https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • Product Guides
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • IWCE
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Premier Partners
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookie Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • TU-Auto
  • In the field
    • Back
    • In the field
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Internet of Things
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Call Center/Command
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Network Tech
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Operations
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Regulations
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • Organizations
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
Urgent Communications
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Omdia Crit Comms Circle Podcast
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • Product Guides
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
    • Sponsored content
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • Why Attend
    • Exhibitor Listing
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Join the Event Mailing List
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • TU-Auto
  • newsletter
  • In the field
    • Back
    • Internet of Things
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Cybersecurity
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
acc.com

Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet


News

FirstNet includes new deployable types in expansion of dedicated fleet

FirstNet includes new deployable types in expansion of dedicated fleet

  • Written by Donny Jackson
  • 24th June 2021

AT&T and the FirstNet Authority today announced the addition of 19 deployable assets to the dedicated FirstNet fleet of mobile LTE vehicles, with Communications Vehicles and Micro SatCOLTs providing different operational features and flexibility than was available previously.

Fred Scalera, AT&T’s associate director for FirstNet, said he believes the new deployables will help AT&T—the nationwide contractor building the FirstNet nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN)—deliver “next-level” communications support to public safety during emergency-response efforts. Today’s announcement is just the latest step in the evolution of the FirstNet deployable offering, he said.

“We’re working on new technologies into the next year already,” Scalera said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications. “The ROG [Response Operations Group] team is a front-facing deployable program, so we’re working on that and advancing it. I’m very excited that we’re going to roll these new vehicles out.”

Of the 19 new deployable assets, 10 are FirstNet SatCOLTs that will be located within the continental U.S., Scalera said. Also stationed in the continental U.S. will be three new Communications Vehicles (CVs), which were designed specifically to meet public-safety-communications use cases, he said.

Other new form factors in the FirstNet deployable portfolio are four Micro SatCOLTs, which are similar to the Compact Rapid Deployables (CRD) unveiled in January, but these will be owned by FirstNet rather than by first-responder agencies. These four Micro SatCOLTs are being located in western U.S. to support the 2021 wildfire response, as the agility of these assets are ideal for use in these environments, according to a press release from AT&T.

Two CRDs also are being stationed in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Those deployable assets will be owned and operated by wireless service provider Liberty, Scalera said.

Scalera said the four Micro SatCOLTs were funded by AT&T, while the other 15 assets were paid for by the FirstNet Authority through its reinvestment program. Approved a year ago by the FirstNet Authority board, the task order called for AT&T to make the deployable assets available to public-safety subscribers by June 30 this year—a timeline that will be met, Scalera said.

Continuing to fund enhancements to the portfolio of dedicated deployable assets is a reflection of the FirstNet Authority’s commitment to public safety, according to FirstNet Authority CEO Ed Parkinson.

“This is a strategic investment in public safety’s network,” Parkinson said in a prepared statement. “The FirstNet Authority set this in motion last year by directing network investments to expand the FirstNet fleet of deployables. Since launching the FirstNet network in 2018, the FirstNet Authority has worked with AT&T to increase the number of deployables from 72 to now over 100 mobile assets available to FirstNet users.”

“Public safety identified mobile coverage as a ‘must have’ early in the development of FirstNet, and since then we have seen both an increased use of and demand for the fleet of dedicated portable cell sites. The FirstNet Authority is pleased to deliver on our investments to expand the fleet and provide more innovative coverage solutions to public safety.”

Jason Porter, AT&T’s president for public sector and FirstNet, echoed this sentiment.

“When disaster strikes, FirstNet is there to support first responders—it’s as simple as that,” Porter said in a prepared statement. “We’ve expanded the FirstNet fleet to provide even more portable cell sites, as well as to introduce new types of assets to help public safety stay mission-ready. FirstNet is the only network that has assets fully dedicated to support America’s first responders, and we will continue to be at-the-ready for those who put their lives on the line to protect and serve their communities—no matter the emergency.”

Scalera expressed enthusiasm about the new FirstNet Communications Vehicles (CVs), which he said AT&T helped design with public-safety-communications needs in mind. Specifically, the CVs are smaller than SatCOLTs, which allows them to be deployed in a broader range of environments.

“To me, bigger is not always better, when you have to get it there, maneuver it, and get it into [constrained locations],” Scalera said. “It’s great to have a lot of features, but I want to get there and be operational for public safety, and that’s what we did with the design of these vehicles.”

Most importantly, CVs are designed to provide broadband connectivity quickly after arriving on scene.

“We can bring the signal up—because we’re pre-staged for it—instantaneously,” Scalera said. “Even when a SatCOLT gets there, it takes two hours to set up. We can be live [[supplementing]] in minutes until the SatCOLT arrives. I think that this is the next level of response—the commitment of FirstNet to public safety, that we’re going to be continuing to build on this.

“I think these Communications Vehicles can roll into the next level, and we probably will be launching some more in the future. I think that they’re the right way to go—one person can operate it.”

From a connectivity perspective, the new CVs support LTE, Wi-Fi and DirecTV video and broadband links, Scalera said. The deployable asset also is able to leverage a variety of backhaul options.

“It does multiple things. We can backhaul over wired Internet … We can actually backhaul it over our AT&T network through the Cradlepoint router, or we can backhaul it through the SDO over satellite,” Scalera said, noting that each CV also has an HPUE antenna to help strengthen the LTE signal back to the fixed terrestrial network.

Each CV includes room for two COML positions and four TV screens to display information, as well as a large screen embedded on the side of the vehicle that can be used to share information with responders or support mission planning sessions, according to Scalera.

“Any feed we take in can go on any screen inside the vehicle or on the large screen outside—the feed from DirecTV, the video from our camera, or anything that’s on a tablet or computer can all be shared inside or outside the vehicle,” he said.

In addition, the CVs are stocked with other communications equipment, including 20 phones, three Rapid Deployment Kits (RDKs), and a Mobile Broadband Kit (MBK) that is designed to provide ad-hoc in-building LTE connectivity, Scalera said.

 

 

Tags: homepage-featured-4 Applications Backhaul Companies Coverage/Interference Critical Infrastructure Deployables Federal Government/Military Funding Incident Command/Situational Awareness Long Term Evolution (LTE) News NTIA/FirstNet Policy Public Safety Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet Regional Coordination Software Standards State & Local Government Subscriber Devices System Design System Operation Tower & Site Video Wireless Networks News

Most Recent


  • AR-based next-gen maps aim to rebalance detail and simplicity
    Every sat-nav user is familiar with the chagrin of missing their turn because the map’s lines and circles don’t resemble the real world. Yandex is blaming maps, not users, for these errors. At its annual conference in December, the company presented its re-designed maps boasting natural-looking 3D objects such as trees, bus stops, colored buildings, […]
  • Vodafone UK starts 'risky' shift to 5G standalone
    Vodafone’s Andrea Dona has unflattering words for some of the IT products that could sit inside his high-performance 5G network. “There are OSS limitations,” said the chief network officer of the UK service provider, referring to operational support systems from unnamed vendors. “If there is full automation on the 5G element, and the OSS is […]
  • ChatGPT may be fastest-growing app of all time, UBS Says
    OpenAI’s immensely popular chatbot ChatGPT may just have broken the record for the fastest-growing app in history, reaching an estimated 123 million monthly active users less than three months after launch. According a research note from UBS shared with AI Business, TikTok took nine months to hit 100 million MAUs and it took Instagram 2.5 years […]
  • Public-safety coalition renews efforts to secure federal NG911 funding
    A coalition of public-safety associations today reiterated its support for federal legislation that would provide the funding needed to pay for 911 centers to migrate from legacy technologies to an IP-based next-generation 911 (NG911) platform that is designed to support multimedia communications, as well as traditional voice calls. Representatives of the Public Safety Next Generation […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

To leave a comment login with your Urgent Comms account:

Log in with your Urgent Comms account

Or alternatively provide your name, email address below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • FirstNet Authority board approves $218 million investment into 5G core, deployable assets
  • FirstNet Authority board approves FY 2021 budget with $46 million for network investment
  • FirstNet Authority signs $218 million task order for core upgrade, deployable assets
  • Rescue 42 increasing manufacturing capacity amid growing Compact Rapid Deployable interest, CEO says

Commentary


How 5G is making cities safer, smarter, and more efficient

26th January 2023

3GPP moves Release 18 freeze date to March 2024

18th January 2023

Do smart cities make safer cities?

  • 1
6th January 2023
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

AR-based next-gen maps aim to rebalance detail and simplicity dlvr.it/Sj4gdM

7th February 2023
UrgentComm

Vodafone UK starts ‘risky’ shift to 5G standalone dlvr.it/Sj4dPJ

7th February 2023
UrgentComm

ChatGPT may be fastest-growing app of all time, UBS Says dlvr.it/Sj4NfL

7th February 2023
UrgentComm

Public-safety coalition renews efforts to secure federal NG911 funding dlvr.it/ShwGfn

4th February 2023
UrgentComm

Newscan: Cyberattacks on DoE national labs draw lawmaker scrutiny dlvr.it/Shvpw3

3rd February 2023
UrgentComm

The shine begins to wear off 5G private wireless dlvr.it/Shth0P

3rd February 2023
UrgentComm

Phishers trick Microsoft into granting them ‘verified’ Cloud Partner status dlvr.it/Shqngn

2nd February 2023
UrgentComm

Shapeshifting robot can morph from a liquid to a solid dlvr.it/Shqk9K

2nd February 2023

Newsletter

Sign up for UrgentComm’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about Communications and Technology.

Expert Commentary

Learn from experts about the latest technology in automation, machine-learning, big data and cybersecurity.

Business Media

Find the latest videos and media from the market leaders.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • American City & County
  • IWCE
  • Light Reading
  • IOT World Today
  • Mission Critical Technologies
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.