First responders and public safety personnel at 15 US Air Force bases will use AT&T’s FirstNet for critical communications network, and the operator stated the military is considering FirstNet for other bases as well.

In a statement, AT&T explained the Air Force will be able to leverage FirstNet’s dedicated core network, as well as its nationwide fleet of more than 100 terrestrial and airborne cell sites deployed nationwide to support public safety.

The FirstNet network operates in LTE Band 14, which the US government set aside for public safety, as well as on AT&T’s commercial network. AT&T recently upgraded the FirstNet core to support 5G.

FirstNet offers public safety users both priority, meaning their calls and texts are transmitted ahead of others, and preemption, which means commercial traffic can be interrupted in order to make sure public safety officials can communicate. AT&T stated FirstNet provides all first responder traffic with these services, regardless of network origin.

More than 17,000 agencies and organisations are now using FirstNet, the operator stated.

Military contracts with FirstNet may coexist with agreements made with other operators, AT&T told Mobile World Live. For instance, Verizon Public Sector recently announced a contract to deliver 5G to seven Air Force Reserve Command installations.