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Iowa to Transform Communications for Public Safety; Governor Reynolds Approves Buildout Plan for First Responder NetworkRESTON, 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:
"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 *About AT&T 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.
View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/iowa-to-transform-communications-for-public-safety-governor-reynolds-approves-buildout-plan-for-first-responder-network-300489925.html SOURCE AT&T Inc. |