DHS chooses AT&T for telecommunications infrastructure modernization project
The Department of Homeland Security announced a new deal with AT&T that will see the telecoms giant "modernize and transform" its telecommunications and network infrastructure.
In a statement, the organizations said AT&T had been given four different task orders worth a total of $306 Million over the next 12 years. AT&T is planning to shift DHS and its 240,000 employees to an all-IP network.
The task orders cover networking services for the DHS headquarters, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Science and Technology Directorate.
In addition to IP-based networking services, AT&T will provide all four with data networking, voice collaboration, equipment, security, and labor. DHS will also be given access to FirstNet, a network built for first responders and public safety personnel that offers "wireless edge solutions for primary and failover connectivity."
DHS wants AT&T to virtualize its networking capabilities and provide them with other technologies like SD-WAN and "cybersecurity protections that reduce the number of internet connections for improved monitoring and zero-trust networking."
Work on the projects begins today, according to the statement.