AT&T Launches Next Generation IP Network Service for 9-1-1

AT&T today announced it is launching an enhanced multimedia 911 solution to help emergency management agencies upgrade their older 911 networks to IP technology that supports text, photos, and video in addition to voice service

Nationwide Service Will Transform E9-1-1 Networks, Help Public Safety Organizations Better Manage Communication

AT&T* is helping 9-1-1 agencies upgrade their older 9-1-1 networks to IP technology. AT&T ESInet^TM is a new service that provides public safety a state-of-the-art, robust, and flexible network with call routing services for 9-1-1 agencies. 

AT&T ESInet^TM is designed to accelerate the adoption of Next Generation 9-1-1 call routing. It meets the latest National Emergency Number Association (NENA) i3 standards. Agencies can more easily manage 9-1-1 calls and automatically handle call overflow between Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) and disaster recovery locations. 

Unlike the current voice-only networks, AT&T ESInet^TM can handle texts. And it will support pictures and video in the future. First responders, such as law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and Emergency Medical Response Services (EMS), will be able to receive detailed information more quickly using the modernized IP network. For example, a witness at the scene of a car accident can send EMS a picture or video of the incident. EMS workers can be better prepared and arrive with the right resources.

AT&T is deploying West Corporation’s technologies in its central offices and data centers over the next 18 months to support the service. The company plans to make it available to customers in the second half of 2016. The rollout will include enough call processing capacity to serve more than twice the current nationwide 9-1-1 call volumes. 

“The deployment of AT&T ESInet^TM will be a critical step towards Next Generation 9-1-1 implementation,” said Brian Fontes, chief executive officer, NENA (National Emergency Number Association). “NENA congratulates AT&T on this service that will help move 9-1-1 into the 21st Century and provide 9-1-1 centers with enhanced life-saving tools and capabilities.”

AT&T ESInet^TM will be the leading NextGen 9-1-1 offer in its 21-state footprint and elsewhere in the nation.  PSAPs can be more prepared for the future. They can receive IP calls in a highly secure fashion and reduce deployment cycle times. The solution is planned to work with most PSAP call handling equipment.

“This industry-leading service shows our commitment to the future of 9-1-1 and Public Safety”, said Jim Bugel, vice president, AT&T Public Safety Solutions. “The complexity of NextGen 9-1-1 call routing has been a large barrier to adoption. AT&T ESInet^TM is a nationwide service that will simplify the transition to 9-1-1 IP call routing services.”

“West is a leading pioneer of 9-1-1 technology — this announcement is an industry milestone,” said Dami Hummel, SVP, Strategic Marketing and Product Management, West’s Safety Services division. “Together, we’ve developed powerful 9-1-1 technology that will significantly improve performance and reliability of emergency communications into the future.” 

Source: AT&T release