By Suzie Ziegler
OAKTON, Va. — AT&T announced in a press release Tuesday that the FBI would be awarding the mobile carrier a contract with FirstNet. FirstNet is a highspeed, wireless broadband network dedicated to first responders and public safety.
According to the release, FirstNet will support the FBI’s day-to-day emergency operation. The agreement is valued at about $92 million, the largest commitment to FirstNet by a law enforcement agency.
FirstNet works by pushing non-emergency users to other bands of the spectrum – if network resources are scarce – to allow law enforcement access to voice and data.
Other organizations already using FirstNet include the U.S. Army, the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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