FirstNet®, built with AT&T — the only 5G network built with and for America’s first responders — is now bringing new multi-layered coverage and unprecedented network insight to more than 7 million public safety connections, as of the first quarter of 2025.
FirstNet already gives responders coverage across the nation’s largest footprint, and AT&T has added 20,000 square miles of terrestrial wireless coverage in the last year, growing public safety’s network to more than 2.99 million square miles across urban, suburban, rural, territory and tribal areas.
“When our officers were deployed to impacted areas of North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, FirstNet was there for us,” said Chief Jeffrey Ackerman, Town of Duck Police Department. “With reliable connectivity on FirstNet, we were able to communicate with our team and other agencies while in remote areas. From search and rescue to welfare checks and even connecting an isolated resident to her husband, FirstNet helped us better serve the local community.”
Emergencies can happen anywhere and at any time. That is why, in partnership with the First Responder Network Authority, AT&T created an expansive network that supplements macro coverage with layers of in-building and on-the-go solutions that deliver dedicated connectivity for public safety and the services they rely on, like utilities and hospitals. And no matter how first responders are connected to the FirstNet network, they always have priority and preemption across 5G, LTE and Band 14.
AT&T is also making advancements with AST SpaceMobile to deliver space-based cellular connectivity that supports features that first responders need. AT&T already successfully tested mission-critical capabilities such as push-to-talk services.
Indoor locations, like basements, stairwells and garages, are some of the most difficult places to reliably connect. As the only network able to offer public safety 6x the signal power of other carriers, AT&T expanded their portfolio of FirstNet MegaRange™ coverage solutions with the new Nextivity SHIELD MegaFi 2 router. Available in fixed, portable and in-vehicle form factors, these routers are 5G-enabled high-power user equipment that provide better building penetration, broader coverage and faster uplink.
As part of the FirstNet Authority’s ongoing investments, thousands of first responder agencies across the country have also received free Cell Booster Pros — and AT&T plans to continue to deploy more. There are now more than 11,000 of these miniature cell sites in public safety buildings across the country.
Unprecedented Insight into Public Safety’s Network
FirstNet is public safety’s network, so they deserve unprecedented visibility into it. With the enhanced Network Status Map on FirstNet Central, users can now quickly access detailed and current information on the state of the network and key applications, including maintenance and restoration updates, and the location of on-air portable cell sites from the dedicated FirstNet fleet. Users can see this information at the state, county and hyper-local levels, as well as subscribe to automated notifications — all of which helps them stay prepared and operate more seamlessly.
“As public safety’s one and only network — not a commercial slice of a network built for the general population — our unwavering commitment to reliable and resilient communications is foundational to everything we do,” said Scott Agnew, president of FirstNet, AT&T. “The breadth of FirstNet coverage, combined with our unparalleled network visibility, gives first responders the capabilities they need to keep our communities safer. Whether a first responder is in a remote area after disasters like Hurricane Helene or in the middle of New York City, FirstNet gives them the peace of mind that they will be connected — that’s the FirstNet promise.”