DHS contracts with Verizon for telecom network
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded a nominal billion dollar contract to Verizon Business and AT&T to build a secure telecommunications network. Under the contract, Verizon Business will provide private IP and security services, as well as emergency communications services, to help the department respond quickly to disasters.As prime contractor, Verizon will receive up to $679 million to consolidate multiple wide-area networks at the 22 agencies that comprise DHS.
According to Debbie Lewis, spokesperson for Verizon Business, “Verizon will take the separate existing network components and combine them into one. Verizon will also build a network security operation for DHS.”
Verizon will also manage the network for DHS employees at more than 5,000 worldwide sites and provide mobile communications services for the agency. Part of the project will involve tying several data centers together.
"There are multiple systems in DHS, and there is a fairly significant legacy environment that has to be addressed," Marlin Forbes, regional vice president for Verizon Business told SCMagazineUS on Thursday.
AT&T Government Solutions, a business unit of AT&T, will serve as the secondary network service provider in about 300 locations in the eastern and western region, a contract worth $292 million.
The program will run for the next 10 years.
"We look forward to being a trusted partner of DHS for many years to come," said John Killian, president of Verizon Business.
The contract is part of the U.S. General Services Administration's $48 billion Networx Universal program.
