FirstNet Works and Congress Should Leave It Alone

This op-ed was originally published in The Well News.

As Congress considers the reauthorization of FirstNet (a wireless network exclusively for first responders), public safety associations are lining up in support while competitors for the contract are trying to undermine the system to get a piece of the action.

But, as the adage goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That is especially true for a rare government program that is self-sufficient and doesn’t use taxpayer dollars.

The law that created FirstNet was signed in 2012, with AT&T as the only bidder for the project. The network with more than 7.5 million users (from more than 30,000 agencies) that covers nearly 3 million square miles must be reauthorized by Congress by February 2027 to continue operating. The network (known formally as the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network) was created in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, during which emergency communications faltered and hindered the public safety response.

The system is working.

Recently, FirstNet played a critical role during the July flash floods in Texas. The FirstNet Response Operations Group responded to more than a dozen requests from public safety agencies to deploy portable cell sites to aid in response and recovery efforts, AT&T reported.

Independent journalist Breanna Morello, formerly of Fox News, wrote on social media that T-Mobile sent out a mass email to congressional staffers criticizing the effectiveness of FirstNet during the flood response, using a stock photo of Ukrainian firefighters in the email.

Even though the sunset date is two years away, wireless carriers and public safety agencies are already debating FirstNet’s merits and some are trying to squeeze their way into the contract even though they declined to bid for the initial contract. For example, T-Mobile is trying to get a piece of that pie, calling FirstNet an “outdated framework.”

T-Mobile has received harsh blowback in letters from public safety associations. In a joint letter, the National Fraternal Order of Police and International Association of Fire Fighters rejected the idea that FirstNet is no longer sufficient to meet the needs of public safety.

“Our members who depend on FirstNet have confidence in their communication systems — and it is their lives that are at stake,” they wrote. “Our concern is that for-profit companies are seeking to enrich their shareholders by hindering or blocking our reauthorization efforts.”

The letter further stated that T-Mobile’s pitch is not a “fix,” but a “sales pitch for their product and service,” Urgent Communications reported.

In another letter, the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the International Association of Fire Chiefs didn’t mention T-Mobile specifically, but noted, “recent proposals that question FirstNet’s effectiveness and suggest alternative approaches.”

The groups wrote that, “While we welcome innovation and dialogue, we believe that any changes to the current framework must be guided by the operational realities and safety needs of first responders — not commercial interests.”

Urgent Communications said that sources within the public safety community have questioned T-Mobile’s references to a need for choice in its communications about FirstNet, pointing out that those organizations are not obligated to subscribe to FirstNet.

FirstNet proved absolutely essential during last year’s Hurricane Helene response — just ask Duck, North Carolina’s police chief, who says the system was a game-changer.

“With reliable connectivity on FirstNet, we were able to communicate with our team and other agencies while in remote areas,” he said. “From search and rescue to welfare checks and even connecting an isolated resident to her husband, FirstNet helped us better serve the local community.”

Last month, AST SpaceMobile filed a request with the Federal Communications Commission to use satellite services to enhance FirstNet services via Band 14 spectrum, working with AT&T to provide coverage in hard-to-reach areas in both the U.S. and abroad, Light Reading reported.

Congress initially allocated $7 billion to fund the network, with the money coming from FCC spectrum auctions. AT&T agreed to invest $40 billion over the 25-year contract to build, operate and maintain the network, making annual payments to the FirstNet Authority for usage of licensed spectrum in Band 14. Plans for individual first responders on the network start at a little over $40 per month.

FirstNet is clearly not broken, so it doesn’t need fixing.

Congress should recognize the success of the program and reauthorize the network that is self-sufficient and doesn’t require additional taxpayer funding.

This isn’t about stifling competition — it’s about sticking with what works when lives are on the line.