UK Police Extend 2000s Radio Tech Despite £3B ESN Overrun

The UK's emergency services have awarded a £25 million no-competition contract to Motorola and Sepura to keep 20-year-old TETRA radio technology operational, as the long-delayed Emergency Services Network (ESN) replacement project continues to spiral over budget and behind schedule.

The Police Digital Service issued the six-month extension notice, explaining that ambulance, fire, and police services need to remain fully operational on the legacy Airwave network while ESN's 4G-based successor remains years from deployment. The extension runs from January 2026 and splits the £25 million between the two suppliers for handsets, software, accessories, services, and maintenance.

This decision comes as the ESN project, originally planned for completion in 2017, now faces a 2029 launch date and is estimated to be £3 billion over budget. The government began planning the Airwave/TETRA replacement in 2012, but the project has encountered numerous setbacks, including Motorola's withdrawal from its £400 million ESN contract following scrutiny from the Competition and Markets Authority over potential conflicts of interest.

Supporting both Airwave technology and developing ESN has cost a combined £11 billion over ten years, according to the National Audit Office. The latest procurement notice confirms that ESN will not go live until 2029, making it impossible to onboard new suppliers to compete for the TETRA/Airwave technology contract within the remaining timeframe.

"Onboarding any new supplier into the scheme or developing a new accreditation pathway would require an extended period of time, likely exceeding the published ESN delivery schedule (currently December 2029)," the notice states. "Any new supplier entering the market is highly likely to face the risk of introducing a TETRA-only product that becomes increasingly obsolete for UK requirements."

The extension aims to bridge the gap until the Crown Commercial Service framework becomes available in February 2026, which will enable blue light organizations to purchase network services, including Tetra Radio. However, the Police Digital Service has built contingency for potential delays to this framework.

Motorola's dual role in both the legacy Airwave system and the ESN project has drawn significant scrutiny. The company's involvement in both systems created concerns about pricing and delivery conflicts, ultimately leading to its departure from the ESN contract. Despite this, the latest procurement decision keeps Motorola involved in maintaining the very technology ESN was meant to replace.

The situation highlights the challenges of large-scale public sector technology transitions, where maintaining critical services during modernization creates complex dependencies and cost overruns. With emergency services still relying on technology from the early 2000s while a replacement project continues to miss deadlines and exceed budgets, the UK faces a prolonged period of dual-system operation that extends the financial and operational burden on taxpayers.

The latest procurement decision underscores the difficulty of transitioning critical infrastructure while maintaining operational continuity, particularly when replacement projects face significant delays and budget overruns. As the ESN project continues to slip, emergency services remain dependent on technology that was cutting-edge two decades ago, raising questions about the long-term sustainability of such dual-system approaches.

The extension represents a pragmatic but costly solution to an immediate operational need, while the broader transformation of emergency services communications remains years away from completion. The £25 million no-bid contract ensures continuity of service but also highlights the ongoing challenges in delivering the promised modernization of the UK's emergency services communications infrastructure.