Working alongside AT&T, AST SpaceMobile has been granted permission by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to begin testing direct-to-cellular connectivity on public safety’s Band 14 spectrum, via their BlueBird satellites orbiting Earth. This sets the stage for select public safety agencies on FirstNet to trial satellite communications later this year.
Related: T-Priority: The Next Level of 5G in Public Safety
According to AT&T, designing satellite connectivity via FirstNet will provide first responders with unique capabilities that set the terrestrial FirstNet network apart from commercial networks.
“Last year, we successfully tested mission-critical capabilities such as push-to-talk services, and this authorization will help build on the FirstNet network’s already extensive multi-layered coverage,” the company stated.
Notably, FirstNet is the only network in the country with a dedicated fleet of more than 180 satellite-based deployable network assets.
Thus, FirstNet users with capable devices currently have access to satellite features such as peer-to-peer messaging and emergency satellite services.
AT&T has also launched 1,000 new cell sites with public safety’s Band 14 spectrum to further expand connectivity on FirstNet. These new sites further support first responders’ missions across 46 states and the District of Columbia, with more than two-thirds focusing on rural and tribal areas.
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