AT&T and City of Los Angeles Explore Smart Cities Public-Private Partnership

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T* and the City of Los Angeles are looking to team up to make LA one of the smartest cities in America.

To foster the creation of a Smart City, AT&T and LA are in talks regarding a public-private partnership. With Internet of Things (IoT) technology and support for the deployment of small cell technology, we'll work with the city on ways to address the problems that matter most to the people that live, work, and visit there.

"Access to information is the foundation of equality, opportunity, and prosperity," said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. "We are establishing unique partnerships as we deploy new networks and technologies across L.A. — and we're excited to be discussing with AT&T how to empower Angelenos with new tools that could make their lives easier and our communities stronger."

LA is at the forefront of using technology and innovation to improve the community. Traffic, natural disaster preparedness, and public safety will be top of mind.

To achieve this, we're exploring the deployment of a variety of Smart Cities solutions ranging from digital kiosks to structural monitoring to digital infrastructure. The deployment of these technologies will benefit all neighborhoods in Los Angeles, helping to provide better connectivity to neighborhoods that have been traditionally left behind in the digital divide.

"We're exploring possibilities with the City of LA to create a technology-first environment that can improve experiences for residents and visitors across the community," said Michael Zeto, Vice President and General Manager of Smart Cities, AT&T. "We're looking to help the city improve problems like traffic congestion and public safety."

To enhance existing voice and data capacity in LA, we'll be looking to deploy a greater number of small cells more rapidly to expand our existing network and begin deployment of a 5G network. With more than 222 petabytes of data running over our global network on a given day, small cells will proactively help meet the demands of customers in LA and around the world.

Small cell technology also helps bring increased capacity to first responders. This is in addition to the increased coverage and capacity that FirstNet -- the nationwide public safety communications platform dedicated to America's first responders -- is providing to the LA public safety community through the network's Band 14 spectrum build and integration of assets from the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System.

Public safety agencies in the area are already subscribing to FirstNet to take advantage of its innovative capabilities. We'll be exploring opportunities to deliver FirstNet services to the LA Fire Department and LA Police Department to improve their day-to-day communications.

"We're about to witness an evolution in public safety communications and first responders' access to data. This is thanks to the advancements of the FirstNet network platform and the technologies that are being built upon it," said Maggie Goodrich, AT&T-FirstNet consultant and former CIO for the Los Angeles Police Department. "The possibilities enabled by FirstNet can change the game for first responders in LA and across the country."

This type of public-private partnership is an example of value exchange for public benefit. By providing a comprehensive agreement, we're able to support innovation, help ensure increased equity in the availability of network access, and address important city priorities.

And AT&T's discussions with the City of Los Angeles for AT&T's Smart Cities solutions are just one way we are using the Internet of Things (IoT) for Good. We continue social good through our Aspire education initiative supporting students and creators in numerous programs across LA, California, and the nation. More information on all our social and environmental sustainably programs is at att.com/csr.

*About AT&T Communications
We help family, friends and neighbors connect in meaningful ways every day. From the first phone call 140+ years ago to mobile video streaming, we innovate to improve lives. We have the nation's largest and most reliable network and the nation's best network for video streaming.** We're building FirstNet just for first responders and creating next-generation mobile 5G. With DIRECTV and DIRECTV NOW, we deliver entertainment people love to talk about. Our smart, highly secure solutions serve over 3 million global businesses – nearly all of the Fortune 1000. And worldwide, our spirit of service drives employees to give back to their communities.

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SOURCE AT&T Inc.

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