First Responders Overwhelmingly Support Reauthorization of FirstNet

Las Vegas, NV (November 10, 2025) – 93% of America’s first responders — police, fire, and EMS — want Congress to reauthorize the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority). It is the agency that oversees FirstNet, America’s dedicated public safety broadband network. FirstNet’s infrastructure, which includes Band 14 (the radio spectrum reserved by Congress for first responders), is operated under a competitively bid contract won by AT&T.

This near-unanimous endorsement of FirstNet is based on a new bipartisan national survey commissioned by the Public Safety Broadband Technology Association (PSBTA), which advocates on behalf of police, fire, and EMS communications users. The survey of 500 first responders nationwide was conducted October 2–12, 2025, by Fabrizio Ward and Impact Research on behalf of the PSBTA. The survey’s margin of error is ±4.4%. The full survey can be viewed here.

The reason the PSBTA commissioned the survey is because the FirstNet Authority will cease to exist in December 2027 —- aka it will be “sunsetted” — unless Congress reauthorizes it. The FirstNet Authority was created by Congress in response to the 9/11 Commission Report. 

It documented the issues that contributed to the severity of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. One of the most serious problems the Commission found was inadequate first responder communications, which added to the 9/11’s horrific casualty rate.

“There is broad support (93%) among America’s first responders for Congress reauthorizing the FirstNet Authority,” said the Impact Research survey memorandum. “There is similarly high support (86%) among first responders for getting rid of the sunset provision of the law authorizing FirstNet.”

Despite being created by Congress, FirstNet is self-funded and requires no taxpayer dollars. More than 30,000 public safety agencies across America rely on FirstNet to keep their officers reliably connected and the general public safe.

Three Key Findings

There are three key findings from the Impact Research (IR) survey, which interviewed both users and non-users of FirstNet.

The most striking result: “Among the nearly two-thirds (62%) of first responders who use FirstNet, the satisfaction rate is 99%,” according to the IR survey memo. “FirstNet’s strong standing extends to its operating partner: 85% are aware AT&T operates the network, and among those, 94% approve of the job AT&T has done.”

A second noteworthy finding: Of those public safety people surveyed, 91% want all network partners to be U.S.-based and U.S.-owned — including those networks used by first responders to keep the public safe. “Most first responders (77%) are aware that some telecom operators and equipment manufacturers that operate in the United States are foreign-owned,” said the IR survey memo. “There is concern (84%) over foreign-owned carriers and manufacturers selling for-profit communication services to American first responders, with concern rising to 95% among leadership.”

For the record, AT&T is an American multinational telecommunications company. Its corporate headquarters are in Dallas, Texas.

The third noteworthy finding: Not only do 93% of the IR survey’s public safety respondents want the FirstNet Authority to be reauthorized, but 86% support permanent authorization by ending the sunset provision. 

Big Fears if FirstNet is Not Reauthorized

If Congress fails to act, the first responders surveyed fear dire consequences. Their biggest fears are linked to a return to the impediments of 9/11, when inadequate public safety communications resulted in needless deaths. 

If FirstNet ceases to exist, this will happen because no substitute is available. So-called “public safety services” offered by non-FirstNet carriers lack access to Band 14 and do not provide first responders with the 24/7 priority coverage that FirstNet delivers for public safety’s data, video, and voice traffic

“Top concerns are losing priority access to communication networks (81% concerned) and having difficulty communicating during emergency events (80% concerned),” the IR survey memo said. “Police officers were especially concerned about difficulty communicating (85%).”

That’s not all. “First responders are concerned this would put public safety at risk (78% concerned) by having to rely on the same commercial carriers the public uses (76% concerned),” said the IR survey memo. “79% concerned overall that locations with poor commercial coverage would suffer from degraded communication access; this rises to 88% in rural areas.” 

As well, “First responders are concerned (79% concerned) that without FirstNet’s advanced security, communications would be more vulnerable to hacks and foreign disruption of the emergency response network,” the IR survey memo said. “First responders are [also] concerned about the costs of having to develop a replacement solution over a short timeframe (78% concerned overall). This concern is higher among leadership (90% concerned).”

The bottom line: “This research makes clear what first responders already know — FirstNet works,” said Richard Carrizzo, PSBTA President. “Congress must act to keep it running for those who protect us and save lives every day.