What can you tell us about the new ESN mobile and user services contracts?
John Black: The core of the delivery of ESN is through these two contracts. Mobile Services provides the network coverage and masts, and User Services provides the core of the data service and the push-to-talk solution.
The Mobile Services contract is held by BT/EE, and this new contract allows them to continue their work to deliver that part of the solution.
The recently announced User Services contract was awarded to IBM following a two-year open procurement process. They will deliver the mission-critical communications [MCX] app, and other parts of the core solution with their partners. With both contracts now awarded, we can really focus on delivery this year.
What does this mean for emergency services critical communications?
JB: Now that we have these suppliers confirmed, we’re working to confirm our plans to deliver the core functions we promised, which is the critical voice capability that will enable us to move users across from Airwave, and a new data carrier service.
The data service will be a critical-comms-enabled data pipe, with high reliability and a high bandwidth. This is for data applications that will roll out over the coming years and will be critical for our emergency services.
Simon Parr: We’re talking about something that blue-light services have never had before, a solution that becomes future-proofed.
This is not just about a replacement. What ESN will do is evolve as technology evolves, allowing blue-light partners to take advantage of advances in technologies over the next 20 or 30 years.
For example, this could allow robotics and AI to get involved in longer-term issues around deployments and assistance at the scenes of incidents.
What does this mean for ESN delivery, and the progress being made?
JB: Even throughout the procurement process, we’ve always been progressing the work to build out the network, including adding coverage in the London Underground and remote rural areas. We can now talk to users about the core part of the solution and we’re looking to move forward at pace.
We’re also talking concurrently about plans and dates for delivery, and working collaboratively with users to ensure we are all aligned at the right time. Then we can smoothly on-board organisations and integrate systems – like control rooms – as we focus on the critical path to delivery.
SP: Signing these two contracts is the largest piece in the jigsaw, clearly demonstrating that ‘this is now real’ for users. Having the programme in delivery means that we can now start talking in practical detail about exactly what’s going to happen and when.
We want users to get used to this new solution. To understand it, familiarise themselves with it, assure it and find out exactly what they’re going to need to do to accept it.
Then we start to move ESN forward into control rooms, training departments, vehicle fit-outs and so on. Up to the point where we know we can bring this new generation of communication tools into the hands of the users and turn Airwave off.
This is an extract of an article first published in the February 2025 edition of the BAPCO Journal. BAPCO 2025 is taking place this week at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
