摩托罗拉解决方案公司获得了一份价值8200万英镑的15个月合同，为英国公共安全机构提供Kodiak推送通话和其他紧急服务网络服务，合同期限至2024年12月
. uri=特德：通知：280398-2019年：文本：英语：HTML src=0“ 概述合同授予的文档。随着ESN有望取代airvave提供的关键业务语音服务，英国TETRA系统也由摩托罗拉解决方案公司拥有，该系统拥有经过验证的PoC产品. 本内政部文件没有确定标准化解决方案。
摩托罗拉解决方案公司（Motorola Solutions）获得了一份价值8200万英镑（超过1.04亿美元）的15个月合同，为英国公共安全机构提供Kodiak推送通话（PoC）和其他紧急服务网络（ESN）服务，合同期限至2024年12月
根据内政部的消息，除了摩托罗拉解决方案公司之前的ESN合同中增加时间和金钱之外，无竞争合同的延期还正式包括从WAVE 7000平台过渡到摩托罗拉解决方案公司2017年收购的“现成”Kodiak PoC产品>采购文件指出：“由于ESN项目延期，因此需要对交付时间表进行变更，因此需要对这些变更进行变更。”。“此外，从Wave 7000到已使用的Kodiak产品的变化降低了交付风险，使该计划能够更快地转向标准化解决方案。”
本内政部文件没有确定标准化解决方案。美国电话电报公司（AT T）官员承诺，未来6个月内，为FirstNet（美国政府的公共安全LTE计划）提供第一响应服务的用户，让他们选择提供完全符合3GPP关键任务按键通话（MCPTT）标准的服务的提供商
英国内政部官员最近几个小时关于ESN的证词和公开演讲中没有提到MCPTT。Motorola Solutions已经声明Kodiak符合目前大多数MCPTT准则，但它一段时间内不会完全符合MCPTT，，因为它无法提供近距离服务（散文），采用MCPTT标准的直接模式技术。然而，许多公共安全代表质疑ProSe对于第一响应者的实用性，因为低功率的LTE设备无法匹配LMR的直接模式范围
当被问及情况时，摩托罗拉解决方案发言人证实，将用于ESN的Kodiak产品与FIrstNet用户目前可以使用的产品相同
“摩托罗拉解决方案公司将提供一个基于3GPP标准的Kodiak push-to-talk（PTT）软件解决方案，该解决方案将与紧急服务网络集成，”根据摩托罗拉解决方案公司向IWCE紧急通信公司提供的声明。“Kodiak的特性和功能将作为ESN增量推出的一部分引入。”
按照最初的提议，ESN的LTE推送通话服务本应今年年底取代Airway。通过将昂贵的TETRA系统与ESN一起退役，英国政府希望实现显著的成本节约，并为第一响应者提供一个提供关键语音和宽带数据的网络
但是，由于ESN推出的一系列延误，这一愿景遭到了破坏，导致这个庞大的项目超出预算30多亿美元，比原定计划晚了至少3年。内政部官员表示>作为这一扩展的一部分，内政部正进行的一项改变是，从部署ESN的“大爆炸”方法转向增量交付模型
“摩托罗拉解决方案将继续与内政部和其他合作伙伴密切合作，以确保整个英国的应急服务平稳过渡，“根据摩托罗拉解决方案公司的声明。
据英国内政部负责ESN的高级负责人史蒂芬?韦伯（Stephen Webb）称，两年前，WAVE 7000的发售显然不能满足英国公共安全的需要，导致内政部和摩托罗拉解决方案公司之间的关系出现裂痕，双方都“各自承担了最坏的后果”。与这种紧张局势相反，ESN延期裁决的一个方面是“内政部和摩托罗拉之间的历史性纠纷和索赔已得到解决”，采购文件指出
根据内政部的采购文件，这项ESN扩展没有经过竞争性招标程序，“这是合理的，因为根据修改后的合同采购的服务只能由摩托罗拉提供，因为技术原因没有竞争。”
采购文件指出：“内政部所需的服务包括尽快全面推出ESN解决方案（以摆脱和避免空中电视的高成本，并改善终端用户的PSC）。”。“最快可以2022年12月左右全面铺开
“因此，内政部正采购服务，包括2022年12月前后开发和全面推出ESN解决方案（以及此后的必要合同期，以便于向新供应商过渡）。只有摩托罗拉才能这段时间内提供此类服务。”
韩国的SafeNet系统和美国的FirstNet网络预计将从摩托罗拉解决方案公司以外的供应商提供公共安全LTE推送通话服务。但英国内政部认为，转向摩托罗拉解决方案以外的供应商将导致额外延迟2-5年，并增加11亿英镑（超过14亿美元）至26亿英镑（超过33亿美元）的额外成本
根据内政部采购文件，“这些数字考虑到了这样一个事实，即转向新的供应商很可能意味着内政部不仅要向新供应商支付服务费用，而且还要支付可能增加的法律费用和合同纠纷。”。“这些观点的背景是，PSC是重要的国家基础设施。”
出于一些潜的原因，英国政府很可能需要向摩托罗拉解决方案公司支付费用，以便2022年底的当前目标日期之后继续提供航空服务。自从摩托罗拉解决方案公司赢得ESN软件合同后不久就收购了airve，摩托罗拉解决方案公司被指定交付ESN推送通话软件来取代airvave，这一事实一直是一个令人担忧的问题
英国国家审计署（NAO）最近发布的一份报告称：“内政部需要就摩托罗拉合同的变更达成一致之前，谨慎管理续签Airway的商业后果。”。摩托罗拉将从ESN的成功开发中获益，但它也从继续使用airvave中获得巨额收入
收购了airve和Kodiak之后，摩托罗拉拥有了当前和未来紧急服务通信系统的几个关键组件，这使得它2024年续签ESN合同时比任何竞争对手都具有优势。摩托罗拉还是一家控制室供应商，手机和车辆设备的潜供应商，并负责ESN设备和控制室的认证。”
英国公共账户委员会（PAC）成员杰弗里·克利夫顿·布朗爵士（Sir Geoffrey Clifton Brown）也表达了同样的看法，他指出，如果有必要达成任何形式的无线扩展协议，他不喜欢政府的谈判立场。他说，目前，英国政府每年要花费约6.2亿英镑扩建无线电波
“我看来，如果你还剩下大量的无线电波使用量（2022年以后的服务需要续签协议），摩托罗拉将不可避免地对你说：‘对不起，我们必须投入大量资金来实现这一目标。’。克利夫顿·布朗5月份的PAC听证会上说。“你失去了筹码，不是吗？““
内政部面临的另一个问题是覆盖率。为了与Airway提供的覆盖范围相匹配，内政部承担了建设292个蜂窝站点的责任，以扩大EE的商业网络建设所提供的覆盖范围，这接近于满足合同条款的要求
然而，根据NAO的报告，到目前为止，预计的292个家庭办公单元中只有两个已经建成
尽管存这些和其他ESN构建障碍，内政部官员还是表示相信英国政府将提供ESN系统的技术方面的支持。不过，英国内政部的领导人承诺，英国公共安全机构对LTE产品感到满意之前，他们不会被要求从airvave切换到ESN，而官员们也不确定这一重要迁移何时完成
Motorola Solutions has been awarded a 15-month contract extension worth 82 million pounds (more than $104 million) to supply Kodiak push-to-talk-over-cellular (PoC) and other Emergency Services Network (ESN) services for United Kingdom (UK) public-safety agencies through December 2024.
In addition to adding time and money to Motorola Solutions’ previous ESN contract, the no-competition contract extension formally includes a transition from the WAVE 7000 platform to the “off-the-shelf” Kodiak PoC offering that Motorola Solutions acquired in 2017, according to the Home Office document outlining the contract award. With the ESN expected to replace the mission-critical-voice service provided by Airwave—the UK TETRA system that is also owned by Motorola Solutions—having a proven PoC product is important.
“The need for these changes has arisen because the ESN project is delayed and therefore changes are required to the delivery timetable,” the procurement document states. “Further, the change from Wave 7000 to the already-working Kodiak product de-risks delivery and enables the program to move to a standardized solution faster.”
This Home Office document does not identify the standardized solution. AT T officials have pledged to provide first-responder subscribers to FirstNet—the U.S. government’s public-safety LTE initiative—with a choice of providers supplying services that comply fully with the 3GPP’s mission-critical-push-to-talk (MCPTT) standard during the next six months.
UK Home Office officials have not mentioned MCPTT in several hours of recent testimony and public speeches about the ESN. Motorola Solutions has stated that Kodiak meets most MCPTT guidelines today, but it will not be fully MCPTT compliant for some time, because it is not able to provide Proximity Services (ProSe), the direct-mode technology with the MCPTT standard. However, many public-safety representatives have questioned ProSe’s utility for first responders, because lower-powered LTE devices cannot match the direct-mode range of LMR.
When asked about the situation, a Motorola Solutions spokesperson confirmed that the Kodiak product that will be used in the ESN is the same one that is available to FIrstNet users today.
“Motorola Solutions will provide a 3GPP standards-based Kodiak push-to-talk (PTT) software solution which will integrate with the Emergency Services Network,” according to a Motorola Solutions statement provided to . “Kodiak features and functionality will be introduced as part of the incremental rollout of ESN.”
As originally proposed, the ESN’s LTE push-to-talk service was supposed to replace Airwave at the end of this year. By retiring the expensive TETRA system with the ESN, the UK government expected to realize significant cost savings and give first responders a network that provided mission-critical voice and broadband data.
But this vision has been undermined by series of delays to the ESN rollout that have resulted in the massive project being more than $3 billion over budget and at least three years behind the original schedule. Home Office officials have stated that the earliest completion date for the ESN is December 2022—when the recent Airwave contract extension is set to expire—and that at least some portion of the Airwave network will be needed through 2023.
One change that the Home Office is making as part of this extension is a shift from a “big bang” approach to ESN deployment to an incremental delivery model.
“Motorola Solutions will continue to work closely with the Home Office and other partners throughout the incremental roll-out of the ESN to ensure a smooth transition for emergency services across the UK,” according to a statement from Motorola Solutions.
Two years ago, it became clear that the WAVE 7000 offering would not meet the needs of UK public safety, causing a rift in the relationship between the Home Office and Motorola Solutions—both sides “assumed the worst of each other,” according to Stephen Webb, the senior responsible owner for ESN in the Home Office. In contrast to this tension, one aspect of the ESN extension award is that “historic disputes and claims between the Home Office and Motorola are settled,” the procurement document states.
This ESN extension was not subject to a competitive bidding process, “which is justified, because the services being procured under the modified contract can be provided only by Motorola, because competition is absent for technical reasons,” according to the Home Office procurement document.
“The services required by the Home Office consist of the full rollout of the ESN solution as soon as reasonably possible (to transition away from and avoid the high costs of, Airwave and to improve end users’ PSCS),” the procurement document states. “The soonest that a full rollout could reasonably be achieved is by around December 2022.
“The Home Office is therefore procuring services which include the development and full rollout of an ESN solution by around December 2022 (along with a necessary contractual period thereafter, to facilitate transition to a new provider). Only Motorola can provide such services within that timeframe.”
South Korea’s SafeNet system and the United States’ FirstNet network are expected to provide public-safety LTE push-to-talk services from a provider other than Motorola Solutions. But the Home Office determined that switching to a vendor other than Motorola Solutions would result in an extra delay of 2-5 years and additional costs between 1.1 billion pounds (more than $1.4 billion) to 2.6 billion pounds (more than $3.3 billion).
“These figures take account of the fact that switching to a new provider would be likely to mean that the Home Office has not only to pay the new provider for the services, but also covers likely additional legal costs and contractual disputes,” according to the Home Office procurement document. “The context for these points is that the PSCS is critical national infrastructure.”
For a number of potential reasons, it is very likely that the UK government will need to pay Motorola Solutions to continue Airwave service beyond the current target date at the end of 2022. The fact that Motorola Solutions is the vendor designated to deliver the ESN push-to-talk software to replace Airwave has been a point of concern since Motorola Solutions purchased Airwave shortly after winning the ESN software contract.
“The Home Office will need to manage carefully the commercial consequences of renewing Airwave before changes to the Motorola contract have been agreed,” according to a recent UK National Audit Office (NAO) report, which was released shortly before the contract extending Airwave through December 2022 was signed. “Motorola will benefit from the successful development of ESN, but it also receives large revenues from the continued use of Airwave.
“Following its acquisitions of Airwave and Kodiak, Motorola owns several key components of the current and future emergency services communications systems, putting it at an advantage over any competitors when the ESN contract is renewed in 2024. Motorola is also a control room vendor, potential supplier of handsets and vehicle devices and in charge of accrediting devices and control rooms for ESN.”
UK Public Accounts Committee (PAC) member Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown has echoed this sentiment, noting that he does not like the government’s negotiation position, if any kind of Airwave extension deal is necessary. Currently, the cost of extending Airwave costs the UK government about 620 million pounds each year, he said.
“It does seem to me that, if you have any substantial amount of Airwave usage left [when an extension deal is needed for service beyond 2022], Motorola will inevitably say to you, ‘I’m sorry, we’ve got to invest a lot of money to do this. We’re putting the price up considerably,’” Clifton-Brown said during a PAC hearing in May. “You’ve lost your leverage, haven’t you really?”
Another problem for the Home Office is coverage. To match the coverage provided by Airwave, the Home Office assumed the responsibility of building 292 cell sites to augment the coverage provided by EE’s commercial network build, which is close to meeting the terms of the contract.
However, only two of the projected 292 Home Office cell sites have been built to date, according to the NAO report.
Despite these and other ESN buildout hurdles, Home Office officials have expressed confidence that the UK government will deliver the technical aspects of the ESN system. However, leaders in the Home Office have pledged that UK public-safety agencies will not be required to switch from Airwave to ESN until they are comfortable with the LTE offering, and officials are not certain when this important migration will be completed. |
