As AT&T talks up rapid progress in uptake of its FirstNet public safety network, Verizon does not want to be left out of the first responder party. It says it will invest in specialized functionality in its LTE network, to support emergency workers, and will give them priority access. Verizon says it will create a private core network dedicated to public safety, which would enable priority access to its LTE network at “no extra charge”, and the kind of capabilities which are essential to this sector, including high reliability and group calling. “The network core manages and directs all command functions like network access and call routing,” the operator said in a statement, promising to invest in “new mission-critical 4G…