Governed by the Department for Transport, MCA produce legislation and guidance on maritime matters, and provide certification to seafarers. As part of MCA, HM Coastguard provide the frontline emergency response including search and rescue services around the UK’s coast.
Telent’s relationship with the MCA extends back over 10 years through the provision of maintenance of radio equipment at HM Coastguard remote radio sites and the delivery of additional support services.
In July 2020, Telent secured a new ten-year contract with the MCA to design, build and operate an upgraded mission-critical communications network for HM Coastguard. The new network, which combines full-fibre and microwave technology, was set to replace the aging copper infrastructure. The upgrade to a fibre network enables the transmission of large amounts of data, including voice and video communications over long distances.
To support His Majesty’s Coastguard to carry out its life-saving tasks effectively and provide the public with the reassurance that they can respond to any emergency, the MCA required a new national communication network to connect 163 remote radio sites spanning across 11,000 miles of UK coastline. The new network will replacing the existing legacy infrastructure with a combination of full-fibre and microwave technology. These radio sites carry communications between the national data centres, 10 HM Coastguard Operation Centres and the vessels at sea.
The project to design and build the new network is well underway and will be provided by Telent as a fully managed service to MCA. This will include monitoring and managing end-to-end performance, planning and carrying out maintenance activities and conducting technical changes and updates. The fibre-based network will enable MCA to undertake its own digital transformation, deliver new digital services and communication capabilities, and bring a new edge to the search and rescue work of HM Coastguard.
Following the 1,220km of new infrastructure being installed connecting all 163 remote radio sites, Telent is providing a fully managed service. As part of this, Telent is monitoring and managing the end-to-end performance, undertaking maintenance activities and implementing technical updates. Having first begun working together in 2010, maintaining radio equipment at the remote radio sites and delivering additional support services, Telent and MCA’s relationship has moved from strength to strength.
- Jo Gretton, CEO at Telent