AT&T wins satellite deal

NPOESS

AT&T Government Solutions has won a $10 million contract to build an IP-based communications network to support a multiagency weather satellite system.

The seven-year contract is to support the National Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS), a project of NASA, the Defense Department, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

AT&T will be a subcontractor under Raytheon Co., building a network that will support Raytheon's data-gathering and management work with NPOESS. The satellites are used for weather forecasting and climatology research.

Lou Addeo, president of AT&T Government, said that developing IP networks is becoming a critical skill for the company. "Agencies want to rely on a trusted vendor for these networks, and that's where we distinguish ourselves," he said.