US cops, firefighters to get new emergency wireless network – AT&T to get $6.5bn

US phone giant AT&T has landed a $6.5bn contract to build a private wireless broadband network for emergency responders. The FirstNet system will be a nationwide network that will allow police, firefighters and paramedics to transmit data and communications across multiple regions and jurisdictions without worrying about the …

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, but do the cops get a movie bundle included with this subscription?

The people deserve to know!!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Yes, but do the cops get a movie bundle included with this subscription?

Yes, but only with the 911+ Service Tier. That's another US19.95/month plus tax and a 25 year service contract.

"FirstNet said that it will open an online portal for state agencies later this summer that will include service plans for agencies to choose from. The first portion of the plan," to secure it will be... [oops, someone just broke into it] will be... oh crap, not now!

[Wade Burchette]

How will this work?

Considering that AT&T has loads of dead zones in the US, how will they cover 100% of the US with a wireless signal for emergency workers? They are going to need more than $6.5 billion to complete a tower roll-out in some of the larger states.

[hellwig]

How much spectrum did AT&T get?

Yes, I know the emergency network has a dedicated spectrum, but I can't imagine AT&T would let an opportunity to grab the government by the balls just slip right by.

[Fatman]

Re: grab the government by the balls just slip right by.

Don't you worry, they will have all of that in the contracts.

I would suspect that this contract covers the basic infrastructure buildout, and operation.

Outlier construction costs, and additional features are extra.

If one thing the telcos learned well is the art of nickling and diming their customers to death. Hey Verizon, I am looking at you! A T Mobile commercial that 'nails you':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23ZRWypu6lI

[MT Field]

I was taking you seriously for minute there, until you used the word "overarching".

[Kevin McMurtrie]

$6.5bn to build

I wonder how much of this is deploying hardware and how much of this is sending new firmware to cell towers. Private networks don't really exist anymore and AT&T isn't known for preemptively upgrading infrastructure.

[Alister]

How Ironic that in the UK, the government is doing its damdest to move emergency services off their own dedicated network, and on to public cellular infrastructure. Not a recipe for disaster in any way, no...

[Antron Argaiv]

This sounds like it's going to be a disaster

I suppose there's a small chance that the proposed network will be well-designed, completed on schedule and under budget, and will perform well, both under normal loads and under heavy, regional loads in the presence of catastrophic weather-related damage.

I also think the Easter Bunny will be visiting my house shortly.

[PNGuinn]

Ask the UK

They really really need to ask the UK how to do this properly.

Perhaps the President needs to have a short technical discussion with our political expurts.

I'm sure our own Easter Bunny (T. M.) would be only too glad to give him some advice ....

[allthecoolshortnamesweretaken]

Re: Ask the UK

"I'm sure our own Easter Bunny (T. M.) would be only too glad to give him some advice ...."

Yeah, thanks a lot PNGuinn, I now have the mental (sic) image of Theresa May in a 1960ies Playboy bunny outfit.

[Anonymous Coward]

what a waste

grifters grift. Amurika is being more of a militarist state