BT renews emergency services connectivity deal

ESN is a communications system that provides voice, video and data across 4G and gives first responders access to images and information that can help in an emergency. It grants priority access to ‘blue light workers’, to ensure the system works even in remote areas or when networks are busy.

EE was given the contract to build ESN in 2015 as part of a new Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme to replace the old Airwave system, which had been doing the job for two decades. The deal included building a new dedicated core network, and upgrading more than 19,500 of EE’s existing 4G sites.

The original contract is due to expire at the end of this year, and the new contract will see BT add additional connectivity to boost national coverage for first responders.

It will also involve BT taking on management responsibility and provide coverage services for the Home Office’s Air-to-Ground (A2G) network, their Extended Area Services (EAS) sites, London Underground and specific road and rail tunnels.

It is expected that the ESN programme will see BT Group carry out “the country’s largest ever single roll-out of coverage solutions into indoor locations”, and the new contract spans 7.25 years, with option for a one-year extension.

“BT Group has been a committed longstanding partner for Britain’s Emergency Services Network (ESN),” said Bas Burger, CEO – Business at BT. “We’re proud to double down on this commitment today by broadening the scope of our agreement with the Home Office until 2032 and beyond – as the Government takes ESN from build through to delivery and operation of this critical network.

“Essential public services like these depend on a rock-solid digital foundation. Through our award-winning EE mobile network, we’ll continue to play a central part in delivering mission- critical, trusted communications for the Emergency Services on the ground, in the air, and wherever they need to operate – helping them connect for good and protect the communities they serve nationwide.”

It hasn’t been smooth sailing for the ESN since it was scheduled to move over EE’s 4G network, however. In 2018 the Home Office announced the project would be set back by three years, having initially been slated to go online by mid-2017.

The next year, the National Audit office delivered a scathing assessment of the project, pointing to the costs apart from anything else, stating: “The Home Office expects ESN to be cheaper than Airwave in the long run, but the savings will not outweigh the costs until at least 2029. This is already seven years later than originally intended.”