The service, currently in trial, will enable FirstNet network to provide coverage for “any potential emergencies”, says Scott Agnew
FirstNet tests satellite connectivity: Working alongside AST SpaceMobile, AT&T’s FirstNet is testing a direct-to-cellular satellite service for its emergency network
A multi-layered approach: The satellite service which will launch for select commercial and public safety users in the first half of this year, will help plug coverage gaps in public safety communication.
Coverage beyond terrestrial builds: FirstNet president, Scott Agnew told RCR that the multi-layered network will go beyond FirstNet’s terrestrial builds to provide “coverage for any potential emergencies.”
Satellite connectivity has become a compelling alternative to land-based network service in closing the digital divide between urban communities and remote areas. In 2026, it’s poised to take the next step forward by plugging gaps in the public safety network.
In preparation to serve its users better, FirstNet, AT&T’s network for first responders, is working with AST SpaceMobile to bring satellite connectivity to its users. The service, now in beta testing, is expected to become available for early access to select users in the first half of 2026.
“We plan to offer a select number of AT&T customers and public safety [agencies] on FirstNet beta satellite service in the first half of next year, with commercial launch to follow,” AT&T announced on its website.
The direct-to-cellular service which received FCC approval early in 2025, will operate using AST’s super-large BlueBird satellite constellation. Bluebird 6, the latest in the Bluebird series, was launched from India’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre in December. The provider described the constellation as the “largest commercial communications array in low Earth orbit [LEO].”
AST is on track to launch four additional Bluebird satellites by March 2026, with plans to deploy 45 to 60 satellites by the end of this year. The rollout is expected to take place every one to two months.
The direct-to-cellular service will connect the satellites with AT&T’s terrestrial network via its ground stations or gateways. Those gateways will adjust and route the signal over to an AT&T network establishing the connection.
For FirstNet, satellite is not intended to replace ground-based networks. Instead it will offer an extra layer of coverage for “white space areas” where FirstNet service currently cannot reach.
“Emergencies do not have a zip code,” Scott Agnew, president of FirstNet, AT&T said. “And when a natural disaster like wildfire hits a rural area, we want to make sure our first responders have the same experience as they would if it was in an urban one.”
Connectivity has remained a thorny challenge for public safety agencies in remote areas. Lack of reliable, consistent coverage complicates response efforts, leaving agencies struggling to complete their mission in times of disaster. The addition of the satellite service will extend FirstNet’s coverage reach beyond its macro network that covers critical public safety areas.
“We are designing FirstNet with and for public safety by creating a multi-layered network that would provide coverage for any potential emergency, ” Agnew said, adding that it will “one day give first responders the same unique benefits and capabilities that set the terrestrial FirstNet network apart from non-public safety networks,”Agnew said.
