Verizon, AT&T Land Biggest Networx Deal

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ - message board) and AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T - message board) have landed what one Verizon executive says could be the largest deal in the federal government’s Networx Universal contract. The value of the deal with Department of Homeland Security is just under $1 billion with Verizon winning the lead provider’s spot and a lion’s share of the contract with $678.5 million over 10 years. (See Verizon Nabs Networx Deal and AT&T Wins DHS Deal.)

“We think DHS is probably the largest award that will be made on Networx,” says Marlin Forbes, regional vice president of Verizon Business . Homeland Security comprises 22 individual agencies with over 5,000 agency sites worldwide. Verizon had already been a provider for DHS under the old Federal Telecommunications Services 2001 contract, but with Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S - message board) being left out of Networx Universal, Verizon now takes on a much larger role.