IBM has landed a £1.362 billion contract with the UK Home Office to provide user services for the long-delayed Emergency Service Network (ESN) upgrade, following Motorola’s exit from the troubled project.
According to a recently published contract award notice, the deal will run until December 31, 2031, with options for two additional 12-month extensions. Under the agreement, IBM will deliver a managed service for the UK’s police, fire, and ambulance services, along with other potential users. The scope includes end-to-end systems integration, telecommunications infrastructure, device management, and customer support as part of the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP).
The contract value has risen significantly since its initial tender in May 2023, which was estimated at £895 million (excluding VAT). The Home Office attributed the £467 million increase to refined requirements developed during the tendering process, adding that IBM was chosen after “rigorous government procurement procedures.”
Motorola’s Withdrawal and ESN’s Prolonged Woes
IBM’s win follows Motorola’s decision to exit the project in late 2022, citing conflicts of interest due to its dual role as supplier of the current emergency communications network, Airwave, and as a contractor for the ESN. Motorola initially joined the ESN in 2015 with a £300 million contract, later increased to £400 million after a 2019 project reset.
Delays in deploying the ESN forced the government to extend the Airwave network, originally commissioned in 2000 and intended to shut down in 2019. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) raised concerns over Motorola’s dual role, estimating that the company could make nearly £1.3 billion in excess profits from Airwave over a decade. In response, the CMA imposed a price cap on Motorola’s fees, potentially saving taxpayers £200 million annually.
While the CMA’s decision was contested by Motorola, with a Court of Appeal hearing set for November 2024, the Home Office finalized a termination agreement for the ESN contract, paving the way for IBM to step in.
The Challenges of Modernizing Emergency Services Communications
The ESN aims to serve over 300,000 frontline emergency service users across the UK, encompassing handheld devices, equipment in 45,000 vehicles, 66 aircraft, and 100+ control rooms. EE is providing the 4G network infrastructure, which will cover most roads, aircraft up to 10,000 feet, and areas within 12 nautical miles of the coastline.
Key features of the ESN include the push-to-talk (PTT) function and data capabilities critical for emergency services. However, the system, initially planned to go live in 2019, is now expected to be operational by 2029—ten years behind schedule.
Simon Baxter, principal analyst at TechMarketView, cautioned that while the deal represents a major win for IBM, the ESMCP remains a highly complex program plagued by costly delays. “It is vital that the revised programme delivers quickly and effectively to avoid further costs and disruption being incurred by the emergency services,” he said.
The Home Office has promised to outline any impacts on costs and delivery timelines in an updated Programme Business Case, expected early this year.
With nearly a decade of setbacks and an ever-growing price tag, IBM now carries the weighty responsibility of delivering a long-overdue upgrade to the UK’s critical emergency communications infrastructure. Whether this will be the final piece of the ESN saga—or merely another chapter—remains to be seen.