The Northern Mariana Islands to Transform Communications for Public Safety; Governor Torres Approves Buildout Plan for First Responder Network

RESTON, Va., Jan. 19, 2018 – The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is modernizing communications technology for its first responders. Today, Governor Ralph Deleon Guerrero Torres accepted the First Responder Network Authority* and AT&T** plan to deliver a wireless broadband network to the territory’s public safety community. FirstNet will bring advanced tools that will help the Northern Mariana Islands’ first responders save lives and protect communities.

AT&T, in a public-private partnership with the First Responder Network Authority, will provide a highly secure wireless broadband communications network for the Northern Mariana Islands’ public safety community at no cost to the territory. The FirstNet network will drive innovation and create an entire system of modernized devices, apps and tools for first responders.

FirstNet will transform the way the Northern Mariana Islands’ fire, police, EMS and other public safety personnel communicate and share information. Specifically, it will:

• Connect first responder subscribers to the critical information they need in a highly secure manner when handling day-to-day operations, responding to emergencies and supporting large events like the Flame Tree Arts Festival.
• Create an efficient communications experience for public safety personnel in agencies and jurisdictions across the territory during natural disasters, such as typhoons, storm surges and tsunamis.
• Enhance and expand network coverage across the Northern Mariana Islands’ diverse landscape, benefitting first responders and residents throughout the territory’s rural or remote areas.
• Provide first responders with access to dedicated network assets that can be deployed for additional coverage and support when needed.
• Drive infrastructure investments across the territory.
• Usher in a new wave of dependable innovations for first responders. This will create an ever-evolving set of life-saving tools for public safety, including public safety apps, specialized devices and Internet of Things technologies.

The First Responder Network Authority and AT&T designed the Northern Mariana Islands’ network solution with direct input from the territory and its public safety community. This helped to address the territory’s unique communications needs, including:

• Extending coverage to the areas where island topology currently creates gaps.
• Making deployable network assets available to the territory.
• Using existing infrastructure assets as appropriate.
• Offering feature-rich services at competitive prices.

“Today, Governor Torres made history. With his decision to join FirstNet, we are proud to have every U.S. state and territory on the nationwide public safety broadband network,” said First Responder Network Authority CEO Mike Poth. “Governor Torres’s decision will help enhance emergency communications across the territory’s rural and remote areas by bringing coverage and capacity to the islands. We look forward to continuing to work with public safety in the Northern Mariana Islands to help ensure that emergency first responders will have access to the most modern and innovative tools available today.”

The decision enables the First Responder Network Authority and AT&T to begin offering an entirely new wireless ecosystem for public safety communications. The Northern Mariana Islands’ first responder subscribers will have access to quality of service, priority and preemption to voice and data across the FirstNet network.

“Opting in to FirstNet is a clear sign of Governor Torres’s commitment to public safety in the Northern Mariana Islands,” said Stephanie Tyler, president, AT&T Pacific Northwest. “First responders deserve the best possible communications platform and we’re honored to help deliver it for them.” 

For more information on FirstNet, please go to FirstNet.gov/mediakit and att.com/FirstResponderNews. For more about the value FirstNet will bring to public safety, please go to FirstNet.com.

*About the First Responder Network Authority
The First Responder Network Authority is an independent authority within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Chartered in 2012, its mission is to ensure the building, deployment, and operation of the nationwide, broadband network that equips first responders to save lives and protect U.S. communities. Learn more at FirstNet.gov/mediakit and follow the Authority (@FirstNetGov) on Facebook and Twitter for updates.

**About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) helps millions around the globe connect with leading entertainment, business, mobile and high speed internet services. We have the nation’s largest and most reliable network*** and the best global coverage of any U.S. wireless provider. We’re one of the world’s largest providers of pay TV. We have TV customers in the U.S. and 11 Latin American countries. Nearly 3.5 million companies, from small to large businesses around the globe, turn to AT&T for our highly secure smart solutions.