A hint of winter winds swept over Minneapolis, as the Verizon Frontline team gathered on a breezy parking deck last week to demonstrate a handful of the service provider's 600 assets supporting first responders. As hurricane season winds down, the Verizon Frontline team is gearing up in preparation for seasonal winter storms.
"Our role is to provide support for first responders and public sector agencies," explained Matt Brungardt, crisis response manager for Verizon Frontline.
Brungardt added that the Verizon Frontline team's response is "activated by calling a 1-800 number and [we] provide assistance in all hazard events and solve the routine or complex communication challenges that they may face."
Among the assets available during the demo was a Cell On Light Truck (COLT), which provides cell tower and radio capabilities. In keeping with the barnyard animal theme, the smaller LAAMA vehicle provides 4G and 5G connectivity, and SPOT delivers 4G LTE connectivity, satellite backhaul and can also plug into existing fiber lines.
A smaller version of SPOT is the Rapid Response Connectivity Unit (RRCU), which is hitch mountable, has low-Earth orbit (LEO) Starlink satellite backhaul and provides a Wi-Fi access point. Perhaps the smallest vehicle, used in rough terrain and hard-to-reach areas, is the Mobile Connectivity Agile Vehicle. The MCAV is an electric bike that provides 4G LTE connectivity.
Verizon's local wireless teams, which coordinate with Verizon Frontline when needed, were also on site. Chris Click, senior manager of Wireless Network Assurance for Verizon, leads the local Verizon operations team and maintains the local wireless network in Minneapolis. Click's team coordinates with Verizon Frontline in emergency situations and supports some local venues and events teams with temporary connectivity assets.
Verizon Frontline has also partnered with Cradlepoint for the routers in many of its vehicle assets. Verizon Frontline partner Absolute was in attendance as well: The company provides software to law enforcement to maintain secure network access and avoid disconnects when network access drops.
Click on the caption button for a lightly edited transcript.
Here are a few topics we covered:
How Verizon Frontline deploys a wireless network during emergency situations (01:05)
Setting up temporary wireless networks at venues (02:12)
How Verizon Frontline customizes its support for emergency responders during each individual crisis (03:30)
Capabilities of the mobile network assets Verizon Frontline demoed in Minneapolis (04:27)
Satellite backups for mobile assets (06:14)
Permanent wireless assets Verizon deploys at venues such as the Super Bowl (06:53)
Unique capabilities of 5G-equipped mobile assets (07:27)
How Verizon Frontline is preparing for connectivity needs during winter storms (09:16)
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