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Lot 4 of the emergency services network contract removed

Published: 
14 January, 2015

NEWSFLASH: Lot 3 tenders are so good that the Home Office has decided Lot 4 is not needed.

According to the Home Office, industry-promised significant improvements in areas with poor mobile signal mean plans for a national ‘extension to mobile services’ contract are redundant in their current form.

Originally, areas of the country with poor or non-existent mobile coverage, which weren’t expected to be covered by the main Emergency Services Network (ESN) contract (Lot 3), were expected to be guaranteed signal by an extra ‘extension to mobile services’ contract (Lot 4).

Main Procurement Lots;

  •  Lot 1 – Delivery Partner.
  •  Lot 2 – User Services.
  •  Lot 3 – Mobile Services.
  •  Lot 4 – Extension Services.

However, the Home Office has said that its evaluation of tenders has revealed the main contract Lot 3 bids offer unexpected and significant improvements in poor signal areas, negating the need for a Lot 4 contract of the currently specified size and shape.

Minister for Policing Mike Penning said: “Although the tender bids are still being evaluated, it is clear that competition for contracts for the new ESN has resulted in offers by the mobile industry which are significantly beyond our initial expectations.

“The quality of the bids means the areas of the UK that would have remained covered by the Lot 4 ‘extension to mobile services’ contract are now significantly smaller than we envisaged, therefore we do not need to proceed with the contract in its current form.

“The new ESN will be the best in the world and give the emergency services new and vital tools they can use to protect the public and save lives.”

It is envisaged that on the enhanced commercial network the emergency services will have priority over other users, which will avoid the need for separate and expensive mobile radio spectrum. Coverage for the emergency services is expected to at least match what is currently provided.




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