T-Mobile has bolstered its service offering for first responders in the US with a number of new partnerships last week, as the carrier also signed an agreement with the City of New York to support a range of mission-critical operations across the city.
T-Mobile boasted success around the expansion of its first responder network, T-Priority, which it notes will offer New York City's emergency services greater usage of 5G services.
Its deal with the City of New York is a significant boost for the carrier, and a blow to its rivals AT&T and Verizon who both have their own public first responder units, FirstNet and Verizon Frontline respectively.
New York's public safety network is served by about 40,000 first responders.
Unlike its rivals, T-Mobile claims that its T-Priority service has 40 percent more 5G capacity than other providers.
One of its key features is around network slicing, which the company used during the recent Los Angeles fires last month. T-Mobile confirmed to DCD last month that it was the first time T-Priority's first responders have used network slicing.
In that instance, a 5G slice was enabled directly onto the Los Angeles Fire Department's (LAFD) existing 5G-enabled devices.
Network slicing allows operators to create separate and isolated networks for different use cases, while the slice can be tailored for specific use cases. They require a 5G Standalone (5G SA) network, which T-Mobile's T-Priority uses.
“First responders are the backbone of public safety, and they deserve the most advanced 5G technology to support them when lives are on the line," said Callie Field, president, T-Mobile Business Group.
"With T-Priority, T-Mobile is providing public safety agencies and first responders with the innovative solutions they need to stay prepared, respond faster, and protect the communities they serve, empowering them to lead in times of crisis and shape the future of emergency response.”
To further boost its T-Priority offering, the company confirmed it's onboarding new partners to expand the technology at its disposal.
T-Mobile said it has partnered with Samsung, Getac, Skydio, and equipment company Rescue 42 for the provisioning of services including drones, AI-enabled devices, and ruggedized devices such as laptops.
