WASHINGTON-Cingular Wireless L.L.C. has joined the list of mobile-phone carriers offering wireless priority service to federal, state and local leaders, and first responders.
“WPS is an extremely important tool to provide to key national security and emergency preparedness personnel during disaster and emergency situations. Cingular recognizes how vitally important WPS is to those who must direct well-coordinated emergency responses. Cingular’s commitment is to improve homeland security by facilitating a faster, more widespread deployment of WPS,” said Brian Fontes, Cingular vice president for federal government affairs.
Cingular expects to make WPS available in all of its markets by this time next year.
WPS contracts are awarded by the National Communications System, a unit of the Department of Homeland Security.
Work is under way to develop a CDMA solution for wireless priority service. Verizon Wireless and Sprint PCS use CDMA technology. Cingular’s entry means that all of the other nationwide carriers offer WPS.
WPS provides authorized federal, state, and local government leaders as well as key private-sector leaders and decision makers with the ability to have calls moved to the head of the queue in an emergency. WPS does not interfere or interrupt consumer wireless calls already in progress. A similar program, the Government Emergency Telecommunications Service, is available for wireline users.
