First Net

[Jphila20]

Stark County public safety agencies adopt new communications platform that connects all first responders

The Canton Police Department, Canton Fire Department and Stark County Sheriff’s Office adopted FirstNet, a new communications platform that allows the different agencies to effectively communicate with each other.

www.cleveland19.com

 

[Bob1955]

FYI-FIRSTNET is NOT worth THE MONEY. Not any better then AT&T and it is ONLY for the (3) top of the line I phones out there. Their AT&T company owned stores have NO idea how to promote this. It is NOT for a Apple I phone 8 or 8 Plus. Only the (3) models above that. FYI

 

[wa8pyr]

FYI-FIRSTNET is NOT worth THE MONEY. Not any better then AT&T and it is ONLY for the (3) top of the line I phones out there. Their AT&T company owned stores have NO idea how to promote this. It is NOT for a Apple I phone 8 or 8 Plus. Only the (3) models above that. FYI

Have to disagree; even before I got an iPhone X S Max (had a 7+ before), I saved over $30 a month when I switched from a regular AT&T account to a subscriber-paid FirstNet account. My phone was (and is) operating through the dedicated FirstNet system core with priority instead of the ordinary consumer core. Only thing I couldn't do was operate on D Block frequencies (I can now).

So it is worth it.

I think FirstNet is good for public safety broadband data applications, and is a fine supplement to LMR systems. Viable as a mission-critical voice system, not so much; even AT&T's chairman has admitted it will probably never displace LMR. As a system administrator, the last thing I want is to have all my communications eggs in one basket.

The idea of a nationwide mission-critical system that is everything for everybody is a typical Federal "one size fits all" solution that probably won't ever be able to live up to the pie-in-the-sky promises. The problem with interoperability is and always has been training and education; you can have the biggest and best system in the world, but if the troops in the field don't use the resources available to them, they might as well be back on low band with a single channel at their disposal.

As regards the FHOF event, if I recall correctly they had the FirstNet gadgets patched through the various systems so users on FirstNet and users on MARCS or other systems could communicate with each other (without having to tote around multiple devices). That's a valuable capability.

 

[Bob1955]

Have to disagree; even before I got an iPhone X S Max (had a 7+ before), I saved over $30 a month when I switched from a regular AT&T account to a subscriber-paid FirstNet account. My phone was (and is) operating through the dedicated FirstNet system core with priority instead of the ordinary consumer core. Only thing I couldn't do was operate on D Block frequencies (I can now).

So it is worth it.

I think FirstNet is good for public safety broadband data applications, and is a fine supplement to LMR systems. Viable as a mission-critical voice system, not so much; even AT&T's chairman has admitted it will probably never displace LMR. As a system administrator, the last thing I want is to have all my communications eggs in one basket.

The idea of a nationwide mission-critical system that is everything for everybody is a typical Federal "one size fits all" solution that probably won't ever be able to live up to the pie-in-the-sky promises. The problem with interoperability is and always has been training and education; you can have the biggest and best system in the world, but if the troops in the field don't use the resources available to them, they might as well be back on low band with a single channel at their disposal.

As regards the FHOF event, if I recall correctly they had the FirstNet gadgets patched through the various systems so users on FirstNet and users on MARCS or other systems could communicate with each other (without having to tote around multiple devices). That's a valuable capability.

On 8/12/19 I called FIRSTNET, per their agent Gabrielle, the ONLY I phones "capable" of working PROERLY on this network are the XR, XS, and the XS Max. My I phonme 8 plus was going off and on, incoming calls even though they were on my address book weren't coming up. AT&T Company owned store ALSO verified this information (Now two sources) so yours is INCORRECT sir.
Have a good Labor Day holiday.
FYI

 

[mszabo2000]

Android phones work on FN as well. Several members in our office received Samsung Galaxy phones when they switched to FN.

 

[z31jaime]

On 8/12/19 I called FIRSTNET, per their agent Gabrielle, the ONLY I phones "capable" of working PROERLY on this network are the XR, XS, and the XS Max. My I phonme 8 plus was going off and on, incoming calls even though they were on my address book weren't coming up. AT&T Company owned store ALSO verified this information (Now two sources) so yours is INCORRECT sir.
Have a good Labor Day holiday.
FYI

he is not incorrect. any att comparable phone can work on firstnet. it just uses the other bands and is not capable of band 14 unless it has the hardware for it which the newer phones have.

 

[mszabo2000]

Deployment of Band 14 in Ohio is very limited per cellmapper.net. No B14 in Stark so they were using the existing ATT network.

 

[wa8pyr]

On 8/12/19 I called FIRSTNET, per their agent Gabrielle, the ONLY I phones "capable" of working PROERLY on this network are the XR, XS, and the XS Max. My I phonme 8 plus was going off and on, incoming calls even though they were on my address book weren't coming up. AT&T Company owned store ALSO verified this information (Now two sources) so yours is INCORRECT sir.

Sorry to hear about your bad experience, but as you pointed out yourself in your first message, AT&T company stores are often clueless about FirstNet; I've found the same to be true with their call center staff. Right now I usually have to go through our account rep to get things done, although I figure the call center and store personnel will eventually figure it out.

My iPhone 7+ worked fine on FN, in fact better than on the civilian side (fewer dropped called etc). Apparently your earlier iPhone did not. Too bad, but your broad generalization is inappropriate.

 

[Bob1955]

he is not incorrect. any att comparable phone can work on firstnet. it just uses the other bands and is not capable of band 14 unless it has the hardware for it which the newer phones have.

So here's the question, can a UNLOCKED I phone 8 plus work properly on FIRSTNET? I was told NO by FIRSTNET and their agent Gabrielle and that's why I was having problems. Even the new AT&T "company" owned store manager told me no! So I'm back to regular AT&T but will switch to Verizon Wireless before 9/6/19. I'm NOT dealing with AT&T/FIRSTNET anymore.

 

[wa8pyr]

So here's the question, can a UNLOCKED I phone 8 plus work properly on FIRSTNET? I was told NO by FIRSTNET and their agent Gabrielle and that's why I was having problems. Even the new AT&T "company" owned store manager told me no! So I'm back to regular AT&T but will switch to Verizon Wireless before 9/6/19. I'm NOT dealing with AT&T/FIRSTNET anymore.

As told to me by our account manager and the reps at the local store (and proved true with my unlocked iPhone 7+), any AT&T compatible phone will work on FirstNet; earlier models will not have access to the D Block (Band 14) 700 MHz frequencies but should work fine on the other frequencies, just like on the civilian side of the network.

Have fun on Verizon. While they claim to provide priority access to public safety personnel, they are under no obligation (legal or otherwise) to do so and in a pinch, you may be out of luck. Priority access is the reason I'm on FN in the first place.

 

[wdz]

On 8/12/19 I called FIRSTNET, per their agent Gabrielle, the ONLY I phones "capable" of working PROERLY on this network are the XR, XS, and the XS Max. My I phonme 8 plus was going off and on, incoming calls even though they were on my address book weren't coming up. AT&T Company owned store ALSO verified this information (Now two sources) so yours is INCORRECT sir.
Have a good Labor Day holiday.
FYI

I'm curious if you have a Firstnet Sim or an AT&T Sim. I was told by Firstnet support that if you bring your own phone, they don't guarentee anything will work right unless you have an AT&T Sim.

 

[wa8pyr]

I'm curious if you have a Firstnet Sim or an AT&T Sim. I was told by Firstnet support that if you bring your own phone, they don't guarentee anything will work right unless you have an AT&T Sim.

Although my iPhone 7+ worked fine without it, I had to get a FirstNet SIM card in order for the FirstNet features (priority etc) to be enabled.

 

[Bob1955]

I'm curious if you have a Firstnet Sim or an AT&T Sim. I was told by Firstnet support that if you bring your own phone, they don't guarentee anything will work right unless you have an AT&T Sim.

I had a FIRSTNET SIM card put in April 2019 and left FIRSTNET on 8/12/19 and went back to AT&T Prepaid. Much less and the same coverage for less money in fact, the FIRSTNET Sim card was causing problems and making it go off and on. The A&T Corporate Store said FIRSTNET is NOT for a Apple I Phone 8 Plus. I'm NOT discussing this anymore. It's a closed subject.

 

[Bob1955]

Sorry to hear about your bad experience, but as you pointed out yourself in your first message, AT&T company stores are often clueless about FirstNet; I've found the same to be true with their call center staff. Right now I usually have to go through our account rep to get things done, although I figure the call center and store personnel will eventually figure it out.

My iPhone 7+ worked fine on FN, in fact better than on the civilian side (fewer dropped called etc). Apparently your earlier iPhone did not. Too bad, but your broad generalization is inappropriate.

FIRSTNET is like talking to a BUNCH of morons-sorry. I'll probably leave AT&T all together on or before 9/9/19 and go back to Verizon.

 

[Bob1955]

As told to me by our account manager and the reps at the local store (and proved true with my unlocked iPhone 7+), any AT&T compatible phone will work on FirstNet; earlier models will not have access to the D Block (Band 14) 700 MHz frequencies but should work fine on the other frequencies, just like on the civilian side of the network.

Have fun on Verizon. While they claim to provide priority access to public safety personnel, they are under no obligation (legal or otherwise) to do so and in a pinch, you may be out of luck. Priority access is the reason I'm on FN in the first place.

wa8pyr, Verizon Wireless is fine. I don't need a emergency network that DOESN'T work and has all the same dead zones as AT&T and more money each month-its like a SCAM!

 

[wa8pyr]

Obviously personal experiences and opinions vary widely, but this thread has run it's course. Closed.