LTE  |  2020-03-27

FirstNet Success in Supporting Medical Aid to Fight Coronavirus

Source: Extract from Jason Porter, senior vice president, FirstNet Program at AT&T

Jason Porter, SVP FirstNet Program dat AT&T tells about a few examples where FirstNet successfully supported the fight against the coronavirus in the US.

The US is currently experiencing a national crisis and this criss is likely to change the way we operate. And while we don’t fully know how the COVID-19 pandemic will affect the future, we do know that with FirstNet, public safety can be confident in their critical communications capabilities, as the network has already proven its effectivenss over the last few weeks.

As major cities like New York, Chicago, Dallas and L.A. stand up quarantine zones or testing centers in arenas and other venues, FirstNet is there, keeping responders connected. For medical facilities and agencies in rural and tribal communities – like the Miccosukee Tribe in the Florida everglades – FirstNet is there, keeping responders connected. And when public safety needs to quickly enhance their network with additional capacity due to increased foot traffic, FirstNet is there. Here’s just a few examples:

  • In northern California, a medical center contacted FirstNet for device and network support. AT&T quickly deployed a FirstNet COW (Cell on Wheels) to provide additional capacity and keep emergency personnel connected. In addition AT&T sent FirstNet Ready™ devices to support critical care physicians and ER nurses, as well as remote workers and non-critical staff.
  • In the Northeast, one of the hardest hit areas of the country, AT&T said it deployed a FirstNet portable cell site and other devices to support a drive through testing facility. The public safety and emergency management teams were concerned about maintaining reliable communications when thousands of citizens arrive for testing. But with FirstNet, medical professionals and first responders can interoperate across federal, state and local agencies, and are not competing with consumer smartphones and tablets for bandwidth in the drive-through.
  • In Texas, public safety requested FirstNet network support for a quarantine center at a military base. While there was quality coverage outside of the quarantine center, within the quarantine zone service was minimal. The FirstNet team at AT&T quickly deployed a new in-building emergency solution to support dozens of first responders.

So, as the US continues to combat the spread of coronavirus, rest assured, FirstNet was built for this situation. It’s exactly what public safety designed it for.

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