WPS Now Operational in 15 U.S. Metropolitan Areas, with Additional Markets to Be Added Nationwide
Bellevue, Wash. — Jan. 21, 2003
T-Mobile USA today announced that the National Communications System (NCS), through its WPS integration contractor DynCorp, has awarded the company a Nationwide Wireless Priority Service (WPS) contract. It also announced that Nationwide WPS is operational in a total of 15 metropolitan areas in the Eastern United States, with additional markets to follow. T-Mobile has been providing WPS in the greater Washington, D.C. and New York City metropolitan areas since May 2002 WPS enables designated national security and emergency preparedness personnel greatly improved capability to complete wireless calls during times of emergency.
When trying to make a call in times of emergency, WPS users have the ability to queue at the top for the next available capacity from their closest base station in order to place their call, greatly enhancing their ability to complete wireless calls during these critical times and assist the situation. WPS is available only to designated leadership at all government levels, national security, emergency responders, and private sector critical infrastructure personnel, as approved by the NCS and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Rules and Requirements.
In addition to the greater New York City and Washington, D.C. areas, the initial Nationwide WPS capability is now available in metropolitan areas surrounding Atlanta; Birmingham, Ala.; Boston; Jacksonville, Fla.; Louisville, Ken.; Memphis, Tenn.; Miami; Mobile, Ala.; Nashville, Tenn.; New Orleans; Norfolk, Va.; Philadelphia, and Richmond, Va. Additional markets will be added nationwide over the next few months, as will further enhancements to the capability.
“We are very excited and proud that we now have the initial capability to provide the Nation’s leaders, first responders and critical infrastructure personnel with wireless priority communications during periods of emergency,” said Brenton C. Greene, Deputy Manager of the National Communications System. “We’ve worked hard with T-Mobile and all of our industry partners to develop a program that meets the President’s request for an emergency wireless communications system. This is a major first step.”
“T-Mobile is the first of what we hope will be a full slate of major wireless carriers ready to step up and support WPS nationwide,” said Greene. “We are also working very hard to secure funding and complete the work that will allow us to reach a full operating capability of WPS by the end of 2003.”
“NCS, the FCC, and others in the Administration and Congress have worked hard to make WPS a top priority and to ensure it was implemented as soon as possible,” said Gary Jones, Director of Standards Policy for T-Mobile. “We are pleased NCS, through DynCorp, has awarded T-Mobile a Nationwide WPS contract. We know that WPS is an important capability for U.S. national security and emergency preparedness and will be quickly adopted. With the initial stage of Nationwide WPS operational by the beginning of 2003, great progress has been made.”
Additional details on the WPS program are available at: http://wps.ncs.gov
Lindsay Morio
T-Mobile USA Media Relations
425-383-4002
About T-Mobile USA, Inc.
Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG. By the end of the first quarter of 2010, approximately 150 million mobile customers were served by the mobile communication segments of the Deutsche Telekom group - 33.7 million by T-Mobile USA - all via a common technology platform based on GSM and UMTS, the world's most widely used digital wireless standards. T-Mobile USA's innovative wireless products and services help empower people to connect to those who matter most. Multiple independent research studies continue to rank T-Mobile among the highest in numerous regions throughout the U.S. in wireless customer care and call quality. For more information, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com. T-Mobile is a federally registered trademark of Deutsche Telekom AG.