center/Command
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Network Tech
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Operations
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Regulations
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • Organizations
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
Urgent Communications
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Omdia Crit Comms Circle Podcast
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
    • Sponsored content
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • Why Attend
    • Exhibitor Listing
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Join the Event Mailing List
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • TU-Auto
  • newsletter
  • In the field
    • Back
    • Internet of Things
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Cybersecurity
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
acc.com

Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet


News

FirstNet buildout on Band 14 spectrum will be completed this year, AT&T says

FirstNet buildout on Band 14 spectrum will be completed this year, AT&T says

  • Written by Donny Jackson
  • 18th February 2022

AT&T will complete the initial buildout of FirstNet during this calendar year—several months ahead of schedule—according to a regulatory filing submitted this week by AT&T, which is contracted by the FirstNet Authority to build, operate and upgrade the nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN).

Under its agreement with the FirstNet Authority signed in March 2017, AT&T is deploying NPSBN coverage on 700 MHz Band 14 spectrum that is licensed to the FirstNet Authority, with AT&T being paid in stages for completing buildout milestones and reaching subscriber-adoption target on time. With the work officially beginning in March 2018, the contract called for this five-year network buildout—a plan that includes 1,000 new towers in key locations identified by state governments—to be completed in March 2023.

It will be done several months sooner, with AT&T expecting to receive the maximum $6.5 billion for its FirstNet work, AT&T indicated in its annual 10-K report filed this week with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

“As of December 31, 2021, we have collected approximately [$5.86 billion] for the completion of certain tasks and anticipate collecting the remainder of the [$6.5 billion] as we achieve milestones set out by FirstNet in 2022,” AT&T states in its 10-K filing.

AT&T receives FirstNet payments after FirstNet Authority officials have validated that the contracted work has been completed for a given deployment stage. For AT&T to receive the final $640 million by the end of the year—three months ahead of the contracted schedule—sources indicate that the carrier giant likely would need to complete its work well before the end of the year to ensure time for the validation process to be completed, particularly with holidays in November and December.

Neither the FirstNet Authority nor AT&T responded to requests for comments made this morning by IWCE’s Urgent Communications in time to be included in this article. This article will be updated with those comments, if they are received.

AT&T has been expected to complete this five-year buildout phase early, as company officials have indicated that the FirstNet buildout of Band 14 coverage has been six months to almost a year ahead of schedule at various stages of the process. Scott Agnew, AT&T’s assistant vice president for FirstNet products said the FirstNet Band 14 buildout was “over 95% complete” during his IWCE 2021 keynote speech in late September.

Information about the progress of the FirstNet buildout has been released sporadically, but AT&T has provided updates about subscriber adoption of FirstNet services on a quarterly basis. AT&T announced in January that FirstNet was providing more than 3 million connections to more than 19,500 public-safety agencies as of the end of 2021.

AT&T is required to meet FirstNet subscription goals as part of its contract with the FirstNet Authority. Those subscriber-adoption target have not been released publicly, but AT&T apparently has achieved all of the contracted thresholds in the past. In fact, most references to FirstNet adoption indicate that it has exceeded expectations—not surprising, given that many believed that FirstNet only would be able to serve about 3 million public-safety users when Congress passed the legislation establishing FirstNet in 2012.

Although the initial five-year buildout goals have been primary focus of AT&T and the FirstNet Authority, completion of this phase will not mark the end of the partnership. The FirstNet Authority’s agreement with AT&T extends into 2042, with the FirstNet Authority’ operations and future FirstNet system upgrades being funded by annual payments made by AT&T to the FirstNet Authority.

In total, AT&T is scheduled to pay a total of $18 billion to the FirstNet Authority, with the AT&T’s annual “sustainability” payment scheduled to increase in stages throughout the life of the 25-year contract. Overall, about $3 billion of the AT&T payments are expected to fund the FirstNet Authority’s organizational operations through 2042, while the $15 billion is expected to be reinvested into the FirstNet system, according to AT&T’s 10-K report.

As the FirstNet network provider, AT&T is expected to receive most—if not all—money that the FirstNet Authority decides to reinvest into the NPSBN to enhance coverage and to make technological improvements, such as upgrading the system from LTE to 5G. AT&T received $170 million in such reinvestment money during 2021, the AT&T SEC filing states.

AT&T will increase its sustainability payment to the FirstNet Authority in 2022, with the amount jumping from $120 million in 2021 to $195 million in 2022, according to AT&T’s 10-K report. AT&T will pay $195 million to the FirstNet Authority to from 2022 through 2025, and the sustainability payment will jump to $1.59 billion in 2026. AT&T will pay the FirstNet Authority a total $15.03 billion in sustainability payments from 2027 to the end of the contract, the AT&T SEC filing states.

 

Tags: homepage-featured-4 5G Applications Backhaul Companies Coverage/Interference Critical Infrastructure Enterprise Federal Government/Military Funding Incident Command/Situational Awareness Long Term Evolution (LTE) News NTIA/FirstNet Policy Public Safety Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet Regional Coordination Software Standards State & Local Government Subscriber Devices System Installation System Operation Tower & Site Tracking, Monitoring & Control Wireless Networks News

Most Recent


  • Panasonic Connect launches Toughbook 40 rugged laptop
    Panasonic Connect this week announced the launch of the Toughbook 40, the highest-performing device in the family of fully rugged laptops, featuring LTE-Advanced and CBRS connectivity, and a lighter total weight, despite  boasting a 14-inch touchscreen display that is larger than the previous model in the Toughbook portfolio. In addition to all of its improved […]
  • FirstNet buildout on Band 14 spectrum will be completed this year, AT&T says
    Newscan: ‘Predator’ spyware let government hackers break into Chrome and Android, Google says
    Web Roundup Items from other news organizations ‘Predator’ spyware let government hackers break into Chrome and Android, Google says A private firm exposes Chrome vulnerabilities to government hackers, says Google EPA seeks funding to improve water-system cybersecurity Philadelphia launches real-time smart-city project NIST’s supply-chain security guidance tells agencies: Look to FedRAMP first Senate report highlights […]
  • Malicious Python Repository Package drops Cobalt Strike on Windows, macOS & Linux systems
    Public repositories of open source code are a critical part of the software supply chain that many organizations use to build applications. They are therefore an attractive target for adversaries seeking to distribute malware to a mass audience. The latest case in point is a malicious package for distributing Cobalt Strike on Windows, macOS, and Linux systems, […]
  • T-Mobile's CEO explains the company's new private 5G strategy
    T-Mobile on Monday took the wraps off its new private wireless networking offerings, and the company’s CEO spoke about it at length during an investor event. “CIOs everywhere are interested in this topic right now,” T-Mobile’s Mike Sievert said Monday at the J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Communications Conference. “And they’re interested in it for a reason. […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

To leave a comment login with your Urgent Comms account:

Log in with your Urgent Comms account

Or alternatively provide your name, email address below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • FirstNet buildout more than 95% complete, AT&T exec says
  • FirstNet buildout on pace for March 2023 completion, AT&T official says
  • AT&T says FirstNet Band 14 buildout more than 90% done, adoption tops 2 million connections
  • FirstNet exceeds 3 million connections and 19,500 agencies, AT&T reports

Commentary


LTE and liability: Why the fire service must move forward with digital incident command

  • 2
6th May 2022

Partnership and collaboration must be the foundation for emergency communications

18th April 2022

FirstNet success means no hypothetical ‘shots’ need to be fired, Swenson says

22nd February 2022
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

Panasonic Connect launches Toughbook 40 rugged laptop dlvr.it/SR5vl2

26th May 2022
UrgentComm

Newscan: ‘Predator’ spyware let government hackers break into Chrome and Android, Google says dlvr.it/SR2lBG

25th May 2022
UrgentComm

Malicious Python Repository Package drops Cobalt Strike on Windows, macOS & Linux systems dlvr.it/SR0Qb2

24th May 2022
UrgentComm

T-Mobile’s CEO explains the company’s new private 5G strategy dlvr.it/SQyzhc

24th May 2022
UrgentComm

Hytera, Motorola Solutions refile appeal, cross-appeal in civil case dlvr.it/SQxNX1

24th May 2022
UrgentComm

Amid shifting workplace expectations, local government employers must adapt dlvr.it/SQwVVs

23rd May 2022
UrgentComm

The private-wireless networking opportunity shouldn’t stay too private dlvr.it/SQw7MT

23rd May 2022
UrgentComm

Europe’s first driverless-car test completed dlvr.it/SQvqyY

23rd May 2022

Newsletter

Sign up for UrgentComm’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about Communications and Technology.

Expert Commentary

Learn from experts about the latest technology in automation, machine-learning, big data and cybersecurity.

Business Media

Find the latest videos and media from the market leaders.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • American City & County
  • IWCE
  • Light Reading
  • IOT World Today
  • Mission Critical Technologies
  • Microwave/RF
  • T&D World
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X