EE has been selected by the UK goverment to provide Britain’s Emergency Services with a resilient national mobile network, giving 300,000 critical emergency workers access to 4G voice and data for the first time. EE’s new 4G Emergency Services Network(ESN) will replace the existing TETRA system from mid-2017 onwards as current contracts expire.
The Government’s £1 billion Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme will ensure that Britain is a world leader in Emergency Services communications, and a 4G pioneer, said EE in a statement. The EE 4G network is expected to significantly improve the efficiency of the Emergency Services by providing access to the type of data and applications that have benefitted private businesses in recent years.
EE will work closely with the current provider, Airwave, the Lot 2 service provider, Motorola, and Lot 1 delivery partner KBR, as well as all 300,000 end users to manage a smooth transition to the new 4G network.
As part of the program, EE plans to build more than 500 new sites, expanding coverage in rural areas and switch on low frequency 800MHz spectrum on more than 3,800 sites to enhance rural and indoor coverage.
Olaf Swantee, CEO, EE
We are immensely proud to be selected to deliver this vital new network for Britain’s Emergency Services. We’ve worked closely with the Police and Ambulance crews to show the power of 4G in helping save time and save lives. We will now work tirelessly to deliver a highly resilient, truly nationwide 4G network to serve all of Britain’s Blue Light and First Responder teams across the UK.
