OAKTON, Va., Oct. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --
What's the news? The U.S. Army has selected FirstNet
to support firefighters, law enforcement and security personnel at
72 Army installations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Now, U.S. Army public safety
personnel have access to an unmatched level of support as well as
mission-focused tools and technology they can't get anywhere
else.
What is FirstNet? FirstNet is the
only nationwide, high-speed broadband communications
platform dedicated to and purpose-built for America's first
responders and the extended public safety community. It is built
with AT&T* in public-private partnership with the First
Responder Network Authority – an independent agency within the
federal government.
Born out of the 9/11 Commission recommendations to enhance
communications across the entire public safety community, it's
bringing public safety communications into the
21st century with new, innovative capabilities to
strengthen first responders' incident response. And more than
13,000 federal, state, local, municipal and tribal public safety
agencies and organizations have subscribed to FirstNet, accounting
for more than 1.5 million connections.1
Why is this important? FirstNet can help the Army
ensure reliable, highly secure communications capabilities during
national emergencies such as supporting the nation's response to
the Coronavirus and improved communications interoperability
between base first responders and local, state and federal first
responder agencies.
What is AT&T providing? Under the Task Order,
AT&T is delivering nearly 3,200 lines of FirstNet services,
more than 3,000 FirstNet-capable devices and 700+ signal boosters
to help improve indoor connectivity. We are also providing staging
and kitting of devices, including preloading multiple FirstNet apps
on the devices. In addition, with FirstNet, the U.S. Army has
access to a dedicated nationwide fleet of 76+ land-based and
airborne portable cell sites stationed across the country to
provide connectivity during significant events in support of public
safety's mission. These critical response assets are available 24/7
to the U.S. Army's Incident Commanders at no additional charge.
Why did the Army choose FirstNet? The Army explored
the benefits of FirstNet during a pilot program in Spring 2020 at
Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point, NC. The Ocean Terminal is part
of the Army's Materiel Command's Surface Deployment and
Distribution Command (SDDC). The Army also evaluated FirstNet's
capabilities with its fire and military police responders under
storm conditions to better understand how they could benefit from
FirstNet. The pilot allowed the Army to see the benefits of
in-building signal boosters as well as FirstNet's ease of use,
resilience and the breadth of capabilities that could be available
to each Army installation regardless of size or location.
More recently, when Hurricane Laura hit the Army's
Fort Polk in Louisiana on August
27 with maximum sustained winds of 150 miles-per-hour, it
carved a path through and around the installation, taking down
trees and power lines and cutting communications. The Army tested
FirstNet Ready™ wireless routers installed in camera-equipped
vehicles that provided Army operations and planners with near real
time delivery of video despite the extreme weather conditions. They
agreed the solution proved to be an effective means to support
incident management and restore base operations following a natural
disaster.
"FirstNet is helping us improve vital communications on our
installations, depots and arsenals, including during catastrophic
disasters or emergencies when communications capabilities are
strained," said Colonel Kevin
Comfort, Command Provost Marshal at Headquarters,
Installation Management Command located in Joint Base San Antonio
at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. "We're
adopting FirstNet because it is designed for public safety
professionals with priority, preemption and highly reliable data
communications that will improve our overall response and our
interoperability with our civilian partners."
"It's an honor to help the U.S. Army enhance its vital
communications with FirstNet capabilities," said Jill Singer, Vice President – Defense and
National Security, AT&T Public Sector and FirstNet.
Where can I find more information?
Visit FirstNet.com or go here for more information about
AT&T's work in the public sector.
1 Figure as of 2Q 2020
FirstNet and the FirstNet logo are registered trademarks and
service marks of the First Responder Network Authority.
*About AT&T Communications
We help family, friends
and neighbors connect in meaningful ways every day. From the first
phone call 140+ years ago to mobile video streaming, we @ATT
innovate to improve lives.
AT&T Communications is part of AT&T Inc.
(NYSE:T). For more information, please visit us at
att.com.
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SOURCE AT&T Communications