BT Group signed a seven-year contract worth £1.29 billion with the UK’s Home Office to provide mobile services for the government’s Emergency Services Network (ESN), as the pair’s existing agreement is due to expire at the end of 2024.

BT stated the new contract, which comes into effect from today (2 December), means the company will continue to build, maintain and develop critical mobile coverage and capabilities for ESN, as it rolls out support to more than 300,000 users.

This means providing communications services across all of EE’s RAN and additional connectivity to boost nationwide coverage for first responders.

As part of the agreement, BT will take management responsibility and provide coverage services for the Home Office’s Air-to-Ground network, Extended Area Services sites, communications services on the London Underground and specific road and rail tunnels.

Additionally, the expanded ESN programme will require BT to carry out the UK’s “largest ever” single rollout of coverage solutions for indoor locations to meet the operational standards for Public Safety Communications Services users. The contract will run until 2032, with an option for a one-year extension.

Riddled with issues
BT’s mobile operator EE agreed a deal in 2015 to build an ESN as part of wider programme to replace the country’s Airwave system, which had been in place for more than two decades. It won the contract in partnership with Motorola and consultancy KBR.

The project was due to be completed in 2020 but was riddled with issues. The government revealed in 2019 the initiative was running around 50 per cent over budget and would not be completed until 2023. In 2022, Motorola entered talks to end its involvement.

On the fresh agreement, Bas Burger, CEO of BT Business said it was proud to double down on its commitment with the Home Office “as the government takes ESN from build through to delivery and operation of this critical network”.