May 14, 2025
Public Safety, AirLink, Routers, Security
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In an emergency, first responders need to know that critical communications won’t be interrupted. Reliable, high-speed networks are critical for first responders, supporting the voice, video, and data communications that protect their health and the safety of the communities they serve.
The AT&T FirstNet® network offers dedicated coverage, priority and preemption to American first responders. This ensures that public safety devices get first access to the network, while also establishing them as the highest priority traffic. In an emergency, Band 14 spectrum is available only to FirstNet subscribers so that first responders don’t need to compete with non-emergency traffic. FirstNet currently covers almost 3 million square miles, and over 30,000 public safety agencies use FirstNet across the United States*.
Emergency responders must trust that their devices will connect to FirstNet reliably. Device certification provides confidence in seamless performance, even under extreme conditions.
FirstNet Capable™ vs FirstNet Ready™ vs FirstNet Trusted™
The first level of device certification is FirstNet Capable. This means that the device can connect to FirstNet but may require additional configuration to access FirstNet. FirstNet Capable applies to both consumer and professional grade products.
FirstNet Ready is intended for consumer products such as smart phones, laptops, tablets, and wearables. FirstNet Ready devices support High Priority Access (HPA) to Band 14 and AT&T commercial LTE bands, and have passed tests for durability, quality, battery life, and network impact.
FirstNet Trusted is a robust way to assess whether IoT devices meet strict connectivity and cybersecurity requirements to ensure safe and reliable access in critical situations. It applies to IoT devices that provide connectivity such as mobile routers in police vehicles and ambulances, but also sensors and other devices that transmit data such as body-worn cameras, license plate readers and vital sign monitors.
FirstNet Device Certification Requirements
How does a manufacturer obtain a FirstNet Trusted certification for its devices? In addition to supporting HPA out of the box, certification includes third-party security and connectivity testing and security audits. See this page for specific information.
To ensure best-in-class security, testing focuses on system vulnerabilities, data protection, the security update process, secure-by-default configuration, and cybersecurity best practices, among other areas. Connectivity testing ensures that devices meet band priority selection technical requirements, connect to the FirstNet Core, maintain an always-on priority across Band 14 and other AT&T commercial bands, and auto-provision IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) services.
Remote Device Management: A Critical Component of FirstNet Trusted Devices
FirstNet Trusted certification requires that devices connecting to the network are managed by an authorized remote management system for better security and visibility. AirLink® routers comply through device registration and activation on the AirLink Management Service (ALMS) remote management platform. ALMS enables real-time visibility into router status, fleet-level over the air (OTA) deployment of firmware updates, remote management of configuration and other security best practices.
Why is remote management so critical to FirstNet? Security is an ever-changing landscape, with new standards and security patches needed as threats evolve. If patches or firmware updates aren’t carried out, networks are open to attack. Since FirstNet must remain available in emergencies or disasters, security updates are paramount.
Deploying timely updates to an entire fleet of routers is essential and requires remote management capabilities. ALMS enables agencies to monitor the firmware status of their AirLink routers and deploy new firmware and patches over the air at scale. They can manage fleet-wide firmware upgrade campaigns with result reporting.
Semtech's AirLink FirstNet Trusted Devices for Mission-Critical Applications
Many Semtech AirLink routers are FirstNet Trusted. New devices will often be FirstNet Capable while undergoing the rigorous FirstNet Trusted certification process. Regardless of the use case, agencies can be confident of finding a certified AirLink device. As AirLink router solutions include ALMS**, there are no barriers or constraints to accessing FirstNet - simply maintain an active service subscription for always-on remote management.
As a partner in your FirstNet deployment, we know that connecting your critical applications requires real-time visibility, robust security, and proactive management of large networks from multiple locations. With Semtech's FirstNet Trusted routers and the ALMS management system, you have peace of mind that comes with FirstNet access and easy-to-use, scalable fleet router management.
Our networking experts are available to help with your FirstNet deployment journey. Contact us today to discuss how our FirstNet Trusted™ solutions can enhance your emergency response capabilities.
*Firstnet.com
**1 year of AirLink Services (AirLink Complete or AirLink Premium depending on models) included with router purchase. Subscription must be renewed after the 1st year.
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