Wireless Priority Service (WPS) is a government program managed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that gives authorized government and emergency response personnel priority access to cellular networks during emergencies, disasters, or other situations where network congestion would otherwise prevent calls and messages from getting through.
The Problem WPS Solves
During major emergencies — natural disasters, terrorist incidents, large-scale accidents — the volume of calls and messages attempting to use the cellular network simultaneously can exceed capacity by many times. When networks are congested, ordinary calls are blocked or dropped. For emergency responders and government officials who need to communicate in precisely these moments, network congestion is a critical threat to coordination and response effectiveness.
How WPS Works
WPS-authorized users dial a special prefix (*272) before their call to request priority treatment from the cellular network. The network recognizes the WPS request and places the call in a priority queue — ahead of non-priority traffic — enabling it to connect even when the network is congested. WPS operates on existing cellular networks; it doesn't require special hardware, just authorization and the correct dialing procedure.
Who Is Eligible for WPS
WPS is available to authorized National Security and Emergency Preparedness (NS/EP) users, including:
- Federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial government officials
- Emergency responders (fire, police, EMS) in leadership roles
- Critical infrastructure operators
- Military personnel in designated roles
- Key private sector entities supporting national security functions
WPS is not available to the general public. Authorization is granted through a formal application process.
WPS and SMS
WPS provides priority for voice calls. For text messaging during emergencies, dedicated paging networks (which operate on separate frequencies from congested cellular) and private SMS systems running over dedicated connections provide alternatives. Paging networks in particular have significant advantages during major emergencies because they are not subject to the same congestion as cellular voice networks.
Complementary Priority Systems
WPS is part of a broader suite of NS/EP communications programs that includes Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS) for wireline priority, and FirstNet — the dedicated broadband network built specifically for first responders, providing priority and preemption for data and voice on a dedicated spectrum band.
