Mary-Louise Hoffman
AT&T has added a 55-foot aerostat to the company's fleet of deployable network assets built to complement a national broadband communications system for first responders.
FirstNet One is designed to facilitate LTE connectivity within a targeted area in tne event of a disaster, Chris Sambar, executive vice president of technology operations at AT&T, wrote in a blog entry posted Tuesday.
He noted the portable blimp "can fly up to 1,000 feet for approximately 2 weeks before needing additional helium top-off."
The aerostat is AT&T's 76th dedicated public safety network asset. Other portable assets include the drone-based Flying COW cell site and Satellite Cell on Light Trucks.
According to Sambar, the company will offer 24/7 FirstNet One coverage to network subscribers at no additional fee.
