Verizon won a contract with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) worth more than $400 million to improve data speeds with its domestic 4G and 5G wireless capabilities, while also improving network availability at key agency locations.

The contract was awarded to Verizon Public Sector through the US Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) programme, a $50 billion scheme to help government agencies update IT and telecoms infrastructure.

Verizon’s EIS contract with the FBI includes direct access to the operator’s IT development team to address critical problems or analyse potential system upgrades such as cloud computing, video and image transmissions, and data applications which require dynamic bandwidth.

The operator is also providing ethernet access and global VPNs using 4G LTE and 5G fixed wireless access (FWA).

Verizon cited benefits including faster data rates and lower latency, enabling the FBI to shift to wireless connections provisioned on-demand for swifter deployment at global locations, along with delivering high-speed connectivity for agents in the field.

Maggie Hallbach, SVP of Verizon Public Sector, stated it was helping the FBI modernise its network by improving operational efficiency, while also providing it with tailored approaches to meet individual division needs.

AT&T, Lumen Technologies, Comcast and MetTel are among other US companies to have won contracts through the EIS programme.

In 2020, the FBI tapped AT&T for mobile connectivity through the operator’s FirstNet public safety unit, in a $92 million deal.