The Government has reached an agreement with National Parks England over the new Emergency Services Network (ESN).

The Home Office signed the deal to make sure that significant proportions of the country are not without emergency services coverage.

The accord outlines how EE is to achieve its obligation to make sure the whole country is covered for emergency services.

The mobile service provider won the new ESN contract last year as part of the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP).

Until now, emergency services were reliant on a private radio network which, over the next few years, will be phased out.

Now, given that the ESN will be using mobile phone masts, it is necessary to make sure that the new infrastructure which will be required to support it will not have negative implications for some of the country’s most picturesque areas.

Chair of National Parks England and the North York Moors National Park Authority, Jim Bailey, said that National Parks have always tried to promote long-term, pragmatic solutions to the various demands of the modern world.

He said that this also applies to the modern telecommunications infrastructure and that the Home Office’s commitment to protect National Parks will bring great benefit to all.

National Parks cover 10% of England from Northumberland to Sussex and National Parks England say it is of vital importance that visitors and residents will benefit from the same level of responsiveness from the emergency services as the rest of the country.

It is anticipated that the new ESN will be up and running, for the most part, by the conclusion of 2019, however it will gradually be introduced as the current contract with radio operator Airwave expires.

The ESN will be in operation across Enlgand, Wales and Scotland and will also be used by the Ministry of Defence Police, the British Transport Police and the National Crime Agency.

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