AT&T announces NPPGov agreement to ease first-responder agencies’ adoption of FirstNet

AT&T officials have said that more than 1,500 public-safety agencies have subscribed to FirstNet, which awarded AT&T with the nationwide contract at the end of March 2017.  

During an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications earlier this month, Sambar said he is pleased with public safety’s willingness to subscribe to FirstNet.

“We’re really pleased with how it’s going on adoption,” Sambar said during the interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications. “Three months ago, I was asked, ‘What’s the biggest challenge you’re having on FirstNet?’ and I said, ‘Trying to accommodate all of the people who want to sign up.’

“We were having trouble with the volume [of entities wanting to subscribe to FirstNet]. It’s a good problem to have, but you don’t want people to be upset. We’ve gotten through most of those process issues, so now it’s a lot smoother sign-up process.”

While most early FirstNet subscribers were existing AT&T customers making a transition to FirstNet, Sambar said that “we’re seeing a good mix and good number of switchovers now” from agencies that previously subscribed to wireless carriers other than AT&T.

When asked about AT&T’s biggest challenge in getting public-safety entities to subscribe, Sambar said there are no aspects of the process that are alarming right now.

“Honestly, I don’t have huge concerns in any area right now,” Sambar said during the interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications. “There’s a lot of education that still needs to happen out there with first-responder agencies, and I would always like more adoption, but I wouldn’t say that we have any huge issues anywhere. It’s just a matter of continuing to educate.”