Officials promise preemption for public-safety subscribers across FirstNet and AT&T networks

“As part of this deal, AT&T is putting forward their $100 billion of physical infrastructure, the backhaul network, the microwave networks, the fiber, a bulk of their landline and their wireless business as part of the infrastructure commercially that’s being applied, in addition to leveraging government infrastructure, leveraging rural telecom partners,” Kennedy said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications.

“They’re doing all of those things, and I think that’s a critical element—and that’s in addition to the spectrum that they’re bringing to the table and all of the other equipment associated with that additional spectrum,” Kennedy said.

These AT&T assets will be augmented by the carrier deploying the Band 14 network—an endeavor that the carrier expects will cost more than $40 billion. In addition, AT&T is open to negotiating with government entities to leverage some of their assets, Sambar said.

“Just like with the overall nationwide contract, it’s a public-private partnership—that’s how this whole thing has been set up,” Sambar said. “When we talk to the states, we’re approaching it the same way. The states and municipalities have their own assets, and we want to figure out how to partner with them to utilize those assets wherever it makes sense.

“The early builders are a great example of that. At LA-RICS, for example, they have roughly 80 towers that they’ve built with a Band 14 network. We’ve talk to them and said, ‘If AT&T is fortunate enough to win this award, we would love to take at look at where your city assets are and see how can partner to use some of those assets to reinforce our network and make our network stronger and more robust for public safety.’”