FirstNet uptake exceeds 600,000 device connections

AT&T has announced that the FirstNet communications platform has surpassed the half-a-million mark, with 600,000-plus device connections now being used by more than 7250 public safety agencies.

The network consistently performs more than 25% faster than any commercial network, according to an AT&T analysis of Ookla Speedtest Intelligence data average download speeds for Q1 2019.

In a statement, the company said that a majority of agencies and nearly 50% of FirstNet’s total connections are new subscribers (not AT&T migrations), and that mix continues to shift. Since January 2019, most of the FirstNet connections added are new subscribers to AT&T.

To cater for a variety of public safety users — professional or volunteer, urban, rural or tribal — AT&T launched an online sign-up portal to assist qualified first responders gain access to FirstNet service.

The company added that Band 14 spectrum has now been deployed in more than 600 markets across the US.

“Our team remains focused on delivering the modern capabilities, coverage and capacity needed to strengthen first responders’ communications nationwide. These results serve as another proof point to show the work is paying off for public safety,” said Chris Sambar, Senior Vice President of FirstNet, AT&T.

“We’ve entered the second year of our FirstNet Band 14 rollout with incredible momentum, already tracking well ahead of schedule, covering more than 50% of our total nationwide coverage targets. And we don’t intend to slow down as we keep delivering for those we rely on most.”

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