During wildfires, hurricanes, and even terrorist attacks, first responders rely not just on their courage, but on their ability to communicate. Regardless of the circumstances, reliable communication networks play a crucial role in helping save lives. That’s the idea behind FirstNet, a government program that currently contracts with AT&T to manage a national broadband network specifically dedicated to first responders.
FirstNet is set to expire at the end of the year, unless Congress reauthorizes its authority. Lawmakers need to act soon to continue to ensure that whenever disaster strikes, our lines of communication remain intact.
That said, Congress shouldn’t rubber-stamp the reauthorization. It should come with updates. FirstNet should stay lean, accountable, and grounded in the very principles that made it work in the first place.
FirstNet was born out of the tragedy of the September 11th attacks, where responders across states and agencies struggled to communicate with one another. The nation’s patchwork of radio systems and overloaded mobile networks impeded coordination. In response, Congress created the First Responder Network Authority in 2012 and directed it to establish a single, interoperable system for public safety.
Unlike many federal programs, FirstNet wasn’t designed as a government-run utility. Instead, it was structured as a public-private partnership. The federal government provided both the spectrum and initial seed funding, while the private sector built out and operated the network. AT&T tackled the task, allowing the government to provide a public good in public safety with the efficiency of the private sector. The results: First responders had a network they could rely on, and taxpayers were not forced with the burden of supporting a government-owned network.
The program has grown and shown promise, with expanded coverage to all 50 states and areas, including rural and remote areas. The system now also includes thousands of deployable assets ranging from mobile cell towers to drone-based units and satellite uplinks, all designed to ensure connectivity whenever a disaster may knock out traditional networks.
The need for FirstNet is only growing. Natural disasters are a constant threat, and agencies are increasingly looking to meet the challenge by leveraging technology such as body cameras and geolocation data on state assets or emerging technology like artificial intelligence. These all require reliable connections. FirstNet’s dedicated spectrum ensures these technologies remain uninterrupted when ordinary networks face congestion.
Allowing the program to lapse will inject uncertainty into the contracts and investments that help drive the otherwise viable system. Infrastructure networks are dependent on long-term planning. Whenever a company is committing capital to upgrade or expand FirstNet, they’d need confidence in knowing that the rules and laws empowering them are going to remain in place.
However, reauthorization should not mean complacency. Congress has a chance to renew the program while simultaneously reasserting what has been so successful: a limited mission with both accountability and flexibility to adapt as technology continues to evolve.
Mission creep is the enemy of efficiency. Congress should guard against FirstNet becoming a backdoor expansion of yet another federal broadband policy by reaffirming that FirstNet’s mission is to serve first responders. The more the program strays from its core function, the more it risks becoming just another slow-moving bureaucracy. It’s time to build — we can’t afford more slowdowns.
Second, performance metrics should remain transparent and enforceable. Private operators need to continue to meet their benchmarks around coverage, reliability, and interoperability, and should face consequences for failure. Accountability allows for faith in the system to continue to build.
Third, cost discipline must continue to be a core guiding principle. The program was designed to be self-sustaining, funded by user fees and reinvested revenues rather than being supported through continual taxpayer subsidies. That should remain the standard looking forward.
Lastly, Congress should continue to encourage the program’s dedication to technological flexibility. As new communications tools emerge, such as the continued promise in low-earth orbit satellites and next-generation deployables, FirstNet should be able to integrate them rather than be locked into a single vendor or platform in perpetuity. Competition and innovation are the surest ways of ensuring that costs remain low and that performance continues to strive for greatness.
For years, FirstNet has ensured that first responders can coordinate rapid response to disasters. By reauthorizing this program and reaffirming its core mission, Congress can ensure we stay connected when it’s most crucial and show it is committed to solving problems without growing government in the process.
James Czerniawski is the Head of Emerging Technology Policy at the Consumer Choice Center. His work has been featured in Newsweek, Newsmax, The New York Post, and more. Follow him on Twitter @JamesCz19.