T-Mobile's 5G Push-to-Talk mission critical service to take on AT&T, Verizon starting next month

T-Mobile is planning to take on AT&T's FirstNet Push-to-Talk (PTT) and Verizon's competing Frontline services for first responders with its own 5G Mission Critical Push-to-Talk (MCPTT) service targeted at first responders, government workers and others who work out in the field. Push-to-Talk systems are similar to walkie-talkies as they offer immediate connections. T-Mobile has more 5G coverage in the U.S. than AT&T and Verizon combined.

According to Fierce Wireless, T-Mobile will integrate its system with Motorola Solutions' Critical Connect system which will give first responders the ability to use the service in the field with rugged devices that can "take the pressures" of the job. But the beauty of this news is that with an app installed, first responders can also use the system with smartphones and tablets. T-Mobile's 5G PTT platform will launch next month.

The integrated system will allow agencies and businesses to get "redundancy, resiliency and end-to-end encryption with secure messaging, emergency alerts, ambient listening, and role-based management."

T-Mobile adds that its 5G PTT system takes only one afternoon to create a few hundred user profiles instead of several days. T-Mobile's MCPTT will include location sharing and support video streaming. As a result, users will be able to share real-time videos from the field. T-Mobile will give users of this platform priority connections for push-to-talk and data nationwide on the T-Mobile network during times when networks are temporarily overloaded.

Roy Chua, principal at AvidThink, told FierceWireless, "PTT is still a major use case today. Anywhere that quick, reliable communication is needed. The industries are the same as when Nextel launched: construction, utilities, transportation hubs and logistics, warehouses, hospitality, emergency services, even universities with sprawling campuses. Even with private 5G, I've seen PTT as a key workload and application for private 5G/CRBS deployments."

T-Mobile's MCPTT system works with land mobile radio systems (LMR) allowing push-to-talk to be operational to users outside areas where LMR coverage exists. It also will allow users without radios to use PTT for important mission critical communications.