Public Safety has had a monopolistic nationwide construct known as FirstNet foisted upon it. It is exclusively through AT&T. Many are predicting a dismal failure. This 5G Initiative sounds similar.
Serkit - you are misinformed.
FirstNet was REQUESTED by public safety, for throughput and inter-operability.
It was funded by the Feds (our taxes) after 9-11.
The States ALL had the option to build their own OR opt-in to FirstNet. Eventually ALL the states and US territories opted in.
The killer apps for now in early FirstNet are LMRI (land mobile radio inter-operability) and traffic prioritization (First Responder data traffic WILL get through). It happens to cut the costs of LMR operation as well.
Also, the ability to prioritize and pre-empt traffic on the FirstNet network is enabled NOT to some faceless gnome in DC, but rather a “local control” console. This means that if there is an emergency at the Port of Savannah, then the Public Safety team in that geography/jurisdiction can go online, SEE the affected towers suffering congestion, and set priority and pre-emption for those specific towers. It’s really powerful what FirstNet does and will do.
And GrandMa still gets to call, even if 7 engine companies and 5 EMT centers are guaranteed throughput.
I wouldn’t try to malign FirstNet until you know a lot more about it.
I aged-out of being a volunteer fire fighter. FirstNet would have been GREAT for us. Motorola radios are $5 - $10K APIECE. FirstNet would have let us use $500 Sonim rugged handhelds. PLUS the Sonim/Kyocera/Samsung gizmos will have apps on them that would help keep “me” and the public alive and safe.