USDA hires AT&T

Agriculture Department officials have selected AT&T to provide telecommunications services departmentwide.

The Universal Telecommunications Network will provide connectivity for more than 100,000 employees in USDA offices and agencies nationwide. The contract also includes network management and security services.

USDA officials originally planned to award a contract for the network's integration services, but the bids for that work came in higher than expected, so department officials have cancelled that procurement, for now, said chief information officer Scott Charbo, speaking Tuesday at a breakfast sponsored by Input.