FirstNet launches, giving police and firefighters a dedicated wireless network and infinite possibilities

The idea for FirstNet was long in gestation, beginning with the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, but has rapidly come to fruition in the year since AT&T won a contract to build it for the federal government. The idea was a dedicated wireless network exclusively for first responders, enabling them to communicate in emergencies on a secure system built to handle massive amounts of data. The government agency was created after 9/11 to devise the interoperability of first responders, and then to enable video, data and text capabilities in addition to voice. In March 2017, FirstNet accepted AT&T’s $40 billion bid to build out the network. The governments of all 50 states and the District of Columbia opted in, and in March of 2018, the core network went live. Almost 650 agencies in 48 states have signed up, including Boston police and fire and the Texas Department of Public Safety.