 BT Group signs major new contract to deliver mobile services for Government’s Emergency Services Network
BT Group has today announced it has signed a new £1.29bn contract with the Home Office to provide mobile services for the Government’s Emergency Services Network (ESN) over the next seven years.
ESN is a national critical communications system that enables fast, safe and secure mission-critical voice, video and data across the 4G network and gives first responders immediate access to life-saving data, images and information in live situations and emergencies on the frontline.
The network grants 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.
EE 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 police, fire and rescue, ambulance services, and other first responders, access to EE’s award-winning mobile network – which has been named the UK’s best and most reliable mobile network*.
It included building a new dedicated core network for 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.
EE’s original mobile services ESN agreement with the Home Office is due to expire on 31 December 2024.
Under the new contract, which comes into effect today, 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, 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 – to meet the operational standards for Public Safety Communications Services (PSCS) users. The new contract spans 7.25 years, with option for a one-year extension.
Bas Burger, CEO – Business at BT, said: “BT Group has been a committed longstanding partner for Britain’s Emergency Services Network (ESN). 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.”
BT is unrivalled in its experience delivering the UK’s critical connectivity infrastructure, with its fixed and mobile networks trusted to underpin essential public services across the nation.
As well as connecting national and local government, BT works with more than 200 NHS trusts, 43 police forces, 29 fire services and has supported the emergency services by handling all incoming 999 calls since 1937.
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Repair Shop star backs BT’s digital drive as 2 in 3 small businesses say tech preserves their traditions
Two-thirds (67%) of UK small businesses say digital technology has helped them keep their traditions alive, rising to four fifths (81%) among those started before 1900
New BT research reveals four in five small businesses (78%) have adopted new tech in the last year, with cybersecurity and social media amongst top investment areas
However, a fifth (22%) still see themselves as “analogue-first” – relying on tech like traditional landlines, paper contracts, physical filing and fax machines
As the UK moves away from analogue networks, BT is supporting businesses to switch on to the benefits of digital connectivity – and is urging them to move off the historic copper phone network by the end of 2025
Will Kirk, star of BBC’s The Repair Shop, joins call to help Britain’s traditional businesses discover how new tech can help them safeguard their heritage for the future.
London, 28 November 2024: Will Kirk, star of hit BBC show The Repair Shop, has joined forces with BT to encourage the UK’s much-loved heritage businesses to go digital – as new research shows two in three small firms (67%) say technology is keeping their traditions alive.
The woodwork expert and Heritage Crafts ambassador, famous for bringing heirlooms back to life, wants to show how moving from analogue to digital can preserve traditional businesses’ historic ways of working, enable them to reach new audiences, and make it easier to manage their operations. The call comes as four fifths (81%) of businesses started before 1900 say tech has helped to preserve their traditions.
BT’s research reveals that three-quarters of small business leaders (77%) believe new technology has ensured their company’s survival. The majority – nine in ten (89%) – say digital tech has opened new revenue streams, 80% feel it has given them a competitive edge, while 79% say it has helped them connect with new customers.
BT’s study shows that the UK’s small business community has been investing in technology this year, with most seizing the opportunity to boost their networks and digital tools in 2024. Four in five small firms (78%) say they have introduced new technology in the last 12 months. The top investment was a new website (50%), followed by increased cybersecurity (48%) and social media (45%). Two in five (40%) describe their small business as being a tech company, or one driven by advanced technology such as AI, robotics, or data analytics.
However, a fifth of the UK’s small and medium firms (22%) – equivalent to more than a million1 – still think of themselves as an “analogue̶1; company, using technologies like traditional landlines, paper-based contracts and physical filing systems to do business. For example, one in six (16%) still use fax machines.
BT’s research comes as the UK is undergoing a once-in-a-generation tech upgrade, moving to digital networks as the ageing copper-based Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), approaches retirement after more than four decades in operation. The switchover from the PSTN to digital connectivity is a move to futureproof the UK’s infrastructure, with the old network more prone to faults and outages, putting businesses at risk of losing connection to critical services.
BT is working with businesses of all sizes to support them in the move from analogue to digital, and is urging business customers to migrate over to more modern networks by the end of 2025. The PSTN is scheduled for retirement by the end of January 2027. As well as legacy copper landlines and broadband, other business equipment still connected to the PSTN will stop working as the network retires – including certain door entry systems, alarms and CCTV.
Kerry Small, Chief Operating Officer – Business at BT, comments: "These figures show that the majority of the UK’s small businesses have been in upgrade mode this year – embracing the tech to help them thrive in a digital world. Today, businesses of all shapes and sizes can’t run without stable, secure connectivity. The UK’s analogue copper telephone network has a proud history, with its origins in the 1800s, but it’s no longer up to the task for businesses. It’s simply too risky to build the economy on a shaky foundation.
“Analogue companies making the move now can rely on rock-solid digital connectivity to help keep them in business for years to come. We’re supporting customers small and large through the move, so no business is left behind. Whether you’re a tech start-up or a family firm passed down through generations, when it comes to going digital – BT’s got your back.”
Will Kirk, star of BBC’s The Repair Shop, comments: “Restoring the crafts and artistry of the past is my job, so I know how important it is to preserve tradition for the next generations. Embracing digital tech can help small businesses with decades of history reach new customers, streamline services, and stay competitive. It doesn’t mean replacing the heart of what makes heritage businesses unique – it’s about giving them the tools they need to hold onto this heritage in an increasingly-digital world.”
BT is urging all businesses to switch on to the benefits of digital networks, including better stability, security and efficiency. For example, digital landlines enable businesses to make and receive calls from one number via multiple devices, even on the go. They also offer improved scam protection. Full-fibre broadband connectivity can deliver speeds that are up to ten times faster than copper-based connections to handle a wider range of multimedia services, such as video conferencing and streaming.
For more information on the switch from analogue to digital connectivity, businesses can visit: business.bt.com/insights/uk-pstn-switch-off.
Small business case study: Switching to digital
In Birmingham, going digital has helped York Supplies hardware store to continue to deliver on its promise to be an extension of locals’ sheds – as it has since 1947 – even through tough times in retail.
When the previous owner retired in 2022, residents and neighboring businesses rallied round to fundraise to ensure its survival, forming a co-operative that now owns the store. The buyout also led to a full technology makeover, enabling York Supplies to face the future with confidence. The business is now fully digital, equipped with fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband, tablets and modern point-of-sale systems to help its staff streamline orders, expand product offerings, and liaise with customers online. Once a “hidden gem”, York Supplies now has about 2,000 social media followers and is planning to expand its product range.
Richard Bickle, Director of York Supplies Community Society, comments: “Our business has been around since before fax machines, during which time it’s become a huge part of the local community, with generations of customers coming through our door.
“When we purchased the shop we inherited a long-standing relationship with BT, but the infrastructure needed an upgrade so we could adopt new technologies to grow and market the business. Making the switch to digital has been so easy, with BT engineers explaining and installing everything for us. Our new system quietly supports the business as we venture into social media, and online ordering systems, all to help our heritage business to continue thriving in the 21st century.”
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