Charlotte, N.C., has contracted Alcatel-Lucent to develop and build a Long Term Evolution (LTE) public safety network in the 700 MHz frequency spectrum that has been dedicated for public-safety use.

Alcatel-Lucent will provide an end-to-end LTE solution. The City Council awarded the contract Sept. 26, according to the company.

The broadband network increases the reliability of critical incident management data for all first responders in Mecklenburg County and will enable first responders to communicate with tools such as mobile video, field use of fingerprint and facial recognition technology, and enhanced medical interoperability between first responders and hospitals.

"We are excited about our partnership with Alcatel-Lucent and what this technology will mean to the citizens of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County," says Charles Robinson, key business executive for Charlotte's Business Support Services division.

"Charlotte will be among the very first cities in the world to officially deploy the most advanced wireless broadband technology for Public Safety communications, which means that local emergency workers will be quicker to respond in critical situations, and better able to save lives," said Robert Vrij, president of Alcatel-Lucent's Americas Region. "The fact that the city of Charlotte chose our hosted LTE model for this critical network underscores the confidence and trust they have in our technology, abilities and people."

The 4G LTE Public Safety Network will be funded primarily by the $16.7 million Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grant that was awarded to the city in August 2010 by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The city expects to complete deployment of the network by July 2013.