Lawmakers hear FirstNet briefing, state public-safety radio coverage gaps exposed

Montpelier — On Jan. 30, the Vermont House Energy and Digital Infrastructure Committee heard a technical briefing on FirstNet and the state’s public-safety radio systems from Corey Chase, director of Radio Technology Services at the Vermont Department of Public Safety, and representatives from AT&T.

The presentation outlined how Vermont’s land mobile radio (LMR) network — a 40-site system the state operates and maintains for state agencies and many local first responders — works alongside commercial mobile services and FirstNet, a federally-created public-safety broadband program delivered nationwide through a public-private partnership with AT&T. Chase told the committee the state maintains more than 40 tower sites and a private microwave backbone that keeps dispatch and radio communications running independently of the public cellular networks.

Chase said the state’s LMR systems remain the primary tool for voice communications among first responders because they provide “one-to-many” push-to-talk capability and resilient coverage in many areas: “We have 40 tower sites around the state that we maintain,” he said. The division also operates interoperability channels (VCOM) used to talk across jurisdictions and the telephone service for Department of Public Safety dispatch centers.

Why it matters: Committee members pressed officials on gaps in commercial and FirstNet coverage across Vermont’s hilly, rural territory and on what leverage the state has to get more cellular buildout in critical corridors. Officials said that a statewide drive-test led by the Public Service Department shows many roads and pockets with unreliable FirstNet voice service, and that FirstNet/AT&T has already built 35 towers in Vermont as part of its opt-in commitments.

Key technical points and commitments

- LMR vs. mobile broadband: Chase and Deputy Commissioner Dave (Dan) Bates emphasized LMR (VHF and UHF radios) is the backbone for voice radio and tactical communications; cellular services (including FirstNet) are primarily used for data and as a supplemental voice/data path. Chase said LMR sites are typically on mountain summits and that VHF is commonly used by local fire and EMS while Vermont State Police use UHF for better building penetration.

- FirstNet structure and opt-in: Chase explained FirstNet is a federal authority that awarded AT&T a nationwide partnership to operate the Band 14 public-safety spectrum. States were offered the option to opt in or build their own network; Vermont opted in. Chase said, “FirstNet is a government entity… and FirstNet has a contract with AT and T to build a network that will operate the system.”

- Priority and preemption: AT&T’s Ryan Clark described two subscriber classes: primary subscribers (police, fire, EMS) who receive persistent priority and preemption on the network, and extended-primary users (hospitals, mutual-aid providers, plow operators) who can be “uplifted” onto priority during incidents. Clark: “Primary subscribers are your primary first responders, police, fire, EMS.”

- Deployable units and tower build: Chase said the state received five AT&T-provided deployable systems (three larger trailer-mounted units and two smaller suitcase units) that provide Wi‑Fi and FirstNet coverage where commercial networks are absent. He also said AT&T committed to building 35 towers in Vermont during the opt-in build-out, providing coverage in rural areas that likely would not otherwise have received new towers.

Coverage testing and gaps

- Drive testing: Chase described a Public Service Department drive-test program that deployed test phones from multiple carriers and measured call success on roads. The committee saw summary maps showing extensive red zones where FirstNet voice calls failed in certain hexes; Chase said the results demonstrate that “there is not universal coverage.” Committee members asked whether drive tests measured stationary calls at off-road addresses; Chase and PSD staff said testing methodology and nuance are best addressed by PSD engineers.

- Local implications: Members raised concerns about primary travel routes and rural off-road addresses with poor or no coverage, asking whether the state can compel additional buildout. Officials said AT&T and the FirstNet Authority set build targets under the federal contract and that the specific contractual benchmarks are not publicly disclosed to the state: Chase said the contract between AT&T and the FirstNet Authority is not available to the state and that the authority and AT&T report meeting obligations.

Funding and oversight

- Contract and funding: AT&T’s representative said the FirstNet Authority was created with about $6.5 billion initially; the AT&T representative described ongoing reinvestment funding and noted the FirstNet Authority has announced nationwide reinvestment dollars (the authority cited roughly $2 billion nationally for network reinvestment). Both state and AT&T witnesses said FirstNet/AT&T obligations and benchmarks are governed by the federal FirstNet Authority and that the contractual details are not public to the state.

- Regulation and audits: Clark said the FirstNet Authority audits FirstNet subscriber eligibility and that AT&T’s FirstNet team and retail staff are trained to verify eligibility for primary and extended-primary accounts. Committee members asked whether rates or other business practices are regulated at the state level; AT&T said pricing and commercial practices are primarily governed commercially and through the federal contract rather than as a state utility rate proceeding.

Committee questions and next steps

Committee members asked for additional detail from the Public Service Department and the FirstNet Authority on drive-test methodology, how station‑based versus in‑motion coverage is measured, and where the 35 towers were sited. Members also pressed AT&T about who it answers to in-state and how reinvestment priorities will be set. Chase and Bates pointed the committee to the Legislature’s Public Safety Communications Task Force, which is reviewing interoperability issues and will provide further recommendations.

The chair and staff agreed to return FirstNet-related witnesses for follow-up testimony. AT&T representatives and DPS staff offered to come back with more detail; Chase suggested PSD and the Public Service Department can provide technical drive-test documentation and that further conversations with the FirstNet Authority will be necessary to clarify contractual benchmarks and reinvestment timing.

Ending

The committee concluded the session by noting the technical complexity and statewide implications of the topic and asking staff to schedule additional witnesses — including PSD, the Public Service Department and, as appropriate, FirstNet Authority or AT&T technical staff — to answer follow-up questions about coverage maps, testing methods and reinvestment plans.