Cities and local governments around the nation are moving to the Un-carrier. Cobb County, Georgia is the latest to make the move and with T-Mobile voice, data and fleet services, the Atlanta-area county is cutting costs, improving public safety, increasing efficiency and responding to the needs of a rapidly growing community. The county, which is Georgia’s 3^rd largest, recently switched more than 700 lines across nine departments to T-Mobile with a mix of smartphones, tablets and SyncUP FLEET devices.

“We’re seeing incredible innovation across the US from local and state governments, big and small, where mobility is empowering agencies to do amazing things to serve their communities better,” said Mike Katz, Executive Vice President of T-Mobile for Business. “T-Mobile is central to that transformation, enabling everyone and everything to go mobile.”

Cobb County has been a leader in fleet operations for years. Among its recent accolades, in 2017 the county ranked 6th nationwide for government fleets, and was named the 15th overall best fleet in North America. The county has equipped nearly 300 vehicles with T-Mobile SyncUP FLEET, including fire and emergency services vehicles. SyncUP FLEET is a small device that plugs directly into a compatible vehicle’s OBD-II port, allowing fleet operators to track and manage their vehicle from a mobile or desktop app. SyncUP FLEET can be used by fleet managers to optimize routes and decrease fuel consumption by identifying idle times and it can indicate when vehicle maintenance is required. With the HOS (Hours of Service) application, SyncUP FLEET can also provide paperless driver tracking.

“Implementing T-Mobile’s services has been seamless, and SyncUP FLEET alone is expected to save us $50,000 each year in fuel costs and more,” said Al Curtis, Fleet Director, Cobb County. “This is a win-win-win. We’re improving services across our region, being good stewards of taxpayer dollars, and creating a safer work environment for our employees.”

“Being a 24/7 operation, the ability to see where a team is in real time with SyncUP FLEET is incredibly impactful,” added Ryan Coover, Utilities Maintenance Superintendent, Cobb County. “In emergency situations, we’re able to identify and dispatch available crews immediately.”

Public safety has been a huge factor in driving technology adoption, with more than 300 data lines in use across five of the nine county departments. First responders in Cobb County carry LTE-enabled iPads that can act as mobile hotspots to relay real-time data from almost any location. This advance information can help hospitals and emergency room staff prepare for inbound cases and save valuable time.

The switch to the Un-carrier enabled many of the county’s employees to cut the cord to desk phones and wired internet connections, allowing the workforce to become truly mobile.