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. 

ENDS

Notes to editors: 

*All claims based on the RootMetrics® UK RootScore® Report: H1 2024. Tested at locations across the UK with the best commercially available smartphones on 4 national mobile networks across all available network types. Your experiences may vary. The RootMetrics award is not an endorsement of EE. Visit ee.co.uk/claims for more details. 

Emergency service personnel are rightly regarded as national heroes and they play a vital role in our country, responding to critical incidents and helping to keep us safe.

To support this crucial work, our police, fire and rescue, ambulance services and other first responders, need ultra-reliable connectivity to provide secure and mission-critical communications that they can also trust to keep them safe too.  Whether it’s ambulances sending vital patient data to hospitals so staff can prepare for a patient’s arrival; police officers controlling a volatile crowd calling for urgent back-up; or fire and rescue crews assessing burning buildings, based on digital blueprints on tablets and live helicopter camera footage; all these scenarios depend on a network that’s fast, safe, and reliable.

It’s a major reason why, as the UK’s biggest 4G network, EE was entrusted by the Home Office to build the new critical Emergency Services Network (ESN).  We continue to make our network bigger and increase its performance and reliability.

So far, we’ve:

• Completed upgrades to all our EE network estate to be ESN-capable. This includes over 19,500 masts across England, Scotland, and Wales, including many thousands of sites that provide unique road coverage for ESN.
• Installed coverage on challenging road and rail tunnels and stations for more than 71 upgrade and development schemes, including operational areas specifically required for the emergency services, such as the Glasgow SPT Subway and Nexus Metro, major road tunnels across Wales and the South of England like the Severn Tunnel, and high-speed rail routes including HS1 tunnels.
• Delivered ESN connectivity across more than 540,000km of roads.
• Delivered upgrades and system improvements to ensure high availability service levels are met.
• Built over 650 brand new 4G sites: also delivering vital broadband connectivity to many communities for the very first time.
• Established our fleet of Rapid Response Vehicles, including trailer-based versions, known as cells-on-wheels, to provide emergency and temporary coverage within hours. Indeed, they have been used to support many incidents such as fires and floods.

In addition to these key milestones, a full suite of ESN-certified Coverage-as-a-Service solutions are now available from EE to support the Home Office and ESN users to expand and enhance coverage into their critical areas such as operational headquarters, training centres and strategic buildings. This also includes supporting them through surveys and site assessments right through to design, build and operation.

As an added benefit to the public, the network we’re building enables us to offer neutral host solutions where required, or, in other words, opening up the connectivity for any major mobile network operator. This includes locations such as rail stations and public buildings, and these services are also available to potential customers such as property developers and landowners who need to ensure there is ESN coverage in their facilities.

I’m proud of the work our teams have achieved on delivering coverage for ESN. It’s a vital project that will transform our emergency services for the better and giving them cutting-edge communication technology to respond quickly to incidents, even in the most rural and remote areas and help to improve public safety.

But, as pleased as I am with our progress, it’s important to stress that our work continues to keep delivering more resilient coverage for, and in partnership with, our emergency services.

For more information about ESN visit EE 4G & ESN | Emergency Services Network | EE Business