BT Group to deliver mobile services for UK's Emergency Services Network

BT Group (formerly British Telecom) has signed a new £1.29 billion contract with the UK Home Office to provide mobile services for the country’s Emergency Services Network (ESN) over the next seven years.

ESN is a national critical communications system that is set to enable fast, safe and secure mission-critical voice, video and data across the 4G network and give first responders immediate access to life-saving data, images and information in live situations and emergencies on the frontline. The network will grant priority access for vital services including life-saving blue light workers, to ensure they are able to communicate and respond swiftly to emergency events even in remote areas or when networks are busy.

Mobile network operator EE, which was acquired by BT in 2016, was first entrusted by the Home Office to build ESN in 2015 as part of a wider new Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme to replace the old Airwave system, which had been in place for more than two decades. This upgrade gave Britain’s first responders access to EE’s mobile network and included building a new dedicated core network for the ESN as a mission-critical service, ensuring priority EE connectivity to emergency services users at all times. It also included upgrading more than 19,500 of EE’s existing 4G sites ready for ESN and expanding coverage in rural and critical operational areas, as well as developing the network to enable priority and pre-emption for emergency services over other users.

With EE’s original mobile services ESN agreement with the Home Office due to expire on 31 December 2024, BT Group will continue to build, maintain and develop critical mobile coverage and capabilities for ESN as it rolls out to support more than 300,000 users. This means providing high service availability across all of EE’s 4G Radio Access Network (RAN), as well as adding additional connectivity to boost national coverage for first responders.

The new contract also sees BT Group take management responsibility and provide coverage services for the Home Office’s Air-to-Ground (A2G) network, Extended Area Services (EAS) sites, the London Underground, and specific road and rail tunnels.

It is expected that the ESN program will see BT Group carry out the country’s largest ever single rollout of coverage solutions into indoor locations, to meet the operational standards for public safety communications services (PSCS) users. The new contract spans 7.25 years, with the 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.”