Posts by Vadiba

UK needs to pick up handsets for troubled Emergency Services Network project

The "project" that just keeps on taking.

Government authorities received warnings as early as 2013-2014 that the Emergency Services Network (ESN) project would prove both expensive and fundamentally flawed. The initiative originated from Home Secretary Theresa May's 2011 directive to eliminate the Airwave system at any cost—a decision that was itself problematic and ultimately resulted in an extremely expensive system that failed to deliver on its promises.

The ESN project serves as a cautionary tale for those studying large-scale government technology deployments. It launched without proper planning, established standards, or clear implementation strategy. The driving force was simply the political desire to replace Airwave, which by 2008 had become a robust and reliable system that continues to function effectively today. Ironically, the ESN system will likely be obsolete by the time it fully rolls out.

Both Airwave and ESN have cost taxpayers billions of pounds (latest est ITRO £25B combined) while stifling technological innovation in the UK emergency services sector. However, at least Airwave functions as intended. A more sensible approach, adopted by many other countries, would maintain Airwave as the primary voice communication system while deploying secure, commercial, enhanced encrypted LTE (5G+) networks for supplementary data services.

The officials responsible for these fundamental misjudgments about emergency services requirements should have resigned in acknowledgment of their failures. Despite providing testimony about these issues in 2023, many moved on to more prestigious positions without facing consequences. For future programs of this magnitude to succeed, responsibility must be paired with genuine accountability, including potential legal action for fraud or gross incompetence in public office.

The primary beneficiaries of this debacle were the consulting firms that charged excessive daily fees while providing questionable expertise. The ultimate victims were British taxpayers and the emergency services personnel who depend on reliable communications systems.

IBM swoops in to rescue UK Emergency Services Network after Motorola shown the door

There seems to be a level of fear within the Home Office to manage and operate a Gov owned system, and a preference to outsource this. Other countries tend to operate and own their own emergency services system, whether it is TETRA or P25 with a separate LTE provision. One would have thought that they would have learnt their lesson with Airwave where the costs escalated rapidly. Additionally, the only ones who benefit financially from this project are the 'consultants' who earn massive amounts for generally poor advice. ESN has been an absolute sham project, poorly scoped and atrociously managed since its initial concept between 2011 and 2014.

UK regulator proposes price cap on Motorola as supplier of Airwave network

Out of date technology

By the time ESN is available, it'll be out of date and need replacing along with all the control room infrastructure used by the emergency services. They should have purchased and retained Airwave for all critical comms, and taken advantage of the latest technology for 5G encrypted data. Not that they weren't told 8 years ago!

Blaming the provider

It's a bit rich that Gov are saying this, where in reality the blame is totally with the Government. You can't blame Motorola for this as the Government knew the issues in the contract in the late 90's for Airwave and in 2014 for ESN. They were warned so many times by those in the profession, but the decision was forced through by those who thought they knew best in 2011. It's a prime example of how not to roll out a project like this, but then again, it's made many a consultant very rich!

UK police to spend tens of millions on legacy comms network kit

By the time ESN is available, it'll be out of date and need replacing along with all the control room infrastructure used by the emergency services. They should have purchased and retained Airwave for all critical comms, and taken advantage of the latest technology for 5G encrypted data. Not that they weren't told 8 years ago!

Motorola benefits from delays in the UK's emergency services network, says govt

How long will the Gov be able to repeat the mantra that 'it provides good value for money' ? The emergency services want a system that works, the PAC and others have criticised it, virtually from day 1. It's been a debacle and a colossal waste of money from the start.

UK watchdog launches full probe of Motorola Solutions' cop-comms deals on Emergency Services Network

The issue isn't so much Motorola - though it is warranted to investigate any org with a foot in both camps - but rather the way this whole programme has operated from the very beginning. It was poorly devised, managed and scoped with unrealistic costs and timescales. To go out to tender before the 3GPP standards for the critical users had even been written for the technology showed the level of incompetence of the consultants and the HO. It would be fairly easy to identify those individuals in the HO and consultants and hold them personally responsible for the catastrophe so that they could never work on such a programme ever again. The financial cost to the individual emergency services in recruiting and retaining their project teams for so many years while this disaster bumbles along is horrendous, let alone what the operating cost is likely to be so as to make a profit before its replacement comes along.

"This is a contractual matter between the Home Office and Motorola Solutions and this investigation threatens the principles of long-term government contracting in the UK,". Sound suspiciously similar to what Mark (now Sir) Sedgwill said when giving evidence to Richard Bacon MP on the PAC in 2016 when justifying the hands off approach to challanging Motorola on delivery.