Verizon is still the United States’ leader when it comes to communications solutions for public safety officials, according to a recent LinkedIn Pulse post from Michael Maiorana, the company’s Senior Vice President of Enterprise Solutions for the Public Sector. Maiorana recently outlined how the firm’s networking infrastructure is used by law enforcement and first responders across the country, in addition to detailing some more “forward-thinking” solutions that the telecom giant is providing in a number of areas.
Maiorana stressed how important communication is during any given emergency or response situation. That’s true regardless of what kind of emergency is taking or has taken place since it allows coordinated efforts over a wide distance. Those communications need to be reliable and Verizon says it fits the bill since it invests billions of dollars in its massive 4G LTE network on an annual basis. Maiorana also pointed to numerous J.D. Power awards ammassed by the company, though Verizon did not manage to capture the top award this year. He went on to list five key points that aim to support his conclusion, starting with first responders’ use of equipment connected via Verizon’s network, linking up responders, databases, and dispatchers in real time. The company also provides specialized services specifically made for public safety officials that include priority access to networks, private traffic management, and push-to-talk services. Some cities including Sacramento and Boston will be rolling out “Smart Cities applications” over Verizon fiber networks, the firm’s senior executive said, adding how these solutions will be used to monitor public services and assist with traffic management. Maiorana also pointed to software-based solutions for protecting the network itself, Verizon’s technical support, and local teams that are said to be assisting law enforcement across the country.
Beyond those points, Maiorana went into detail about how Verizon helped with responses to emergencies in the past, noting that the company actively supports other organizations working toward the same public safety goals. Further still, Verizon is working on additional solutions to aid in more future-ready public safety efforts with technologies that include drones, robots, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, telemedicine, and IoT solutions – with many of those available for public safety customers right now, the wireless carrier’s official said.