FirstNet and the iPhone Upgrade Program

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Level 1

9 points

FirstNet and the iPhone Upgrade Program

I’m an existing iPhone Upgrade Program member who wants to trade in my iPhone Xs Max. While in the program I moved my service from AT&T to FirstNet (a subset of AT&T). When I’ve tried to upgrade in the Apple Store and Apple Store app it tells me my current AT&T account type isn’t supported and I have to purchase a phone at full price. This has been the case since the release of the iPhone 11 and it’s still the same several months later.

iPhone XS Max, iOS 13

Posted on Feb 11, 2020 12:33 PM

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Answer 1

sberman

Level 10

268,347 points

Feb 11, 2020 3:52 PM in response to powelljc03

powelljc03 wrote:

It’s still AT&T..

Well, not exactly. From FirstNet’s web site (the FAQ area):

It appears FirstNet uses AT&T’s infrastructure and provides their own framework, including pricing, etc.

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Answer 2

sberman

Level 10

268,347 points

Feb 11, 2020 2:14 PM in response to powelljc03

I don’t know if you actually have a question.

The iPhone Upgrade Program indeed applies only to a select group of cellular carriers. AT&T is one of them. Apparently FirstNet is not.

If your response is “Yes, but ...”, then raise the issue with FirstNet.

(For what it’s worth, I’ve been an AT&T subscriber for over 20 years and have not heard of FirstNet until your post. So I guess they’re some regional group that purports to add some value.)

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Answer 3

powelljc03 Author

Level 1

9 points

Feb 11, 2020 3:07 PM in response to sberman

It’s a national program for first responders that gives them priority for cell service during crisis situations where towers are congested (and at a discounted rate) It’s still AT&T..it doesn’t make any sense why it wouldn’t be an accepted service provider. My question is how can I still participate in the iPhone upgrade program? Is this being worked on or not? FirstNet customer service says it’s an issue with Apple.

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FirstNet and the iPhone Upgrade Program

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