Verizon Communications Inc. VZ recently announced that its Frontline Crisis Response Team has completed the deployment of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to assist the New Orleans Police Department (“NOPD”) during the city’s annual Mardi Gras celebrations. This collaboration marked the first large-scale use of Verizon’s UAS technology, ensuring the safety of both residents and visitors. 

Being one of the largest and most well-known festivals in the world, Mardi Gras has been celebrated since the 16th century and contributes more than $1 billion to the local economy each year. Given the large-scale importance of the event, the NOPD opted to deploy Verizon’s Frontline solution to enhance situational awareness throughout the festivities. 

Supported by a dedicated crisis response team, this state-of-the-art network and technology solution is specifically designed to offer first responders secure, reliable, and mission-critical communication capabilities to meet their unique and evolving needs. The deployment of the UAS overwatch missions will likely play a crucial role in assisting public safety agencies with threat assessment and real-time decision-making. 

These AI-enabled advanced drones can be used for a multitude of operations, including search and rescue missions, thermal mapping and overall situational awareness during any crisis in the event. Its primary payload features multiple cameras, including telephoto, narrow, and radiometric thermal cameras for low-light environments use cases. These drones are capable of powering up in less than 40 seconds and can reach a flight speed of a maximum of 45 miles per hour. The Verizon Frontline team conducted more than 140 UAS flights, accumulating more than 45 hours in the air, helping the NOPD achieve its mission of keeping the festivities safe. 

Will VZ Stock Benefit From the Deployment?

With one of the most efficient wireless networks in the United States, Verizon continues to deploy the latest advanced technologies to deliver faster services for customers, driven by customer-focused planning, disciplined engineering and constant strategic investment. With more than three decades of experience working alongside public safety officials and agencies, Verizon Frontline continues to innovate and provide solutions that help departments like the NOPD handle complex events, manage emergencies, and ultimately keep their communities safe. 

The Frontline Crisis Response Team is known for its ability to provide emergency support to public safety agencies on a 24/7 basis. In addition to drone support, the team also sets up portable cell sites, Wi-Fi hotspots, charging stations, and other tools that help improve communications and network performance during crises. 

With this deployment, Verizon continues its commitment to advancing public safety technology by providing innovative solutions that meet the industry's evolving needs. This reinforces Verizon's position as a leader in the field and addresses the industry's dynamic needs.

These advancements are expected to generate incremental demand for Verizon’s solutions, leading to higher revenues. An improved financial performance is likely to propel the stock upward.

VZ Stock Price Performance

Shares of Verizon have gained 4.4% over the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 35.2%.

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VZ’s Zacks Rank and Key Picks

Verizon currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). 

Some better-ranked stocks in the broader industry have been discussed below:

InterDigital IDCC sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
In the trailing four quarters, InterDigital delivered an earnings surprise of 158.41%. The company is a pioneer in advanced mobile technologies that enable wireless communications and capabilities.

InterDigital designs and develops a wide range of advanced technology solutions, which are used in digital cellular, wireless 3G, 4G and IEEE 802-related products and networks. 

CommScope Holding COMM currently sports a Zacks Rank #1. It has a long-term growth expectation of 19.37%. 

Headquartered in Hickory, NC, CommScope is a premier provider of infrastructure solutions, including wireless and fiber optic solutions, for the core, access and edge layers of communication networks. Since its inception in 1976, the company has created a niche market for itself, helping customers scale network capacity, delivering better network response time and performance, and simplifying technology migration. CommScope currently operates in three segments — Connectivity and Cable Solutions, Networking, Intelligent Cellular and Security Solutions and Access Network Solutions. 

Arista Networks, Inc. ANET, carrying a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) at present, supplies products to a prestigious set of customers, including Fortune 500 global companies in markets such as cloud titans, enterprises, financials and specialty cloud service providers.

Arista delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 12.87% and has a long-term growth expectation of 14.41%. Arista currently serves five verticals, namely – cloud titans (customers that deploy more than one million servers), cloud specialty providers, service providers, financial services and the rest of the enterprise.

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Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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