FirstNet
FirstNet™ service is available to qualifying public safety related businesses and government agencies, and offers wireless service designed to ensure access to the network during periods of high traffic and congestion typically associated with any emergency or large public event.
As public safety continues to adopt Push-to-Talk solutions like ESChat, the dependency on the wireless carrier’s ability to provide data connectivity will also grow. Is your carrier able to provide reliable connectivity during an emergency, disaster or large-scale special event? If not, FirstNet may be the right solution for you.
In the wireless world, coverage is king!
If you don’t have wireless coverage, you can’t communicate. If you are currently an AT&T customer and your coverage is sufficient, the choice is easy. FirstNet service can only enhance your agency’s ability to communicate. FirstNet subscribers will experience a prioritized data service to ensure that real-time applications, such as ESChat, will operate even when the network is heavily congested. As part of the FirstNet build-out, AT&T is also expanding its wireless coverage footprint. So keep an eye out for improvements in areas where coverage may currently be limited.
If you are not an AT&T customer, the question is more complicated. Today, some of the benefits of FirstNet are available to Verizon customers. QoS and Priority are part of Verizon’s Private Network Traffic Management (PNTM) service, though there is an added [per user] cost. To compete with FirstNet, Verizon announced it is offering its own public safety service. This offering will include a dedicated public safety LTE core network, and will include QoS, Priority and Preemption as a bundled package similar to FirstNet service. Verizon announced its commitment to release its public safety offering in 2018.
The FirstNet Certified program was developed to ensure that devices, applications, and services meet specific technical standards and criteria necessary for use on the FirstNet network. This certification program aims to guarantee interoperability, security, and reliability of communication tools used by first responders during emergencies and daily operations.
Products and solutions that receive FirstNet Certification have undergone testing and verification to ensure they meet the stringent requirements set by FirstNet, enhancing the overall effectiveness of communication and coordination among public safety agencies.
Enhanced Quality of Service (QoS)
Differentiated service level provides public safety
users a faster data channel for ESChat Push-to-Talk
Priority on the RAN (LTE Channel)
Prioritized access to the wireless network during
periods of high congestion. RAN priority includes:
- Access Channel Priority
- Traffic Channel Priority
- Admission Priority
Preemption
Migration of non-critical users to other cell resources
during periods of extreme congestion.
