WASHINGTON-Verizon Wireless said it was awarded a contract to provide wireless priority service to local, state and federal government officials and first responders, marking the first availability of the feature on CDMA mobile phone networks.
The Bush administration renewed focus on wireless priority service after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States.
Verizon Wireless received the contract from the Computer Sciences Corp., a National Communications System integration contractor for the Government Emergency Telecommunications Service.
GSM carriers T -Mobile USA Inc. and Cingular Wireless L.L.C. already provide wireless priority service. Sprint Nextel Corp. offers the service on its iDEN network, but does not yet do so on its CDMA network.
