AT&T launched a ruggedised, portable module providing mobile and Wi-Fi connectivity for FirstNet customers during emergencies.

The Mini Compact Rapid Deployable (miniCRD) comprises two cases which can be carried by one person, providing multiple backhaul pathways while broadcasting FirstNet mobile and internet. There is a router and up to two hours of power.

It offers a mobile range of up to a half-mile and around 152.4 metres on Wi-Fi.

The unit connects to FirstNet through satellite or fibre backhaul. The satellite backhaul is provided by SpaceX’s Starlink with dedicated Band 14 connectivity when needed, nationwide spectrum set aside by the government for FirstNet.

An AT&T representative told Mobile World Live it collaborated with satellite companies over several years to test and develop products and services for remote and challenging geographies.

The miniCRD works across the US, with availability in Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and Pacific territories due later in the year. The base price is $34,995.

AT&T launched larger Compact Rapid Deployable unit in 2021, priced $77,995 and offering 60-hours of power with a two-mile mobile range.

Since winning the contract to deliver FirstNet in 2017, AT&T has built a network covering 2.9 million square-miles with more than 25,000 public safety agencies and organisations on board.