AT&T to Complete 70% of FirstNet Service by 2019

AT&T expects to reach 70 percent of the development of a U.S. wireless public safety network service, GCN reported Friday.

Randall Stephenson, CEO and chairman at AT&T, said the company has completed 60 percent of coverage for the FirstNet service, which is ahead of its planned five-year schedule.

Stephenson added the firm plans to integrate hardware components that will allow 5G network capabilities through a software update.

“As a result, we're on track for nationwide 5G coverage by the first half of 2020,” said Stephenson.

AT&T received a $6.5B contract from the First Responder Network Authority in 2017 to develop, launch and maintain FirstNet over the next 25 years.