AT&T reveals more on $306M DHS network modernization win

With the protest phase over, AT&T has secured four task orders with a $306 million combined ceiling value to modernize the Homeland Security Department’s telecommunications environment including the infrastructure.

AT&T said Thursday its work will directly support DHS headquarters and three of the department’s component agencies: Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Science and Technology Directorate.

DHS awarded the orders through the government-wide Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions vehicle for next-generation telecom services and solutions. AT&T won the work over bids by its two main federal telecom rivals in Verizon and Lumen Technologies, both of which saw their protests denied by the Government Accountability Office in rulings that were unsealed earlier this month.

For these particular efforts, the department is moving to Internet Protocol-based networking services and virtualized capabilities including new cybersecurity protections to cut down on the number of internet connections.

The orders also give DHS access to the AT&T-built FirstNet network for public safety communications, to which the department will have options for mobility integration including wireless edge solutions.

“We’re honored DHS selected us to modernize its communications capabilities with an IP-based infrastructure,” Stacy Schwarz, AT&T vice president of FirstNet and public safety, said in a release. “We expect the networking transformation to power the many missions of DHS agencies into the future.”