For Public Safety, by Public Safety
FirstNet helps law enforcement, fire service, and EMS do their jobs safely and effectively.
Due to communications challenges during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Congress established the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) in 2012. Unique in American telecommunications history, FirstNet continuously consults with local, state/territory, tribal and federal public safety agencies across the country. Over the past several years, FirstNet has created a nationwide broadband network tailored specifically to meet the needs of public safety stakeholders, as they save lives and protect our communities.
Why FirstNet?
FirstNet works hand-in-hand with the public safety community to reliably provide the capacity, coverage, service, and other public-safety-grade innovations that first responders need in the 21st century.
Bongo FirstNet Solutions
Reserved Capacity
Unplanned emergencies aren’t the only times when first responders need the capacity to communicate and share data. Planned events – like concerts, festivals, and sporting events – draw large crowds to a single location, making it especially difficult for public safety to get the robust network capacity they need. FirstNet provides plenty of bandwidth to coordinate public safety resources and respond to any incidents.
FIRST PRIORITY
FirstNet is a wireless broadband fast lane dedicated solely and exclusively to public safety – never competing with commercial traffic. FirstNet features First Priority®, which provides prioritized and efficient communications, as well as preemptive access to network resources. During times of congestion, our nation’s law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, and other responders can depend on uninterrupted high-speed service.
INCREASED RELIABILITY
FirstNet addresses areas where coverage is often spotty and difficult, such as rural areas or inside buildings. High-power towers can cover rural space with less total infrastructure, as can deployable and satellite solutions. Communications work reliably across departments, jurisdictions, and state lines. The First Responder Network Authority oversees the testing and validation of the network and devices
to ensure the most efficient response to emergencies under the most difficult of circumstances.
LEADING INNOVATION
With the potential for millions of users on a single LTE network, the nationwide scale brought by FirstNet aims to stimulate an innovative communications technology ecosystem. That’s why the FirstNet network is designed to deliver interoperable applications, devices, and services, enabling everything from smartphones to laptops, tablets, dongles, and specialty devices to work when public safety needs them most.
Nationwide Coverage
FirstNet has the nation’s largest coverage footprint, reaching more than 2.81 million square miles across the country. That’s over 50,000 square miles more than the largest commercial networks – giving first responders access to an entire ecosystem of innovative solutions.
FirstNet covers more than 99% of the U.S. population today, using Band 14 and all AT&T LTE bands. Since launching, FirstNet has upgraded tens of thousands of existing AT&T cell sites with public safety’s Band 14 spectrum.
COMMITTED TO TRANSFORMING PUBLIC SAFETY OPERATIONS
FirstNet enables public safety customers to get the priority, coverage, and interoperability they need without sacrificing choice in the devices they require to get the job done. The FirstNet network is complemented by a suite of public-safety driven solutions that provide additional value to emergency line customers and first responders.
UNIQUELY BUILT FOR AMERICA’S FIRST RESPONDERS
FirstNet is the only nationwide, high-speed internet communications platform built just for America’s first responders bringing reliable priority access in order to provide quick response and the best care possible.
Bongo has seen customers run into network issues during an emergency as well. Many emergency lines are connected to the internet network. A natural disaster such as a tornado, hurricane, or other local on-site complication can knock your network out as well as your life safety emergency lines. Not with FirstNet, which stays up and running during all emergency situations.