FirstNet Authority reauthorization needed as public-safety-driven network evolution proceeds

The recent announcement from AT&T and the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) that an additional $8 billion is being invested into the system—for both 5G and additional coverage—is a quantum leap forward for public-safety communications in the United States. This investment and subsequent deployment of mission-critical technologies and additional cell sites will continue to ensure that FirstNet provides cutting-edge communications resources for our nation’s first responders.

Back in 2012, when Congress passed the legislation to create FirstNet, the vision that public safety had for the network was for it to evolve constantly, in parallel with the commercial technologies that we all enjoy. Bear in mind that just a decade ago, teenagers in their homes had stronger, more robust communications capabilities than our nation’s first responders. That all changed with FirstNet.

The network provides public safety with access to dedicated spectrum, as well as prioritized access to the entire AT&T commercial network—something all carriers said they would never do. This was followed by ruthless preemption—a technology that is unique to the FirstNet system, not only in the United States but I believe anywhere in the world.

Today, there are more than 725 FirstNet ready devices, more than 220 applications in the app catalog, and an expansion of the use of deployables in a variety of form factors. This has led to the integration of FirstNet into the daily operations of first responders across the country.

A key difference about FirstNet is that the voice of public safety is enshrined in the composition of the network through the FirstNet Authority board. Unlike commercial systems, FirstNet reports not to shareholders but to public safety. This unique structure ensures that the voice of public safety continues to be part of the foundation of the FirstNet system.

The Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) is another example of public safety’s oversight of the network, with more than 40 public-safety groups and associations providing congressionally mandated insight into the system and how it needs to evolve.

Coupled with the governmental role of the Office of Public Safety Communications (OPSC) inside the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the Department of Commerce’s Office of the Inspector General (DOC OIG), the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Congressional oversight, there isn’t a program in the country that has a more robust oversight ecosystem. One can hope that all of these offices will work with public safety to ensure that the network continues to provide its vital services, and evolve as the technological needs of public safety changes.

Reauthorization deadline approaching     

This most recent investment will ensure that 5G services are available to public safety, from American Samoa to Maine. However, to ensure that access to these life-saving technological advancements continue in the years ahead, it is imperative that Congress reauthorizes the FirstNet Authority. FirstNet’s enabling statute requires this reauthorization to be granted by February 2027, which means that the 119th Congress (2025 and 2026) will have to take action on behalf of public safety to ensure that their network remains under public-safety control.

Without this congressional action, the future of the network, the investment of over a decade of public-safety dedication to improving the entire ecosystem of communications, and the very nature of the future of public safety will be at risk.

I call on the whole of the public-safety community to come together to ensure the future of their network and the future of public-safety communications through reauthorization during the next Congress.

While FirstNet has made extraordinary progress in a short period of time, much remains to be done, especially in the fields of 911 and emergency management—two components of public safety that are fundamental to any emergency response.

These primary users need to be included in the 5G journey as new technology is adopted in the field and at the originating point of public-safety communications. As data continues to play a larger role in the operations of public safety, ensuring that new data streams are supplemented into the workflow of first responders will be another future state in which FirstNet will play a central role.

The investment step that the FirstNet Authority and AT&T are taking will ensure that the next phase of the life-saving technologies that FirstNet provides to the brave women and men of public safety will continue. FirstNet Authority Executive Director Joe Wassel, the FirstNet Authority board and the entire FirstNet Authority staff deserve the accolades for this accomplishment.

Now, the hard work begins, and I have full confidence that the team at the FirstNet Authority and the private-sector partner, AT&T, will continue to listen to public safety. Only with public safety playing a central role can this program take into account the needs of first responders, and evolve the network, so it can continue to provide the revolutionary life-saving products and services of the future.

As Joe said, “This investment will ensure that FirstNet remains at the forefront of technology, so that public safety can respond smart, safer, and more effectively.”

Here’s to that vision being fulfilled.

Edward Parkinson was the former CEO of the FirstNet Authority and is the current President of Public Sector at RapidSOS. The views expressed here are his own.