BT has signed a multi-million-pound contract with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to deliver thousands of mobile connections to support real-time reporting of critical events, from flooding to farming disease outbreaks.
The contract, which will run for up to five years across England, Scotland and Wales, will use EE’s mobile network to provide 34,000 connections for workers and a range of devices, from water sensors to payment machines.
The connectivity will enable reliable reporting of real-time data on factors such as water quality, extreme weather events, flood risks and the spread of disease through farming crops or livestock.
It will also support workers across the Department and its cluster members, including The Environment Agency, Animal, Plant and Health Agency, Natural England, Marine Management Organisation and The Rural Payment Agency.
Andy Rowe, BT’s director of central government, said, “It’s a privilege to welcome DEFRA to the EE network and to support their mission to restore and enhance the environment for the next generation.
“Their workers perform critical work across the UK and it’s vital they are provided with reliable network coverage, especially in times of crisis.”
DEFRA will also benefit from EE’s significant investment in the UK’s Shared Rural Network, enhancing 4G coverage in the country’s most rural areas, enabling both field and office-based DEFRA employees to work effectively.
BT has also committed to support DEFRA’s carbon reduction ambitions as part of the deal. It will be given access to key tools including eSim capability and BT’s carbon dashboard, which provides visibility of electricity consumption and carbon emissions at an individual workload and application level to help minimise waste and reduce carbon-generating activities.
Rowe added, “For organisations with large fleets and field workers, hybrid working is about more than just home and office spaces. Staying connected on the go is critical for DEFRA’s workers who rely on mobile connectivity to operate effectively and serve the wider public community daily or in emergency situations.”