FirstNet, Liberty boost 5G for public safety response
First responders in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are expected to see faster, more reliable wireless service as FirstNet and Liberty Communications expand their 5G networks throughout the region.
The companies said the upgrades will improve the ability of police officers, firefighters and medical personnel to communicate during emergencies.
FirstNet, a nationwide public safety network created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and operated by AT&T, is the only wireless system built specifically for emergency services. Its expansion in the Caribbean, the companies said, will increase network capacity and provide Spanish-language support through a new call center.
“FirstNet is dedicated to public safety in Puerto Rico,” said Scott Agnew, the president of FirstNet at AT&T. “We are continuing to invest in better coverage, better capacity and better care on the island.”
Víctor Vera, Liberty’s senior director of radio access networks, said the partnership integrates FirstNet into Liberty’s hardened infrastructure, designed to remain operational during hurricanes and power outages.
“We provide first responders with always-on priority and preemption on a resilient footprint,” he said.
The network relies on Band 14 spectrum — a frequency range reserved by the federal government for emergency communications — which gives first responders priority access when commercial networks become congested.
