5G COMMUNITY BENEFITS
5G saves lives.
In emergencies, every second counts. Whether it’s a car accident, a medical crisis, or a natural disaster, the ability to communicate quickly and accurately can mean the difference between life and death. That’s why
Enhanced 911: Finding you when it matters most.
Imagine calling 911 and asking yourself: Will responders be able to find me? In a time of crisis, the accuracy of your location can be a lifesaver. Enhanced 911, or E911, is a federally mandated program designed to improve the accuracy and reliability of emergency calls. Unlike traditional 911, which might only provide a general area, E911 can pinpoint your location with far greater precision.
E911 systems provide both horizontal (latitude and longitude) and vertical (elevation) accuracy, ensuring that responders can find you within 50 meters and within 3 meters (or one floor) in multi-story buildings. This level of precision is vital in emergencies where every moment counts.
With more than 80% of 911 calls now coming from mobile phones—representing over 240 million calls each year in the U.S.1 – E911 is a critical piece of public safety infrastructure that ensures these calls can be accurately located.
Today, 9-1-1 operators can locate you nearly anywhere—from the side of a highway to the inside of a high-rise—all thanks to a decade of innovation in wireless location accuracy technologies.
- Tom Sawanobori, Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, CTIA.
We are committed to this technology, investing in upgrades that enhance location accuracy and reliability, ensuring that first responders have the critical information they need to reach those in need quickly and efficiently.
Supporting first responders with 5G.
First responders rely on seamless communication to save lives, and 5G is transforming how they operate. During emergencies, network congestion can delay critical information. T-Priority, America’s first network slice for public safety, uses the most advanced 5G network technology available to provide the ultimate priority to first responders
It helps ensure that first responders always have the bandwidth they need in times of extreme congestion and supports a wide range of data-intensive applications that make up an increasing share of traffic in their day-to-day lives. Our first-of-its-kind solution automatically allocates more capacity during crises, providing emergency personnel with up to five times the network resources of the average user.
T-Priority boasts a 2x better performance baseline than other Wireless Priority Service (WPS) users.
T-Priority is supported by the nation's largest 5G network, covering 98% of Americans across 2M+ square miles.
Supporting those who protect our communities means giving them the tools to act quickly. T-Priority is built to keep first responders connected when it matters most, providing the speed, capacity, and reliability they need to save lives.
Higher priority. Higher priority.
With a dedicated slice for first responders.
Faster speeds. Faster speeds.
Low latency to enable innovative use cases.
More capacity. More capacity.
To support more first responders and their devices.
Supporting California during wildfires.
In 2024, as wildfires raged across Southern California,
This rapid response underscores how a strong, resilient network is essential—not just during emergencies, but in their aftermath. By ensuring that communication lines stay open, we help communities recover faster and more effectively.
Building a safer future, together.
Public safety is a shared responsibility that connects us all. With 5G evolving into a stronger, more reliable network, it’s transforming emergency response from reactive to proactive—helping first responders anticipate needs while giving community members confidence that help will find them.
1.National Emergency Number Association. 2021. “9-1-1 Statistics - National Emergency Number Association.” Nena.org. 2021. https://www.nena.org/page/911Statistics.