RESTON, Va., July 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Iowa is making history. Today, Governor
Kim Reynolds announced her decision
to accept the FirstNet and AT&T* plan to deliver a wireless
broadband network to the State's public safety community. This will
make Iowa one of the first states
in the country to "opt in" to FirstNet and bring advanced
technologies that will help first responders save lives and protect
communities.
"The FirstNet network will not only strengthen and modernize
public safety communications in our state, but also bring much
needed investment to our communications infrastructure," Gov.
Reynolds said. "The network builds on AT&T's existing footprint
to expand coverage and capacity. AT&T has invested nearly
$150 million in its Iowa network infrastructure over the past
three years. By partnering with FirstNet, we will be able to expand
coverage for first responders. As a result, this will also help to
expand coverage for rural Iowans, providing access to a reliable,
high speed wireless connection in areas with little or no
connectivity today."
AT&T, in public-private partnership with FirstNet, will
build, operate and maintain a highly secure wireless broadband
communications network for Iowa's
public safety community at no cost to the State for the next 25
years. The FirstNet network will deliver innovation and create an
entire system of modernized devices, apps and tools for first
responders.
This is one of the most economical and technologically advanced
decisions Governor Reynolds will make for the State's first
responders and the residents they serve. The network will transform
the way Iowa'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, responding to emergencies and supporting large events,
such as the Iowa State Fair in Des
Moines, the Freedom Festival in Cedar Rapids or the annual Register Great
Bicycle Ride across Iowa.
- Create an efficient communications experience for public safety
personnel in agencies and jurisdictions across the State during
natural disasters. This includes the severe weather that caused
storms, high winds and flooding in 2016, impacting 19 counties in
Northeast Iowa. Another example
would be the 2008 Parkersburg EF5
tornado and floods that touched down in Butler County and other parts of Iowa.
- Enhance network coverage in rural areas. This will benefit
first responders and residents in rural areas, such as the flood
plains, river valleys or prairie areas.
- Drive infrastructure investments and create jobs across the
State.
- 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.
The FirstNet solution that will be built in Iowa was designed with direct input from the
State's public safety community. Since 2013, FirstNet has met with
Iowa officials and public safety
personnel more than 20 times to address their unique communication
needs. This includes:
- Bringing the State's first responders the coverage they need at
a competitive price.
- Giving rural first responders accelerated access to broadband
services.
- Building upon Iowa's efforts
to bolster public safety services with advanced technology.
"Iowa is a longtime leader in
public safety communications technology, from using public school
Wi-Fi to connect emergency personnel on school grounds to today's
decision to become part of the FirstNet network," said FirstNet
President TJ Kennedy. "With Governor Reynold's decision,
Iowa is putting cutting-edge,
lifesaving technology in public safety's hands. FirstNet looks
forward to continuing to work with Iowa to build the network and equip the
state's first responders with the technology they need to save
lives and keep Iowa's communities
safe."
The decision enables FirstNet and AT&T to begin creating an
entirely new wireless ecosystem for public safety communications.
Iowa's first responder subscribers
will have immediate access to quality of service and priority to
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.
"By opting in, Governor Reynolds is prioritizing the safety and
security of her first responders and all those they serve," said
Cheryl Riley, president, AT&T
Northern Plains. "FirstNet will drive additional investments in the
state that will bring public safety the cutting-edge tools and
technologies they need to protect Iowans. And we look forward to
continuing our 112-year partnership with Iowa to help its first responders carry out
their important mission."
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
and on YouTube at youtube.com/att.
© 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.