In January 2026, winter storms Fern and Gianna swept across the southern and eastern United States, leaving millions without electricity in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Regions such as the Carolinas faced historic snowfall.
The FirstNet Response Operations Group successfully answered more than 20 requests for support from public safety agencies. To ensure this capability is not lost, Congress must promptly reauthorize HR 7386, the First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act of 2026.
During the winter storms, careful planning made it possible to deploy a portable satellite cell to Counce, Tennessee, a mobile tower to Cleveland, Mississippi, and to preposition generators in Louisville, Kentucky, and Nashville, Tennessee. FirstNet did not fail because it was built precisely for these moments.
PREVENTION IS THE MOST AFFORDABLE DISASTER POLICY
FirstNet was born from the tragic lessons of 9/11. When civilian networks collapsed under the weight of millions of simultaneous calls, firefighters inside the Twin Towers never received the evacuation order. The 9/11 Commission determined that a dedicated network was needed, with absolute priority and resilience to congestion for emergency services.
Created by Congress in 2012, the FirstNet Authority, a federal public body, ran a competitive tender and awarded a 25-year contract to AT&T in 2017. That contract runs until 2042, and follows a self-sustaining model. The initial funding came from spectrum auction revenues, and AT&T pays FirstNet around $18 billion over the life of the contract. This amount finances operations and is reinvested in improving the network without the need for annual congressional appropriations.
Now, Congress faces an important decision. The FirstNet Authority, the public body overseeing the partnership, expires in February 2027. HR 7386, introduced by Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL), extends authorization until 2037, requiring annual reports to Congress on cybersecurity, network adoption rates, and contractor performance, and placing the authority under direct NTIA oversight.
The bill has already passed the House unanimously. All 50 states support reauthorization. However, some of AT&T’s competitors, such as Verizon and T-Mobile, want to use this process to reopen the contract and work within the existing structure. They invoke the free market.
Competition is one of the great drivers of innovation and efficiency, but competition itself is a means to an end — in this case, better service at lower costs, without compromising the public mission. In the case of FirstNet, the current contract is meeting its objectives: more than 30,600 agencies and 7.8 million active connections, 1,000 new towers installed nine months ahead of schedule, and a fleet of more than 190 rapid-response assets available 24/7.
The FirstNet Authority awarded the contract through a transparent public tender and, considering the results, reopening it would undermine a legitimate agreement at the request of those who lost the original bid.
The Government Accountability Office warned that significant changes would be complex, costly, and would cause problems for first responders: 81% of responders fear losing priority access if the authority expires. 93% of those who know the system well approve of AT&T’s performance.
What makes FirstNet such a functional and irreplaceable system is not only its technological capacity but also the institutional knowledge built over more than a decade. The Response Operations Group is composed of former first responders who understand past failures and anticipate problems, while maintaining direct, trusted relationships with local, state, and federal authorities. This human capital, these relationships, and this practical experience do not belong to the network itself and would be lost.
A new operator would almost certainly not retain the same team. Even if it tried to recruit some members, the collective knowledge, culture, and trust built over 10 years would largely disappear. This kind of competitive advantage cannot be quickly rebuilt.
THE PLANET IS STILL DOING GREAT. IT’S THE CLIMATE CULT THAT’S BROKEN
When the next disaster strikes, and it will, first responders will not have time to wait for a new model to find its footing. They need a network that already knows exactly what to do.
Congress must pass HR 7386 without delay. If it works, don’t touch it.
Cláudia Nunes is a writer at Young Voices, specializing in public policy analysis and economic freedom.