Liberty and FirstNet, built with AT&T, test next-gen mobile equipment
Communication tests for first responders during emergencies were conducted using new portable cell sites in Puerto Rico.
Liberty and the FirstNet team at AT&T recently conducted tests on the FirstNet network and spotlighted portable cell sites from the dedicated FirstNet fleet, including the new Compact Rapid Deployable (miniCRD), which agencies can purchase and self-deploy for fast and reliable response capabilities.
Working closely with AT&T, Liberty stated that it is “helping ensure first responders and public safety agencies in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) have the interoperable communications they need, no matter the emergency.”
The drill involved representatives from AT&T, Liberty, and territory and federal law enforcement and emergency response agencies.
“This test is very important to us. If we must face an emergency in Puerto Rico or in the USVI, we can provide communication support to our first responders so they can focus fully on their jobs,” said Víctor Vera, director of Radio Access Network Engineering at Liberty.
“Having FirstNet equipment on-site in Puerto Rico also means that we can make the deployment faster to provide dedicated connectivity for first responders,” Vera added.
Wilfredo Pereira, senior principal consultant for the FirstNet Program in Puerto Rico and the USVI, along with the FirstNet Response Operations Group (ROG) at AT&T, presented the FirstNet deployable solutions.
Attendees were introduced to the new miniCRD, which consists of two ultra-portable ruggedized cases, each about the size of checked luggage. They also learned about other FirstNet assets available in the event of an emergency, such as on-island mobile cell sites like Satellite Cell on Light Trucks (SatCOLTs) and CRDs.
These assets connect to FirstNet via satellite and do not rely on commercial power, making them ideal for use during emergencies in remote areas or situations where communications may be temporarily unavailable, such as search and rescue missions or after a major hurricane.
FirstNet subscribers will have dedicated Band 14 connectivity wherever it’s needed, the provider stated.
Pereira said that having the new equipment in Puerto Rico is a great improvement in preparedness compared to the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017 “because it provides reliable connectivity for first responders in hard-to-reach locations.”
“This equipment is used during emergencies. Any public safety agency on FirstNet can request the deployment of assets from the FirstNet fleet at no additional charge,” Pereira said.
“They are available here in Puerto Rico and we don’t have to wait for them to be transported from another location, which makes a big difference during a natural disaster or any situation in which you need rapid emergency communication deployment,” he added.
