Description
Wireless Priority Service (WPS) is a White House-directed cellular communications service provided and managed by CISA in compliance with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Report and Order, FCC- 22-36. WPS provides authorized devices with priority calling on all nationwide and several regional cellular networks. WPS calls do not preempt calls in progress or deny the general public’s use of the telephone network. WPS carriers activate eligible devices which enables priority calling in the service providers’ networks when the ✻272 service code is dialed. Calls made with WPS overcome network congestion/degradation and complete with a success rate of 95%.
WPS Benefits
- Interoperable: WPS connects calls across all major service carrier cellular networks and some regional carrier networks.
- Efficient: Organizations can easily mass-subscribe select personnel via the bulk upload feature as WPS is an add-on feature to subscribed mobile devices.
- No cost: There is no charge to WPS subscribers for enrollment or use.
- Resilient: Can be used with GETS to maximize call completion.
- Customer-focused: Comes with 24-hour User Assistance at 1-800-818-4387.
Easy Priority Calls for WPS ![]()
When placing a call during times of emergency or network degradation, the PTS Dialer App will invoke WPS and GETS for those subscribing to both services.
To learn more, see the PTS Dialer App page.
WPS User Categories
The FCC assigns all WPS subscribers to a user category (one through five) based on their role in a disaster or incident response. Service providers use these categories to prioritize WPS users only in instances of extreme congestion or network degradation. All WPS subscriber calls receive priority over regular calls—thereby greatly increasing the probability that their cellular call will go through—and service providers only reference these categories under extreme circumstances to help allocate network resources.
- Executive Personnel and Policy Makers
- Disaster Response/Military Command and Control Personnel
- Public Health, Safety and Law Enforcement Personnel
- Public Services/Utilities, Public Welfare, and Critical Infrastructure Protection Personnel
- Disaster Recovery Personnel
WPS Coverage
Cellular service providers voluntarily participate in the WPS program. Please consult with your service provider for the most up-to-date coverage information.
| Region/ Carrier | AT&T Mobility | AT&T FirstNet Authority | T-Mobile | Verizon | Regional Carriers |
| CONUS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Cellcom C Spire U.S Cellular |
| Alaska | Yes | Yes | Roaming* | Yes | Copper Valley Telecom |
| Hawaii | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Puerto Rico | Yes | Yes | Yes | Roaming* | Claro |
| US Virgin Islands | Yes | Yes | Yes | Roaming* |
WPS Resources
Wireless Priority Service (WPS) offers a compilation of Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS) and Wireless Priority Service (WPS) forms and related reference materials.
For additional information, visit the Priority Telecommunications Services page.
Still have questions? Email us at ECD@cisa.dhs.gov
