Kat Cammack

A new FirstNet cell tower has been launched in Horseshoe Beach, Florida, to improve emergency communications.

The coastal community was recently devastated by three hurricanes, which highlighted communication failures for first responders.

The FirstNet network gives police, fire, and EMS priority access to ensure they can communicate during emergencies.

U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack worked with AT&T and the FirstNet Authority to bring the new coverage site to the town.

Aimed at strengthening emergency communications in a Dixie County community devastated by three hurricanes in little more than a year, U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Gainesville, joined AT&T, the FirstNet Authority and local first responders to cut the ribbon on a new FirstNet coverage site in Horseshoe Beach.

According to a July 7 press release from Cammack’s office, Horseshoe Beach took direct hits from Hurricanes Idalia, Debby and Helene. Hurricane Idalia made landfall in August 2023, followed by Hurricane Debby in August 2024 and Hurricane Helene in September 2024.

Cammack’s office said Helene struck the Big Bend coast as a Category 4 storm, bringing an estimated storm surge of more than 15 feet.

In the release, Mayor Jeff Williams said the storms caused widespread destruction in the small coastal community. Between Idalia and Helene alone, the town lost roughly 175 of its 365 homes.

The new tower connects Horseshoe Beach to FirstNet, the nationwide public safety communications network built by AT&T in partnership with the FirstNet Authority. The network provides police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel with priority and preemption access during emergencies, allowing first responder communications to take precedence when commercial networks become congested.

Cammack serves on the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, which has jurisdiction over FirstNet.

The announcement comes as FirstNet continues a nationwide expansion effort. In January 2026, the FirstNet Authority directed AT&T to deploy more than 135 new cell sites to address coverage gaps identified by public safety agencies as part of a more than $2 billion investment in network improvements.

According to AT&T’s January 2026 congressional testimony, approximately 30,600 public safety agencies and organizations nationwide use FirstNet.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee also held a hearing on FirstNet’s performance and reauthorization in February 2026. Congress later passed legislation in April extending the FirstNet Authority ahead of its scheduled February 2027 sunset date.

Cammack’s office said the Horseshoe Beach tower was developed after emergency communications failures during recent hurricanes left first responders without reliable connectivity.

The congresswoman said she worked directly with AT&T, the FirstNet Authority and town officials to bring the site to the community.

"When Helene hit, the men and women protecting Horseshoe Beach couldn't get a signal. In a storm, that's the difference between a rescue and a recovery," Cammack said. "This town has rebuilt twice in three years. Nobody here quits, and neither will we. This site is the start, and we are going to keep building until every first responder on this coast can count on a signal."