AT&T has snagged another government contract, this time for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The operator is charged with a $119 million task order to update CBP’s voice and data networks.
The 11-year contract was awarded under the General Service Administration’s (GSA) Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions program.
Stacy Schwartz, VP of FirstNet and AT&T’s public sector, told Fierce the task order is an expansion of a prior 15-year agreement AT&T made with CBP back in 2007. She added AT&T has a history of providing FirstNet services to eligible CBP users.
Under the new deal, AT&T will provide the agency virtual private networking and cloud connectivity services, as well as National Security and Emergency Preparedness capabilities, which will help CBP quickly respond to any crises.
The operator will bolster communication within CBP with managed network and security services, audio conference capabilities among other features. CBP also has the option to obtain services like Managed Trusted Internet Protocol Services – which allow agencies to securely connect to the internet – and IP-based voice.
Schwartz noted in a statement the contract enables AT&T to “support the important work CBP’s agents do, day in and day out, to protect our nation at all points of entry: from our borders to airports and seaports.”
AT&T’s work with CBP is “fully underway,” Schwartz told Fierce, and the operator is “making considerable progress in helping them modernize their voice and data networks and technology capabilities.”
Aside from the CBP contract, AT&T in April scored a $15 million contract to upgrade the Army National Guard’s command and control network. Prior to that, it secured $161 million to update and consolidate the U.S. Coast Guard’s data networks.
AT&T’s slew of government contracts also includes task orders from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Homeland Security, the Treasury Department and the Department of Transportation.
And AT&T isn’t the only provider CBP has tapped to improve its network. Lumen Technologies in July procured an 11-year, $137 million task order to provide CBP with SD-WAN and edge compute services.
Schwartz said AT&T’s networking services to CBP are “different and complementary” to what providers like Lumen are offering.
Asked if AT&T has any other government contracts on the horizon, Schwartz added the operator is pursuing “several” EIS opportunities, as multiple opportunities remain available to bidders on the EIS contract.