Page 40 - SAMENA Trends - April-May 2021

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

US DoT Taps AT&T for Upgraded Connectivity

AT&T won a contract to modernize and public cloud and finding the right balance” to detect, monitor and respond to internal
maintain voice and data networks for the for their needs. Personal communications and external threats. AT&T sees “literally
US Department of Transportation (DoT) will form a key part of AT&T’s work with hundreds of millions” of network events
over the next 12 years, a deal the operator the DoT, which employs 55,000 people each day, Smith explained. The DoT
stated taps a growing trend of government nationwide: the operator will provide contract could give AT&T an advantage with
bodies accessing cloud services. Chris virtual private networking, IP-based voice state and local governments if Congress
Smith, VP for civilian and shared services services and secure cloud access. Smith passes an infrastructure spending bill.
in the public sector, said the $175 million said wireless networks will be important Smith noted DoT unit the Federal Aviation
contract will include cloud technologies, 5G for connecting vehicles as well as people, Administration is likely to have a “large
and security systems. He predicted a trend noting 5G and LTE have “great applicability” grant-making role” if the bill is approved,
of government departments migrating to “the management and control of alongside the department’s broader role in
workloads to the public cloud will continue, drones, as well as autonomous vehicles”. public transportation projects which may
noting each agency “constantly works The executive highlighted AT&T’s long include network elements.
through the balance of what’s in their experience in providing security services,
colocation private facilities and what’s in with the operator set to enable the DoT

AT&T Recognized at 2021 DiversityInc Awards

After being inducted into the DiversityInc Social & Governance (ESG) – not ranked
Hall of Fame in 2020, AT&T was once again “At AT&T, we recognize we are people
recognized as a company that remains first, and if we all commit to listening,
committed to ensuring its workplace understanding and taking action to stand
is inclusive with a wide diversity of for equality, we will be one step closer
backgrounds and perspectives during the to building a truly inclusive environment
2021 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for inside and outside the workplace. I want to
Diversity event on Thursday, May 6. During thank our employees for living these values
the 20th anniversary event, AT&T was and making this recognition possible,”
honored for its efforts to advance diversity, says Corey Anthony, SVP Chief Diversity &
equity and inclusion with placements on Development Officer, AT&T. Prior to joining
these Specialty Lists: the DiversityInc Hall of Fame in 2020, AT&T
• Top Companies for Executive Diversity has ranked in the Top 10 on DiversityInc’s
Councils: #3 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list for
• Top Companies for Supplier Diversity: #4 the last seven years. The DiversityInc Top
• Top Companies for Mentoring: #4 50 is the leading assessment of diversity
• Top Companies for Employee Resource management in corporate America.
Groups: #6 Rankings are based on an empirical
• Top Companies for LGBTQ Employees: analysis of the performance of more than
#10 1800 participating companies in six areas:
• Top Companies for Black Executives: human capital diversity metrics, leadership
#14 – new Specialty List accountability, talent programs, workplace
• Top Companies for Environmental, practices, supplier diversity & philanthropy.

AT&T Weighs in on Broadband Speed Definition, Argues Against Rural

Symmetrical Fiber Broadband

The federal government should not use a legislation that is expected to be adopted combined in an average household of four,
broadband speed definition that precludes soon is likely to include a considerable it’s easy to conclude that download speeds
fixed wireless, argued AT&T Executive Vice amount of funding for broadband must increase,” Marsh wrote. She goes on
President of Federal Regulatory Relations deployments. The current FCC minimum to say, though, that “what is less clear is
Joan Marsh in a blog post late last week. broadband speed definition of 25/3 Mbps whether we need to increase upload speeds
As Marsh notes, the definition is important is too low, Marsh argues in the blog post. to the same level as download speeds for
because the federal infrastructure “When zooming, streaming and tweeting is the purpose of defining ‘unserved’ areas.”

40 APRIL-MAY 2021