Even in its first year, FirstNet-AT&T partnership has a significant impact on public-safety communications

Meanwhile, FirstNet’s partnership with AT&T also has addressed many longstanding questions asked by public safety.

With AT&T contractually obligated to pay FirstNet $18 billion during the next 25 years, there is little question that FirstNet will be financially self-sustaining, and that money will be available to pay for network upgrades to next-generation technologies.

Concerns about device availability—among the biggest issues for public safety, once upon a time—are almost nonexistent. With priority and preemption across AT&T bands, public safety can use existing devices to access FirstNet, while Samsung and Sonim Technologies recently released FirstNet-certified devices that include Band 14 connectivity. With AT&T as a partner, it seems clear that FirstNet users will be able to choose from a wide variety of devices that offer different features, in terms of functionality, form factor and hardening.

Are there still questions surrounding FirstNet? Absolutely. It’s a huge, multifaceted endeavor that will be evolving over time. Here are just a few examples:

• Local control has been promised as a key component of FirstNet for years. Technically, will the incident-management interface provide the flexibility that public safety needs during a response? Operationally, has public safety established the policies needed to use the effectively?
• FirstNet’s applications catalog is in its infancy, but it could prove to be one of FirstNet’s greatest values to the first-responder community. Public-safety representatives understandably like the concept that included applications will be vetted for both functionality and security. However, will approval processes might hamper innovation?
• Most emergency responses start with a 911 call. How will FirstNet interface with 911 centers, whether they are using legacy technology or have migrated to a next-generation-911 platform?
• Hardening FirstNet’s network elements has been a primary focus of public safety, but implementing the kind of hardening techniques used in an LMR environment is not practical for every LTE site. How will FirstNet and AT&T best utilize resources while ensuring that critical communications always are enabled? Will “bring the network with you” solutions help offset some of these concerns?
• FirstNet and AT&T have developed procedures for public-safety agencies to provide agency-paid connectivity and devices to personnel. How will user-paid subscriber devices and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) subscriptions—a vital option, especially to volunteer departments—be implemented, particularly in terms of agency management and security?
• Cybersecurity is critical for all public-safety agencies, and FirstNet officials have said this network has the advantage of having security as a focal point of the network from the earliest design stages. Will FirstNet be able to withstand all of the cyberattacks that certainly will be launched against it as a prime targe for foreign and domestic hackers?