Under the terms of the contract, AT&T Global Services will serve as the primary data services provider, delivering switched metro Ethernet service in and around Fort Smith. The AT&T Ethernet Service will centralize data communication and expand the city’s bandwidth to support secure and flexible deployment of data across multiple locations, such as the city’s administrative offices and government departments.
The converged network infrastructure will further enhance the city’s existing communications system, by providing online access to city services and the city’s new internet protocol-based telephone system.
According to AT&T, with this technology, all of the city’s municipal departments will benefit from significantly improved network access, allowing phone calls and service requests to be routed more efficiently among municipal locations throughout Fort Smith. This will ultimately improve service to residents and reduce overall response times to citizen requests.
The technology will also provide Fort Smith with the ability to deploy its voice, data, video and internet services through a consolidated network infrastructure. The centralized system will also enable future applications, such as allowing the Fort Smith fire departments, police departments and courts to quickly and securely transfer data between locations.
