First Responders Back FirstNet Reauthorization as 2027 Sunset Nears

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 2025 — The Public Safety Broadband Technology Association on Monday called on Congress to extend the First Responder Network Authority, which manages the nation’s public-safety broadband network, citing near-unanimous support in a new bipartisan survey.

The poll found 93 percent of respondents back extending the FirstNet Authority. The Authority, housed within the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, will expire at the end of 2027 unless lawmakers reauthorize it.

Created after the 9/11 Commission recommended a nationwide emergency communications system, FirstNet provides priority network access for firefighters, police, and emergency medical personnel during crises and major events. It is operated by AT&T under a 25-year public-private partnership and is self-funded through user fees.