Verizon is not going quietly into the night and ceding ground to AT&T for public safety communications. In fact, it plans to go head-to-head with AT&T for that business. Verizon announced it will enhance its 4G LTE network and build a separate public safety communications network for first responders in 2018.
In response to requests from public safety agencies, Verizon said its network manages and directs communications functions, like network access and call routing. The public safety core will operate separately from Verizon’s commercial core.
Verizon will provide its public safety customers with priority access to the network, including preemption, when necessary and at no charge, beginning this year. AT&T won the FirstNet contract to build and operate the nationwide broadband first responder network. The carrier has said first responders get priority or “presumptive” access now to its commercial network, and then on FirstNet when that capability is enabled by year-end.
Additionally, Verizon will make available multi-band devices that will provide access to Band 14 spectrum and enable full interoperability with any Band 14 radio access networks (RANs) deployed by FirstNet. “We’re making the investments necessary to give public safety access to the best possible network coverage, reliability and capability, when and where they need it,” said Verizon SVP Public Sector Michael Maiorana.
States would not need to opt-out of FirstNet to take part in Verizon’s public safety network, according to the carrier. Verizon is fully funding its network, meaning it does not require access to any federal funding provided to FirstNet, and does not require any financial commitment from states to support network deployment.
States are reviewing plans they received from FirstNet and AT&T in June; Thirteen have now chosen to opt-in to FirstNet, with Kansas being the latest. While it’s possible for a state to build its own RAN for first responders, it’s on the hook to fund it and make that RAN interoperable with FirstNet, according to the FCC, Congress and other federal agencies involved in the FirstNet effort.
August 17, 2017
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