PRESS RELEASE
SAN FRANCISCO — First responders deserve the most advanced connectivity solutions in the world, and T-Mobile is stepping up to answer the call. Today, during T-Mobile’s Capital Markets Day, CEO Mike Sievert unveiled T-Priority, a new solution built with first responders to deliver the unprecedented support they deserve every day and — especially — during massive emergencies. T-Priority includes:
- The world’s first network slice for first responders. Built on T-Mobile’s 5G Standalone Core, the network slice ensures first responders get lower latency and faster 5G speeds more consistently and it also gives them the highest priority across every single 5G band, even in times of extreme congestion.
- Best-in-class partners. T-Priority comes with a complete and growing support system tailored to first responders’ critical needs, with the latest technological solutions from top industry partners like Motorola Solutions, Ericsson, and 3rd-Eye Technologies, Inc., who bring a proven heritage of supporting first responder missions.
- An emergency response team dedicated to first responders and public safety. T-Mobile’s emergency team is ready 24/7 to support disasters, public safety incidents, large events and more to boost capacity and restore coverage where needed, including mobilizing a fleet of emergency vehicles and rapidly deployable technologies to support first responders, communities and customers.
Because T-Priority was designed for the most scaled and challenging requirements, T-Mobile announced today that the City of New York will be the anchor customer for T-Priority. The City of New York is leveraging their partnership with T-Mobile’s leading network for their employees, as the city continues to innovate and implement cutting-edge technologies.
“First responders put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities, and they deserve nothing less than the most advanced connectivity solutions to do their critical work,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “With T-Priority, we’re more committed than ever to serving those who serve us all by delivering a dedicated 5G solution to agencies of all sizes across the country. At T-Mobile, our job is to make sure first responders can count on a consistent 5G experience that will evolve to meet the changing needs of the first responder mission, backed by a dedicated, award-winning support system, to be ready when it matters most.”
“Our north star for the City of New York is to make it safer and more affordable for all New Yorkers, including our dedicated public servants,” said New York City Chief Technology Officer Matthew Fraser. “Providing our agencies and all city employees with the latest technologies is crucial to achieving this mission, and with T-Priority we will continue to do so.”
Connectivity Challenges Facing First Responders
First responders are becoming more reliant than ever on cellular communications and data-intensive tools like drones and AR/VR as they adopt new tools to serve their communities. But during emergency situations, network congestion can put these critical communications at risk. Cellular traffic can spike significantly, while data-intensive tools can demand stronger network performance — like the low latency and higher speeds of 5G.
Today’s solutions simply can’t keep pace with the evolving mission demands of the modern first responders. Here’s why: Imagine a congested network like rush hour traffic. Priority access and preemption are tools that give you a faster on-ramp, but you still have to crawl in slow traffic once you’re on the highway. A dedicated network can carve out an emergency lane, but even that can get slow when it’s crowded with first responders (especially if it’s 4G). That changes today.
T-Priority: A Solution Built for Tomorrow’s Emergencies. Ready Today.
T-Priority is a first-of-its-kind solution to keep first responders connected in the 5G era of public safety. The world’s first network slice for first responders helps ensure best-in-class connectivity, not just day-to-day, but also in times of extreme congestion, and supports a wide range of data-intensive applications that make up an increasing share of traffic in the day-to-day lives of first responders.
Here’s how it works: think of the slice like a traffic cop. It’s always directing network traffic to ensure first responders have the best possible experience. It makes sure they get lower latency and faster 5G speeds more consistently for data-intensive communications tools by giving them up to 5 times the network resources of the average user.
The slice really shines in rare times of extreme congestion. Imagine if an emergency caused a massive spike in cellular traffic during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The network is already packed with people on Bourbon Street live streaming the parade. A surge on top of that could result in extreme congestion. As first responders stream into the area to help, the slice ensures their traffic is prioritized above everyone else. As the event escalates and more and more first responders show up, the network effectively becomes a first responder network, and the network will work to maintain a minimum service level to all of them. And, given the huge capacity of T-Mobile’s 5G network, that large group of first responders is supported.
Other day-to-day T-Priority features include:
- Priority access and preemption for voice and data on the nation’s leading 5G network.
- 2.5x faster speeds on average than other providers for data-intensive communications.
- 40% more 5G capacity than other providers to help more first responders stay connected.
- More 5G coverage than AT&T and Verizon, with T-Mobile covering 98% of Americans. And T-Mobile recently made significant investment to expand coverage in rural America to tackle coverage gaps.
- Enhanced security with access to a security slice from T-Mobile SASE that helps defend against cyberthreats.
Best-in-Class Support for First Responder Agencies
T-Priority’s new first responder rate plans launch later this year and are available for state, local and federal agencies. They’re also available to businesses, like utility and transportation organizations, that provide critical support during emergencies.
With T-Priority, America’s largest, fastest and most advanced 5G network is truly dedicated to helping first responders.
T-Priority is a natural evolution of T-Mobile’s innovations with first responders. Back in 2020, T-Mobile launched Connecting Heroes, a program that supports small state and local agencies and first responder volunteer groups with free, unlimited 5G service. Connecting Heroes will continue to provide free access to the nation’s leading 5G, so agencies of all sizes serving communities across the nation, have an option that helps them serve their communities, keep them safe and meet the need of their mission every day.
For more information, visit https://t-mobile.com/business/t-priority.
