Recommendation 16

The Department now intends for ESN to use technology that is ‘as off-the-shelf as it can be’.48 The Independent Assurance Panel told us that the technology ESN is proposing to use is now more credible than when ESN started, in part because telecommunications standards have moved on, and now cover the features that ESN needs, including push- 36 Letter to the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee from Kier Pritchard, Chief Constable, NPCC lead for ESMCP, 15 May 2023 37 Qq 47, 48 (27 March) 38 Q 51 (27 March) 39 Qq 87, 89–91 (27 March) 40 ESN0001 41 Mobile radio network services, Competition & Markets Authority, 5 April 2023 42 Qq 54–58 (27 March) 43 Q 20 (26 April) 44 Qq 54–55, 58 (27 March) 45 Q 16 (27 March); C&AG’s Report, para 14 46 Qq 69–70 (27 March) 47 Q 75 (27 March), Q 54 (26 April) 48 Qq 15, 72–74 (27 March) 12 The Emergency Services Network to-talk.49 It noted that Airwave is a sophisticated network to replace, more so than similar networks in other countries, and has many requirements that ESN technology must support.50 The Independent Assurance Panel considered that there is still a need examine the new supplier’s approach carefully, because the technology may still be a ‘little immature’.51