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Jan. 26, 2009

Wireless and wireline communications giant AT&T is about to become the primary mobile services provider to FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) after being awarded no less than 3 contracts worth a total of about $50 million.

The three new contracts are the largest AT&T holds with the Department of Homeland Security, of which FEMA is an important member.

Under the terms of the contracts, AT&T will provide a combination of Laptop-Connect wireless cards, BlackBerry 8820 smartphones and the 3-G LG CU-405 IMB (Internet Mobile Device) , which has push-to-talk capability, a vital feature for the agency’s first responders in case of major emergencies.

According to a representative from AT&T, FEMA has over 6,580 employees, many of whom will receive mobile devices under the terms of the contracts. They each have a one-year base period, with four one-year options.

As expected, the laptop cards and smartphones will have Wi-Fi connections for more than 17,000 hot spots located in the U.S.

AT&T's Government Solutions division already provides voice and data services to several DHS agencies, including the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration.

Don Herring, senior v.p. of AT&T Government Solutions says “overall, a secure wireless communications infrastructure is extremely critical for first responders and their emergency management operations. AT&T Government Solutions can help FEMA employees access the vital information they need for real-time decision making in the field while ensuring they can collect, access and transmit this data in a secure environment at all times, regardless of location.”

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Source: AT&T Government Solutions div.