The UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has signed a five-year agreement with telco provider BT to improve mobile connectivity in rural areas. The initiative aims to enhance the prediction of extreme weather and environmental events while supporting remote workers. The contract will span England, Scotland and Wales, using EE’s mobile […]
The UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has signed a five-year agreement with telco provider BT to improve mobile connectivity in rural areas.
The initiative aims to enhance the prediction of extreme weather and environmental events while supporting remote workers.
The contract will span England, Scotland and Wales, using EE’s mobile network to provide 34,000 connections for both workers and devices such as water sensors and payment terminals.
According to the announcement, the connectivity will enable real-time reporting of data related to water quality, flood risk, extreme weather events, and the spread of disease affecting crops and livestock.
The programme will support Defra employees and its affiliated bodies, including the Environment Agency, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Natural England, Marine Management Organisation, and the Rural Payments Agency.
In addition, EE’s investment in the UK’s Shared Rural Network (SRN) is expected to enhance 4G coverage in remote areas, improving communications between field-based and office-based Defra staff.
BT has also committed to supporting Defra’s carbon reduction goals as part of the deal.
The department will gain access to tools such as eSIM capability and BT’s Carbon Dashboard, which offers insights into electricity usage and carbon emissions at the level of individual workloads and applications, which it claims will help to reduce waste and carbon-intensive activity.
Andy Rowe, BT’s director of central government, said: “For organisations with large fleets and field workers, hybrid working is more than just home and office spaces.”
“Staying connected on the go is critical for Defra’s workers who rely on mobile connectivity to operate effectively and serve the wider public community daily or in emergency situations.”
