Telecommunications network

Tender description

HM Coastguard were required to monitor VHF and MF Radio transmissions from vessels at sea and provide assistance in case of emergency to prevent loss of life within the UK’s jurisdiction. In order to do this, the current network consists of 155 remote radio sites (RRS), situated around 11 000 miles of UK coastline. This network facilitates all communication transmissions to and from vessels at sea and to the HM Coastguard Watch Officers based at our 10 coastguard operation centres around the UK and the National Maritime Operations centre in Fareham via two data centres. The existing network that links these remote radio sites to the HMCG operations centres needed to be replaced; the reason is that the analogue Kilostream product that underpins the existing network has been withdrawn from the market in March 2020 by BT in line with a wider OFCOM deregulation of low bandwidth analogue point-to-point product types across the telecommunications industry. Lot 1 represented 70 % of lot 1 and lot 2 combined scores. The system boundary for the new system is at the physical connections to the network switches at the remote radio sites, data centres and disaster recovery centre. These are Ethernet connections and required the provision of network termination equipment at these sites. The quality/price assessment (total score) for this requirement consisted of 60 % quality and 40 % price. Lot 2 was for a 7-year managed service requirement, which will co-terminate with lot 1 at the end of the 10-year period. Lot 2 contract is to provide ongoing support of the system to maintain its availability. All maintenance activities are conducted by the supplier and the MCA is provided with details of how this will be coordinated. Any maintenance activities that incur a reduction in service have to be agreed in advance with the MCA, who have the right to veto the timing of such activities if they occur within known periods of high activity for the MCA.