When Communications are Critical, Marketing Won’t Save You
by John Paul Jones, David Fogerson, and Rob Patterson
Every member of the public safety community who’s ever stood in the chaos of an incident knows this truth: communications are our lifeline. We can have the best training and equipment in the world, but if communications fail, everything else can unravel. Command collapses. Coordination suffers. And people get hurt.
Mission assurance is non-negotiable
While each branch of the public safety community operates under different conditions and mandates, our collective mission depends on a communications foundation which performs when everything else fails. Each discipline faces unique operational priorities, and understanding those helps strengthen the whole.
Emergency Management—Coordination and Continuity
Retired Nevada Emergency Manager and Homeland Security Chief David Fogerson brought three decades of fire service expertise to his role coordinating multi-agency emergency response across vast and challenging terrain. His efforts in negotiating cooperative wildfire protection agreements and fostering cross-jurisdictional collaboration have strengthened Nevada’s public safety communication infrastructure.
“Emergency managers face a different challenge: the orchestration of multi-agency response and recovery across jurisdictions, often during total infrastructure collapse. Their priority is resilient interoperability ensuring that fire, EMS, law enforcement, utilities, and local government remain connected when cell towers are down and chaos reigns. This community relies on redundant, deployable communications to maintain situational awareness and sustain command continuity throughout prolonged incidents. When we can’t communicate in real-time, we can’t coordinate, and when we can’t coordinate, we can’t save lives.”
Federal Agencies—Coverage and Reach
With over 30 years of dedicated service to the Drug Enforcement Administration, Robert Patterson rose to the position of Acting Administrator, guiding enforcement and intelligence operations for a global network of personnel and partners. His commitment to advancing technology and cross-agency collaboration strengthened the agency’s capacity to share critical information and coordinate national security efforts.
“Federal users require broad, secure, dependable coverage that spans the full geography of the nation, from dense urban centers to remote border zones and national forests. Whether coordinating investigative activities, disaster relief, or homeland security operations, coverage gaps aren’t mere inconveniences, they are potential mission failures. The expectation is clear: nationwide, persistent connectivity that supports continuity of government and critical communications under all conditions. The bar for public safety-grade cannot be lowered to commercial-grade with good intentions.”
Fire Service—In-Building Reliability
John Paul Jones, Fire Chief-Emeritus and Executive Director of the Public Safety Broadband Technology Association, possesses over 34 years of distinguished leadership in fire service operations and communications. His pioneering work in regional homeland security coordination and the adoption of mobile-data communications has been instrumental in advancing interdisciplinary-inclusive-interoperability. Throughout his career, he has remained a dedicated advocate for technology innovation, operational excellence, and the mission readiness of the nation’s first responders.
“For the fire service, the lifeline isn’t just about coverage – it’s penetration. Firefighters operate in the worst environments for signal propagation: concrete, steel, and smoke-filled structures that can swallow high-frequency 5G signals. That’s why low-band spectrum like Band 14 is indispensable. It penetrates walls and basements, sustaining communications when visibility is zero and seconds matter most. In-building reliability isn’t a convenience for the fire service – it’s the difference between a mayday received and a mayday missed.”
EMS—Device Ecosystem and Interoperability
For EMS, communication isn’t about chatter, it’s about data. Modern patient care depends on connected monitors, tablets, and ePCR systems transmitting telemetry to hospitals in real time. A certified, interoperable device ecosystem purpose-built and certified for interoperability ensures real-time telemetry, live video consultation, and uninterrupted access to patient data. In the field, technology that doesn’t integrate can delay care.
“The EMS mission depends on equipment that connects every link in the chain of survival, let’s make it clear, interoperability saves lives.” Chief Jones
Law Enforcement—Situational Awareness and Security
For law enforcement, the priority is secure, real-time situational awareness. Officers require instant, encrypted data exchange between dispatch, field units, and regional partners including video, mapping, and intelligence feeds. Reliability isn’t just about response efficiency; it’s about officer safety. In moments of crisis, from pursuit to active threat, law enforcement depends on a cybersecure network that can handle encrypted data, live video, and mission applications without latency or failure.
“As leaders, protecting the well-being of those who serve on the front lines of the greater public safety community is our highest responsibility. Ensuring they have secure, real-time communication is essential, not just for operational success, but for safeguarding the lives of those who dedicate themselves to protecting others.” – Rob Patterson
Unified Mission—One Network, Many Needs
While our operational priorities may differ—coverage for federal users, in-building reliability for fire, device interoperability for EMS, data security for law enforcement, and resilient coordination for emergency management—the truth is that each of these priorities strengthens the others. Reliable coverage supports interior operations. Strong penetration enables medical telemetry. Encrypted bandwidth empowers law enforcement and public safety intelligence. Deployable resilience sustains unified command. A unified device ecosystem ensures all of it works together when the stakes are highest.
Our individual needs are not just overlapping but interconnected. And when one discipline finds improvements, the entire public safety mission benefits. The goal isn’t separate solutions. It’s one resilient network serving every responder, every agency, every time.
The Standard We Owe Each Other
Public safety communications demand more than commercial marketing of a consumer-grade product. They demand proof, performance, and accountability. FirstNet exists because this community and Congress recognized that commercial networks could not meet the operational requirements of first responders. It remains the only network with federally enforced, public safety-grade priority and preemption—and that distinction is more than bureaucratic; it’s lifesaving.
“FirstNet fulfills the promise, but success attracts noise.” – Rob Patterson
In recent years, a wave of commercial carriers has rushed into the “public safety” space, each claiming to offer the same reliability, speed, and priority we expect from purpose-built systems. Among them, T-Mobile has pushed its “public safety service” as an alternative for federal and local responders, a program that sounds promising until you take a closer look.
The FirstNet Promise’s Truth versus the Commercial Network’s Fiction
The challenge with commercial networks offering services for public safety is that they lack a dedicated plan, specific accountability measures, and oversight tailored to public safety needs where accountability truly matters.
In contrast, the FirstNet Promise, established by Congressional mandate and maintained under contractual oversight for more than a decade, has delivered proven broadband innovations transforming how fire services and other public safety agencies operate. Tools such as real-time video, tele-EMS, live mapping, and data analytics have become essential for incident commanders, setting FirstNet apart as the network built exclusively for public safety mission-critical communications.
Coverage Maps Don’t Save Lives
T-Mobile advertises 98% population coverage primarily through its commercial 5G network infrastructure. On a marketing slide, that sounds impressive. But in public safety terms, “population coverage” isn’t what matters. Geographic coverage is. What is important to understand is T-Mobile’s offering to public safety relies on the 5G network, and more specifically on their 5G Wide Band capabilities. According to T-Mobile’s latest network updates, approximately 36% of their current nationwide footprint, measured by square miles, is covered by 5G wideband service. Our missions take us far from population centers, and that’s where we need reliability most—and it’s where commercial coverage maps fade to gray. Users operating in remote locations may encounter inconsistent service or coverage gaps, directly impacting mission-critical communications. Furthermore, the lack of dedicated spectrum and reliance on shared commercial spectrum means T-Mobile cannot guarantee priority access or preemption in congested or disaster scenarios outside urban core zones.
Even T-Mobile’s own disclosure admits: “Coverage is not available everywhere and may be impacted by location, environment, network congestion, and device capabilities.”
“A disclaimer might satisfy lawyers, but it doesn’t help a crew trying to transmit a mayday in the heat of battle. When we say ‘mission critical,’ there can’t be fine print. Commercial networks follow the population. FirstNet focuses on readiness and follows the danger. When the tones drop, our citizens won’t care about splitting the baby to satisfy commercial interests. They’ll care that we were connected, coordinated, and mission capable.” – Chief Jones
Band 14: The Backbone of Mission-Critical Broadband
Not all spectrum is created equal. T-Mobile’s network relies largely on mid- and high-band 5G frequencies—great for speed, weak for penetration. Band 14, the federally licensed low-band spectrum that powers FirstNet, was built specifically for public safety. Its 700 MHz signal punches through walls, concrete, and terrain where higher frequencies fade out. When a firefighter keys a mic inside a structure, or a medic transmits ECG data from an ambulance bay, that low-band propagation can mean the difference between a message received—or lost.
Speed is irrelevant if the signal doesn’t reach you. That’s why Band 14 remains the operational standard for mission-critical broadband.
Interoperability Isn’t Optional
Public safety is a team sport. Every large-scale incident demands seamless cooperation between fire, EMS, law enforcement, and emergency management. T-Mobile’s public safety program leans on consumer-grade devices and commercial applications that “may vary by region” in interoperability. In other words: your gear might not talk to the agency next door. By contrast, the FirstNet certified ecosystem is designed and stress-tested for cross-agency operability. When multiple jurisdictions roll on a major incident, your devices must connect instantly—not “after an update.”
“The FirstNet Promise, mission-critical connectivity keeps command in control. They understand the operational reality: if your handset can’t talk across agencies, you’re not interoperable—you’re isolated.” – David Fogerson
The Network-Slicing Mirage
“Network slicing” is the latest buzzword in broadband marketing. T-Mobile brands its version “T-Priority,” claiming it gives first responders higher access during congestion. But here’s the catch: it’s software-based, not federally mandated preemption. There’s no oversight, no enforceable guarantee, and no assurance of where your agency truly ranks in a crisis. T-Mobile’s own public statement reads: “Priority and preemption features are managed through network software and do not guarantee service availability in all conditions.” For public safety, that’s unacceptable. You can’t build mission assurance on marketing algorithms.
“Resilience isn’t an algorithm, it’s a discipline.” – Rob Patterson
T-Mobile Direct-to-Cell: Marketing vs. Reality
T-Mobile Direct-to-Cell is a satellite-enabled service provided through a partnership with Starlink that allows unmodified LTE and 5G phones to connect directly to satellites when terrestrial cell towers are unavailable. The service operates on a narrowband (approximately 5 MHz) channel shared across a large satellite footprint, resulting in very low data throughput, comparable to kilobit speeds per user. While the technology represents an advance by offering basic messaging and location services without specialized equipment, its current capacity and performance are limited with voice and limited data capabilities planned for future rollout.
Coverage and connectivity rely heavily on a clear line of sight to the sky, making indoor and vehicular reception a challenge at best where the ability to use the service even exists. Thus, despite T-Mobile’s marketing claims suggesting “5G from space” and expansive coverage, this service should not be viewed as a substitute for terrestrial broadband or mission-critical communications as its practical use today is largely limited to basic texting and emergency messaging in areas without cellular coverage, not real-time voice or high-speed data applications.
Security—not just an afterthought, but purpose driven
Across the disciplines listed above, there is a common desire to protect some of the most sensitive information sets. A recent publication highlighted sensitive T-Mobile customer and government communications intercepted via unencrypted satellite backhaul links, exposing a broader vulnerability in rural networks relying on satellite transmission. Researchers showed that inexpensive equipment could eavesdrop on voice calls, texts, and metadata, revealing critical security gaps likely present in other carriers using outdated systems. This underscores the urgent need for comprehensive encryption across all network segments.
T-Mobile acknowledged the problem and stated it promptly encrypted the affected satellite links after notification, emphasizing the issue was limited to certain remote network paths. While one might take comfort in their ability to promptly fix the issue, coupled with the statement that “most traffic” remained secure and network safety was prioritized, the incident reveals a concerning oversight, as such basic security flaws should have been addressed proactively rather than discovered externally, highlighting the ongoing necessity for vigilance and rigorous security standards in evolving satellite and wireless networks.
Resilience Demands More Than Automation
T-Mobile heavily promotes its commercial recovery assets, which are not a dedicated, federally governed public safety fleet.
FirstNet maintains call centers dedicated to First Responders. These professionals understand their needs and can act fast to send the resources necessary.
Public Safety Leaders should ask tough questions:
- How many dedicated deployables exist, and where are they pre-staged across the country?
- What are the activation time SLAs, especially under multi-state disaster conditions?
- Who controls deployment priorities—public safety or the carrier?
Automation and AI rerouting may optimize consumer traffic, but real situational resilience requires redundancy and public safety grade oversight. Without dedicated, public safety-specific redundancies, automated systems can introduce single points of failure.
“Dedicated deployables keep first responders connected when infrastructure fails.” – Dave Fogerson
Conclusion
While T-Mobile’s public safety offering introduces concepts of innovative prioritization technology and support to a large commercial footprint, it is presently constrained by significant limitations in coverage, operability, device compatibility, and infrastructure resilience—particularly in rural and underserved areas, all of which are critical to public safety efforts. Extreme caution is advised for users who rely on comprehensive, robust, and vetted public safety communications to carefully consider these disclaimers and operational gaps before adopting T-Mobile, or any provider, as a public safety service.
The importance of continued congressional authorization of the FirstNet Authority cannot be overstated. FirstNet is the only nationwide, public safety-grade broadband network built specifically for the unique demands of first responders. It has proven itself as a financially self-sustaining, mission-critical resource that supports millions of connections and thousands of agencies across the country. Reauthorizing FirstNet ensures uninterrupted development, maintenance, and expansion of this indispensable network, safeguarding public safety communications into the future. Congress must act promptly to preserve this vital infrastructure that directly impacts lives and public safety every day.
