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BT wins £2,5 billion contract to provide digital radio service for UK emergency services

Motorola has been awarded a multihundred million pound contract to provide a nationwide system infrastructure based on the TETRA standard –TErrestrial Trunked RAdio - for the UK's Public Safety Radio Communications Project (PSRCP). Motorola will team up with integration partner TRW to provide BT and the UK emergency services with a world-leading TETRA radio service.

Motorola's selection as the system provider came after five years of intensive work during which Motorola worked with BT and TRW to define the next generation of integrated communications system demanded by today's emergency services throughout the country. Following an intensive bidding process Motorola demonstrated that it was the only supplier that could commit to delivering this advanced system within the critical timeframe demanded by BT and the Home Office.

The PSRCP radio system will provide the police and other emergency services with a state-of-the-art communications solution to meet their requirements now and in the future.

A "one stop shop"

Motorola will provide a "one stop shop" for the supply, integration and maintenance of the PSRCP radio network that covers each of the 53 police services throughout England, Scotland and Wales. The PSRCP service will provide voice and data communications in a seamless and integrated format across emergency organisations and geographical boundaries. The PSRCP network will span over 2500 sites and will be implemented across the forces in a five-year rollout.

"PSRCP is the largest TETRA public safety contract awarded to date, and this win serves to confirm Motorola's position as the leading supplier to public safety organisations world-wide" said John Doughty Motorola Vice President. "We have had an incredible start to the year.

"This is the sixth TETRA infrastructure contract announced by us in the last month and builds on our success last year when we were awarded the contract to supply London Underground with an integrated communications system.

"Organisations around the world have been waiting for the outcome of this project and we are delighted to be here today with the Home Office, PITO, BT and TRW." Doughty continued. "This announcement by Motorola and BT is a major endorsement for the TETRA standard."

Motorola has developed public safety as a core business for more than 50 years and has been awarded contracts based on the TETRA open standard in Spain, The Netherlands, Poland, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Iceland, Germany and Sweden. Furthermore, operational trial systems are being supplied to public safety organisations in Germany, Hungary and Jersey.

Motorola was awarded the contract to provide the radio infrastructure for the PSRCP pilot with the Lancashire Police Service in April 1999.

The pilot system is currently at Motorola's systems integration centre in Hampshire ready for shipment. Testing of the service will begin in Lancashire this summer, after which the first of six Lancashire divisions will begin migration onto the live service.

For details contact Motorola CGISS representative, Suzanne McDermott, on telephone: (0944) 1256 484 505 or e-mail: suzanne.mcdermott@motorola.com

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