Telent Technology Services Ltd (Telent) has been awarded a multi-million-pound contract to test the Emergency Services Network (ESN) for the British Home Office as it transitions to 4G-based communications.
The win will see telent deliver the ESN Assure service and follows an announcement from the Home Office in September for a ‘new strategic direction’ for ESN. It aims to save £200 million (€225 million) in public money per year by fully replacing the current radio-based network with a mobile 4G network.
The new approach will mean emergency service users including police, fire and ambulance services can use data services over the network from as early as next year, with voice capabilities following soon after. The move aims to transform the emergency services way of working, especially in remote areas and at critical times when faced with network congestion, giving them priority over commercial users.
The telent contract for ESN Assure includes the full testing of the 4G commercial network from all of the mobile network providers for the emergency services. telent will also handle up to 150 individual user accounts and 50 simultaneous user logins for access to all software analysis of testing, with the possibility to develop the application to allow for more capabilities once ESN is made available.
“We’re thrilled to be involved in this new direction for ESN and help to provide the emergency services with far better data quality,” said Barry Zielinski, general manager public safety & defence at telent.
“As one of the most critical communications networks in the UK, it’s crucial that officers can communicate in real-time. Our testing and service offering is second to none, with our support offices available 24/7/365.”
The contract will also include drive and walk test services for the ESN and 4G commercial networks; the provision of a helpdesk to support and maintain all components of the solution; a training service and full reporting on all tests carried out.
In addition to the contract requirements, telent will provide a hosting service of the server, drive test and walk test results in a fully secure, PSN accredited environment, within its own UK based private cloud.
Zielinski continued: “The Home Office recognising the quality of our testing services is a brilliant achievement for us. This ambitious project will change the way that emergency services communicate and ensures that they are rightly prioritised. It reflects our credibility in the industry and delivery capabilities, putting us at the heart of the ESN. We can’t wait to see the transformation.”
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