Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN) Explained

In the wake of 9/11, when communication failures among first responders cost lives, Congress created the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN), a dedicated nationwide broadband system for public safety. Managed by the FirstNet Authority and known as FirstNet, the NPSBN ensures that police, fire, EMS, and other public safety agencies have access to nationwide broadband service at all times.

What is the NPSBN?

The concept behind the NPSBN is to provide first responders with reliable voice, data, and video connectivity over 4G/LTE and 5G networks. It is the first broadband network in U.S. history built specifically for mission-critical public safety use. This coverage encompasses all 50 states, including the most rural and remote areas. (FirstNet has over 250,000 more square miles of coverage than any other network.) The wireless connections are made by NPSBN-enabled smartphones and tablets.

“The Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network is managed by the FirstNet Authority, which is a board within the Department of Commerce and NTIA composed of public safety practitioners and experts in commercial wireless networks,” said Chief Jeffrey Johnson, Chief Emeritus with the Western Fire Chiefs Association and their Wireless Policy-Partnerships Advisor. “That board sets policy for operations, network buildouts, and the reinvestment schedule for FirstNet, whose wireless infrastructure is provided by AT&T under a competitively-bid contract.”

Dedicated Spectrum for Public Safety

Unlike any other wireless service offered in the United States, FirstNet provides exclusive access to Band 14 for first responders. This is a swath  of the radio spectrum that has been reserved for public safety users. In routine conditions, AT&T may allow commercial users onto Band 14. But when a FirstNet eligible responder uses the network, they have unrestricted access to to the network without doing anything other than using their device. There are no codes to punch in: Simply use your device. 

“You can understand how Band 14 works by thinking of it as a VIP lane on the highway,” said Chief Johnson. “When first responders use the network, this lane is cleared of all non-emergency traffic. This ensures that emergency communications can get through without delays or problems.”

Priority and Preemption During Emergencies

To support this VIP-lane model, Band 14 is designed with two capabilities: priority and preemption. “By priority, we mean that first responder traffic comes first,” Chief Johnson said. “By preemption, we mean that whenever public safety uses their device, any competing non-first responder traffic is removed from Band 14 as required.”

FirstNet as the NPSBN in the US

FirstNet is the operational name for the NPSBN in the U.S. It combines dedicated public-safety governance through the FirstNet Authority with nationwide network infrastructure built by AT&T. 

A key advantage is FirstNet/AT&T’s exclusive access to dedicated Band 14. Because they lack access to Band 14, no other commercial cellular carrier can make this claim.

How NPSBN Differs from Commercial Networks

The biggest differentiator between FirstNet via AT&T and all other non-NPSBN services offered by other carriers is Band 14. Without it, non-NPSBN carriers have to mix public safety traffic in with their commercial users on the same evolved packet core. 

“This means that police, fire, and EMS using a non-NPSBN service are subject to a commercial grade network without FirstNet oversight that ensures that public safety is protected,” said Chief Johnson. “Without the FirstNet Authority and the contract they enforce, all you have is a well-marketed commercial service that portrays itself as being there for public safety but without the contractual guarantees and related penalties.” 

“It’s simple: FirstNet has a VIP lane for first responders patrolled by FirstNet Authority who act as traffic cops,” Chief Johnson said. “Other carriers don’t.”

To illustrate this situation, non-NPSBN carriers have been known to reduce access to first responders — a practice known as “throttling” — whenever their networks get overloaded by traffic. Because commercial carriers manage traffic for profit, throttling is permitted under standard customer agreements — even when it affects public safety.

This occurred during the 2018 Mendocino Complex Fire in California, when Verizon throttled the service of firefighters. “This throttling has had a significant impact on our ability to provide emergency services,” Santa Clara County Central Fire Protection District’s Fire Chief Anthony Bowden wrote after the event [as reported by NBC News]. “Verizon imposed these limitations despite being informed that throttling was actively impeding County Fire’s ability to provide crisis-response and essential emergency services.”

“Because it is being run for public safety rather than for profit, FirstNet doesn’t throttle traffic,” said Chief Johnson said. “Ever.”

Why FirstNet Reauthorization is Critical for Public Safety

FirstNet’s Congressional authorization runs out in 2027. First responders like Chief Johnson want Congress to start reauthorizing FirstNet now— and for good this time — so that the service does not lapse and leave public safety agencies stranded

“There’s about 8 million connections on FirstNet,” said Chief Johnson. “All of these police, fire, and EMS users have left other cellular and radio commercial levels of service to join FirstNet, which offers a higher public safety grade level of service. If FirstNet is not reauthorized, its governance, and contractual authority could disappear, forcing agencies back onto commercial networks. Do you want your family’s safety riding on that kind of service? I sure don’t, which is why I and over 30,000 agencies and its users want FirstNet to be reauthorized.”

FAQ

What is the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN)?

The NPSBN is a national wireless broadband service dedicated to serving police, fire, and EMS communications. It was created after 9/11 to prevent communication failures during large-scale emergencies.

How is the NPSBN different from regular cellular networks?

The NPSBN offers priority and preemption service to first responders through Band 14, via FirstNet and AT&T. Regular cellular networks are unable to do this, no matter what they may claim. 

Who operates the NPSBN and what is its connection to FirstNet?

The NPSBN is operated by the FirstNet Authority, which oversees the FirstNet network’s policies, coverage priorities, and reinvestment strategy