RESTON, Va., Aug. 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor
Paul LePage today moved to transform
first responder communications for Maine's public safety community. Maine is the 11th state or
territory to "opt-in" to the FirstNet network. With his decision,
FirstNet and AT&T* will deliver a specialized wireless
broadband network to Maine's first
responders and bring advanced technologies that will help them save
lives and protect communities.
"Maine is proud to take this
important step for first responders in our state," said Governor
LePage. "The decision to join this network means that FirstNet and
its partner, AT&T, will deliver a highly secure, federally
funded, next-generation solution for our public safety
community."
AT&T, in a public-private partnership with FirstNet, will
build, operate and maintain a highly secure wireless broadband
communications network for Maine's
public safety community at no cost to the State for the next 25
years. The FirstNet network will drive innovation and create an
entire system of modernized devices, apps and tools for first
responders.
The FirstNet network will transform the way Maine's fire, police, EMS and other public
safety personnel communicate and share information. Specifically,
FirstNet and AT&T will:
- Connect first responder subscribers to the critical information
they need in a highly secure manner when handling day-to-day
operations and responding to emergencies. It will also help during
their support of large events, such as the Maine Lobster Festival
in Rockland and the Great Falls
Balloon Festival in Lewiston-Auburn. Both attract more than 100,000
visitors each year.
- Create an efficient communications experience for public safety
personnel in agencies and jurisdictions across the State during
extreme weather, including heavy snows and severe storms that can
cause coastal and inland flooding.
- Enhance network coverage in rural and tribal areas.
Maine is one of the most rural
states in America with 90 percent of its land mass covered by
forests. Increased coverage will benefit first responders,
residents and visitors in Maine's
recreation destinations, such as Acadia
National Park, as well as tribal lands and wilderness
areas.
- Provide first responders with access to dedicated network
deployables for additional coverage and support when needed.
- Drive infrastructure investments across the State and help to
create jobs.
- Usher in a new wave of innovation that first responders can
depend on. This will create an ever-evolving set of life-saving
tools for public safety, including public safety apps, specialized
devices and Internet of Things technologies. It also carries the
potential for future integration with NextGen 9-1-1 networks and
Smart Cities' infrastructure.
"Governor LePage's decision will enable a broadband network that
will forever change how EMS is provided for patients statewide,"
says FirstNet Board Member Kevin McGinnis, who is the former EMS
Director of Maine and has been a
paramedic or paramedic chief in the state for more than 30 years.
"Police and fire services will also enjoy speed, bandwidth,
applications, and rural and in-building access like they've never
seen before with this network to help protect property and save
lives."
FirstNet and AT&T designed Maine's network solution with direct input
from the State's public safety community. FirstNet has been meeting
with Maine's officials and public
safety personnel for several years to address their unique
communications needs. This includes:
- Enhancing coverage along Maine's vast shoreline and waterways.
- Enabling seamless communications among New England's first
responders through expanded coverage and innovative solutions.
- Providing an interoperable network experience across the State
and along the Canadian border. This will allow state, local and
federal agencies to effectively communicate with each other as well
as with the State's large number of volunteer emergency
responders.
"Governor LePage's decision to join FirstNet will enhance public
safety communications throughout the State," said FirstNet CEO
Mike Poth. "This network will
connect first responders operating across Maine, from the population centers of
Portland and Bangor to the State's popular vacation
destinations, and up to the remote areas near the border with
Canada. FirstNet and AT&T are
pleased to have delivered a plan that meets Maine's unique needs, and we look forward to
bringing the network to public safety across the Pine Tree
State."
The decision enables FirstNet and AT&T to begin creating an
entirely new wireless ecosystem for public safety communications.
Maine's first responder
subscribers will have immediate access to quality of service and
priority for voice and data across the existing nationwide AT&T
LTE network.
Preemption for primary users over the AT&T LTE network is
expected by year-end. This means fire, police, EMS and other public
safety workers will have dedicated access to the network when and
where they need it – 24/7/365, like their mission.
"Governor LePage is putting public safety first. His decision to
opt-in to FirstNet will bring Maine's first responders access to the
innovative tools and technologies they need to operate faster,
safer and more effectively when lives are on the line," said
Patricia Jacobs, president, AT&T
New England. "FirstNet will benefit the wellbeing of Maine's first responders, residents and
visitors alike – all without costing the state anything to build,
operate or maintain."
For more information on FirstNet, please visit
FirstNet.gov/mediakit and att.com/FirstResponderNews. For more
about the value FirstNet will bring to public safety, please visit
FirstNet.com.
About FirstNet
The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) is an independent
authority within the U.S. Department of Commerce, overseen by a 15
member Board. Chartered in 2012, its mission is to ensure the
building, deployment, and operation of the nationwide, broadband
network that equips first responders to save lives and protect U.S.
communities. Learn more at FirstNet.gov/mediakit and follow
FirstNet (@FirstNetGov) on Facebook and Twitter for updates.
*About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) helps millions around the globe connect with
leading entertainment, business, mobile and high speed internet
services. We offer the nation's best data network** and the best
global coverage of any U.S. wireless provider. We're one of the
world's largest providers of pay TV. We have TV customers in the
U.S. and 11 Latin American countries. Nearly 3.5 million companies,
from small to large businesses around the globe, turn to AT&T
for our highly secure smart solutions.
AT&T products and services are provided or offered by
subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T
brand and not by AT&T Inc. Additional information about
AT&T products and services is available at about.att.com.
Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at facebook.com/att
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© 2017 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved.
AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks and service
marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated
companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of
their respective owners.
**Claim based on the Nielsen Certified Data Network Score.
Score includes data reported by wireless consumers in the Nielsen
Mobile Insights survey, network measurements from Nielsen Mobile
Performance and Nielsen Drive Test Benchmarks for Q4 2016 + Q1 2017
across 121 markets.
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SOURCE AT&T Inc.