Skanska Construction has been awarded a framework agreement by BT Airwave to supply radio base station sites as part of a new nationwide Public Safety Radio Communications Service – Airwave service.
The framework agreement is potentially worth an estimated £20m in a roll-out over 5 years and involves the design and construction of radio base stations throughout the UK. It was won in competitive tender on the strength of Skanska’s established networks operations with BT and other major cellular telecommunications businesses both in the UK and in mainland Europe.
The Public Safety Radio Communications project is aimed at providing police and other public safety services eg ambulance and fire services etc with almost total coverage anywhere in the UK. This includes 99 per cent coverage on all motorways and major roads and at least 96 per cent coverage on all minor roads. It will include services such as data transmission, vehicle location and automatic person location and represents a major step forward in staff safety, management of resources and response times.
The system is designed to serve the whole public safety community and will significantly improve the co-ordination of resources at major incidents. For the first time all public safety personnel will be able to communicate effectively with each other both on the scene and in control rooms.
Along with four other newly appointed framework contractors and a number of Other Licensed Operators contractors, Skanska will be responsible for installing circa 4,000 masts, towers and other communications equipment on existing rooftops and greenfield sites throughout the UK.
Martyn Brocklesby, commercial manager of Skanska Networks UK, Skanska’s telecommunications operation, UK cellular networks division, said the new network would be available only to recognised public services organisations including the MoD and military units, British Transport Police, the coastguard and the Environment Agency.
“As an established contractor working in the telecoms industry we have the resources, the skills, the trained workforce and the national coverage already in place to carry out this essential work anywhere in the country,” he added.