A £175 million communications network connecting 163 remote radio sites across 11,000 miles of UK coastline is now operational ensuring His Majesty’s (HM) Coastguard’s effective frontline emergency response continues for thousands of distress calls from the UK’s waters.

Stretching from the Shetland Islands to the Isles of Scilly, it is one of the UK’s largest private broadband networks, with technology partner Telent helping to install 1,220km of new infrastructure.

The first installations of the new network, combining full-fibre and microwave technology, began in December 2020, as Telent secured a new ten-year contract earlier that year with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to design, build and operate the upgraded network for HM Coastguard. This is part of the MCA’s investment in the Radio Network Infrastructure Replacement Programme (RNIR).

“The reliable digital connection and the improved resilience provided by the new network will aid HM Coastguard’s life-saving search and rescue operations for years to come with Telent on hand to provide its critical expertise,” said Telent CEO Jo Gretton.

“The new network provides a firm foundation for the MCA’s potential future and new technology services and projects that only the high performance of a full-fibre network can support,” Jo added.

Lee-on-the-Solent, Crystal Palace, Humber, Bridlington and Brighton Marina were among the first sites switched to the new search and rescue radio network. The remote radio sites cover the whole of the UK coastline, spanning Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England.

“The national radio network is integral in supporting our mission of preventing the loss of life on the coast and at sea, enhancing our ability to respond to emergencies across the UK,” said HM Coastguard Assistant Chief Coastguard Matthew Leat.

The upgraded full-fibre connectivity is set to deliver improvements, such as greater bandwidth and security, along with enhanced performance and improved reliability. Now that all 163 remote radio sites have been connected, Telent is providing a fully managed service.

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