Delaware’s central location on the eastern seaboard means it borders three states with major east coast cities. The high concentration of industry and tourism within the state’s compact 1,954 square miles has the potential to place a strain on its communications infrastructure, sometimes causing network congestion for Delaware’s first responders.
The First Responder Network Authority team recognizes the unique communications challenges that Delaware first responders face. We have been working closely with Delaware public safety officials since 2014, capturing their feedback and working with AT&T to translate it into the design of the FirstNet network. During the development of state deployment plans, our team worked hand-in-hand with Delaware leaders and AT&T to ensure the plan was customized to address their needs, including:
- Extending coverage to include rural areas across the state, the Atlantic beach areas, and the coastline of the Delaware Bay while also improving in-building coverage
- Including a deployable solution that supports emergency response and events
- Demonstrating awareness of the public safety mission when it comes to customer care and support
Following this close collaboration, Delaware chose to adopt the plan and “opt in” to FirstNet. Today, we continue to meet regularly with state and local officials to discuss their public safety broadband needs. Engagements like these are crucial to the ongoing success of the network and the advancement of public safety communications across the state and the nation.
Connect with our team of Public Safety Advisors to learn about FirstNet in your community.