UK Parliamentary Oversight Hearing
On Monday, 7 June 2021, the UK Parliament Public Accounts Committee conducted a hearing on Home Office issues. The status of the delayed Emergency Services Network (ESN) program was a major agenda item.
Home Office Secretary Matthew Rycroft responded to Committee questions on the program.
A transcript of the exchange can be found on the UK Parliament Public Accounts Committee website.
Highlights of the discussion include:
- The Home Office expects to deliver the UK's ESN program by year-end 2026, a delay of two years from the last update.
- The Airwave system is not expected to be obsolete by 2025, but the Secretary believes it will obsolete by 2030.
- Rycroft asserted that UK Emergency Services organizations must plan for adoption in 2026, but no mechanism to force subscribers from Airwave was discussed. The Home Office expects program success that will create incentives for stakeholders to transition.
- Rycroft claimed that the Home Office has confidence in the latest iteration of the schedule thanks to expanded end-user input. The PAC Chair requested details that support this confidence, but none were offered.
- Progress-to-date was placed at 70% of the program completion. When pressed, Rycroft could not offer details expanding on the claim (e.g., cost, network, users, devices, costs, coverage, etc.).
- With the completion delay shifting to 2026, the whole-life cost of the program now stands at £11.2 billion. In contrast, the 2015 estimate of whole-life cost was £6.2 billion.
- Airwave costs per year are £450 million.
- ESN cost per year is expected to be £200 million, leading to a £250 million savings each year.
Ecosystem Impact
- Yet another shift right for the ESN end date signals a caution flag for vendors and potential national Public Safety Broadband Networks (PSBN) network operators. The slow progress is likely due to a challenging effort to support mission-critical push-to-talk group voice communications as an impetus. Only Korea has gone so far towards adopting MC-PTT, and Korea remains in the early days of system take-up.
- Delay provides additional time for innovators to bring new devices that effectively match capabilities of TETRA hand-held units, including support for Direct Mode Back-to-Back. This schedule slip is an opportunity for hybrid TETRA/LTE devices to shine if the suppliers can get the form factor right.
- Motorola Solutions continues to win with its ownership of Airwave and its stake as a contributor to ESN. It is telling that a mission-critical hybrid TETRA/LTE device has yet to appear in its European portfolio. With device limitations a likely factor in end-user agency considerations, the portfolio gap may enable future Airwave extensions.
End User Impact
- The window between full completion of the ESN program in 2025 and adoption in 2026 is very narrow. This limited period may not be enough for adequate trials in advance of a complete TETRA shutdown. End-user agencies must identify what ESN limitations will remain in the 2024 and 2025 timeframe. The extent of limitations will govern the utility of pre-deployment trials in that period.
- Police, fire, and EMS agencies will continue to struggle to plan and budget for a transition without evidence that the ESN system, ESN capable MC-PTT devices, and control room integration matches existing TETRA functionality, coverage, and quality.
- Police, fire, and EMS agencies should consider the value that ESN data services offer in advance of a fully operational group voice service. Most barriers for the ESN program are related to matching TETRA group voice functionality on-network, in the control room, and when devices are out of network range. While more time is required to address the challenge of voice support, a robust mission-critical data capability that enhances computer-aided dispatch, electronic patient reporting, and situational awareness is ready to go today.
Bottom Line
The disappointing schedule shift-to-the-right for ESN is not unexpected, but the lack of details on the root cause and why users should believe the 2026 date is concerning. Korea and the United Kingdom are the first two countries attempting to shift group voice communications from narrowband to broadband. Other nations hoping to follow this evolutionary path will need to move cautiously, given the lack of concrete progress from the two pioneers. However, the good news is that ESN support for data traffic does not face the same headwinds as a voice transition. High-quality mobile broadband data services enriched by mission-critical Quality of Service, Priority, and Preemption can quickly take a significant role in supporting applications for the police, fire, and emergency medical services.