Public safety officials and first responders, state legislators and AT&T and FirstNet representatives connect for FirstNet Public Safety Showcase
Left to Right: AT&T Regulatory Relations Lead Josh Alvarado, AT&T Legislative Affairs Lead Terri Nikole Baca, Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper, AT&T California President Susan Santana, and Senator Kelly Seyarto (D-32).
On April 1, representatives from public safety agencies, state and local legislators and staff, and AT&T leaders came together for a lively showcase of FirstNet, which keeps first responders and communities connected during emergencies like fires, floods and earthquakes and planned events like concerts and sporting events.
Held near the California State Capitol, the event offered an opportunity to learn more about FirstNet’s technologies and capabilities and its growth and expansion.
“I’m so proud to work for AT&T, even more so on days like this when we get to highlight our higher purpose – connecting first responders and keeping public safety connected all year round, especially in times of emergency,” said Susan Santana, the new President of AT&T California.
FirstNet’s Growing Network in California and Across the Country
Santana, long a champion for bridging the digital divide, provided an overview of FirstNet, the only nationwide, high-speed 5G network purpose-built specifically for public safety with dedicated Band 14 spectrum to support first responders. FirstNet now supports more than 7 million public safety connections nationwide.
The FirstNet network has grown by 20,000 square miles of terrestrial wireless coverage in the past year, which improves communication for the more than 1,800 California agencies that use it, including CAL FIRE, Cal OES, LAPD, California Highway Patrol and the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office. The FirstNet network in California has also been recently expanded with new cell sites with dedicated Band 14 spectrum on them in 20 counties, including rural and tribal areas in Placer, Mono, Shasta, Sierra, and Madera counties. Band 14 provides priority access and preemption to public safety agencies during emergencies, meaning they have priority access to the network, even when it’s busy. FirstNet is the only network that gives first responders priority and preemption on a dedicated spectrum, when and where they need it.
Since 2020, the FirstNet Response Operations Group – led by a team of former first responders – has responded to more than 540 requests for support for emergency and planned events throughout California. Exclusively through the FirstNet program, public safety has access to a dedicated fleet of 180+ deployable network assets. Available 24/7 and at no cost to public safety, these assets provide additional connectivity when and where they need it.
“The U.S. Congress created the FirstNet Authority in 2012 based on a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission,” said Josh Alvarado, AT&T Area Manager of Regulatory Relations. “Congress set aside a band of spectrum (Band 14) to address public safety communications needs, and the government selected AT&T as its private sector partner in 2017. AT&T completed its FirstNet buildout in 2023 and now has the largest coverage footprint of any wireless network.”
The FirstNet network is 100% self-funded, receiving no taxpayer funding, and the enacting statute requires FirstNet to continuously evolve and grow to meet public safety’s needs. That’s why in February 2024, the FirstNet Authority – the independent federal authority that oversees the FirstNet network – announced a 10-year reinvestment initiative into the network to enhance coverage and expand 5G capabilities for first responders.
FirstNet at Work in the Field
After 33 years in law enforcement, former state Assembly member and Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper understands the importance of being able to communicate with his department staff and with other agencies during emergencies. Cooper said that FirstNet is especially useful in areas with challenging terrain.
“From the ground up, there is nothing else like FirstNet,” he told the crowd. “I have it, and my staff have it. It’s so important. It really helps first responders do their job.”
Sgt. Cruz Correa of the California Highway Patrol said his agency needs these kinds of capabilities. As liaison with the agency’s Emergency Operations and Safety Services Section, Correa is charged with collaborating with law enforcement, fire and other agencies on the ground during emergencies.
Correa is now working with AT&T on a demo of a new FirstNet Ready smartphone, a mobile push-talk device that allows first responders to communicate with fellow officers, dispatchers, and other agencies responding to emergencies in the field when access to cell service is prohibitive.
“I can use this as a radio,” Correa said of the handheld device. “It doesn’t matter where I go.”
Kim Zagaris, retired Fire Chief and Wildfire Policy and Technology Advisor for the Western Fire Chiefs Association, noted how far FirstNet has come since 2017 and its first deployment in California during the devasting Camp Fire in Butte County in 2018.
“We started at zero subscribers in 2017, and now we have more than 7 million,” he said, adding, “tens of thousands of public safety agencies, including CAL FIRE and Cal OES, rely on FirstNet technologies and tools.”
“But also hitting the ground every day beside us is local government—fire, law enforcement, EMS, public works and emergency management,” he said. “Each and every day, they are the boots on the ground for the state of California and our tribal partners. We do it together. We do it all the time.”
Zagaris said he is excited about the next wave of FirstNet technology, which will use satellite technology to deliver cell broadband service directly to mobile phones. The low-orbit satellites under development will be exceptionally helpful during wildfires and other emergencies in areas where cell towers cannot be built, for parachute crews and others who need connectivity immediately in difficult-to-reach places. AT&T customers, including FirstNet subscribers, already have access to certain satellite connectivity capabilities. We’re making even further advancements with AST SpaceMobile and have already successfully tested mission-critical capabilities such as push-to-talk services.
Noting that personal connections are just as important as technological ones, Santana acknowledged the people for whom FirstNet was created.
“We are deeply grateful for the courage and dedication of our first responders,” she said, “and we are committed to partnering with you to provide the advanced technology needed to keep our communities safe.”
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