AT&T To Build Nation's First Broadband Public Safety NetworkAT&T is partnering with the First Responder Network Authority to deploy the first nationwide wireless network dedicated to police firefighters and emergency medical services to facilitate seamless inter-agency communications during national emergenciesFirst responders soon will be working with a broadband safety network, more than a decade after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. AT&T and the First Responder Network Authority are partnering on the first wireless network dedicated to police, firefghters and emergency medical services, the Commerce Department announced Thursday. "Today is a landmark day for public safety across the nation," said Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. "FirstNet is a critical infrastructure project that will give our first responders the communications tools they need to keep America safe and secure." FirstNet addresses a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission: "the construction of a nationwide, interoperable broadband network." The wireless network will cover all 50 states, five U.S. territories and the District of Columbia, including rural communities and tribal lands. FirstNet will spend $6.5 billion in the public-private partnership over the next five years, providing 20 MHz of telecommunications spectrum. AT&T will spend about $40 billion to build, deploy, operate and maintain the network. "It's a sign of the ability of public-private partnership to drive innovation," said White House press secretary Sean Spicer. The project is expected to create 10,000 jobs. Source: UPI reporting |