How is FirstNet different from AT&T?

FirstNet intelligently and seamlessly connects to 5G where available, but when that nears capacity or users need priority and preemption, they shift back to 4G . Priority and preemption remain always on across LTE – Band 14 spectrum plus all of AT&T’s commercial LTE spectrum.15 Nis 2021

FirstNet public safety LTE in the United States will occupy two 10-MHz-wide blocks of spectrum at 758 MHz to 768 MHz and at 788 MHz to 798 MHz (Band 14).

AT&T delivers three flavors of 5G* to our customers to give them unique experiences, faster speeds and capacity to do more of the things they like on America’s Most Reliable 5G Network1. AT&T 5G using low-band spectrum reaches more than 255 million people in more than 16,000 cities and towns in the U.S.

FirstNet runs on its own dedicated network core , which is completely separate from the AT&T commercial wireless network core. To access the dedicated FirstNet network core, devices must be Band 14 compatible.

The reason FirstNet is so much faster is because it was built on a dedicated communications platform and uses dedicated spectrum. AT&T is in the process of transitioning FirstNet to 5G, however, it is currently using LTE technology.