State of Tennessee Increases 9-1-1 Resiliency with FirstNet as Wireless Backup for AT&T ESInet(tm)
What's the news? FirstNet(TM Reg), Built with AT&T covers more first responders than any network in the country. And as America's public safety wireless communications provider, AT&T* is furthering their critical communications by expanding 5G on FirstNet, boosting dedicated in-building connectivity and enhancing 9-1-1 resiliency across Tennessee with FirstNet as a wireless backup.
This is (obviously) a fluff PR piece put out by AT&T.
That's not the point, though: those whom are tempted to think that this bandaid on the side of the cellular system will make it reliable are living in a fools' paradise.
As I've pointed out before, the cellular network in Boston was out for about three hours after the bombing at the Boston Marathon. There wasn't anything wrong with it, other than the fact that it was unable to carry the massive call volume which followed the terrorist attack.
No amount of PR can make the cellular network reliable enough to serve as an emergency communications channel for public-safety agencies. Short of requiring the cellular carriers to set aside channels and switching capacity for the exclusive use of first responders, the capability does not exist.
Bill Horne