Vodafone: Dammit Britain, your emergency services need 4G!

Incidentally, we provide a pretty comprehensive data network

Despite not being part of the bid to supply the future Emergency Services Network, Vodafone wants to see public services using its 4G, and has commissioned a YouGov survey (something companies do when they want to put numbers in press releases) of front line workers, such as police officers, nurses, and social workers.

The telco argues that the public service sector is missing out because only eight per cent of its front line workers are equipped with 4G connectivity ... or at least that's what the research from Vodafone UK (YouGov) revealed.

The company blames the suits who buy the tech, as they lack "knowledge of the benefits of 4G (42 per cent) amongst public sector decision makers [which is holding back] the public sector back "from benefitting from 4G technology".

Meanwhile, the "perceptions of cost" is given as one of the main reasons for not adopting 4G (30 per cent) by those who don’t have it, said the research.

“As public sector organisations face continued budget cuts, delivering quality services to citizens is an increasing challenge,” said Mick Wayman, head of public sector, Vodafone UK.

“Armed with cost-effective mobile devices and 4G connectivity, front line workers can access and update centralised records out in the field. This helps them to make better decisions in the moment, eliminates the need to go ‘back to base’ to complete paperwork and reduces time spent on administration," he added.

For all Vodafone’s undoubted self-interest, the creaking state of the emergency services communications infrastructure is a growing problem. They currently use an Airwave Tetra network, and the fire services has just extended its agreement for another three years, although the police are hoping to have something new from September 2016 onwards.

However, in practice it’s likely that all the contracts will be renewed, which means no mobile data – Tetra has a data speed of 7kbps. One industry expert opined to The Register that Tetra could be in the hands of the police for another ten years.

All of which would leave the life-saving services and other public service workers with no mobile data for the foreseeable future. Pretty much everyone, from Airwave, to Vodafone, to the equipment manufacturers, to the police themselves agrees that the way forward is to keep Tetra for voice and add other devices for 4G.

But Vodafone says this is not happening, and that it’s hampering the work the people do. “Police officers, nurses and social workers, could all benefit from 4G’s greater speed and capacity to access critical information and update records electronically while out in the community," said the UK mobile giant, adding that:

Fast mobile connectivity would improve critical decision making in the field, reduce time spent on administration, and ultimately help to improve the service provided to citizens

Although one might argue that if 4G mobile coverage is so important to the blue light services, coverage should be a tad better. Arguing in such a way opens up a can of worms labelled ECC.

Fast, reliable access to information on the frontline is vital. With 4G, large files, applications and critical information can be uploaded and downloaded in an instant: a feature that over half (54 per cent) of public sector respondents said is very or fairly important to their organisation.

To try and tempt the public sector onto 4G, Vodafone has launched a collection of tariffs, with Wayman claiming that it's "our job to make 4G as accessible as possible by offering cost-effective technology that is easy to implement.”

The new ‘4G Data Starter’ tariff is £5 a month and includes a £60 credit towards a 4G handset, but in practice any public service organisation with a substantial number of users will be able to carve a deal which isn’t shown on any price lists.