BT Wins Welsh Public-Sector Broadband Contract

BT has won a seven-year contract from the Welsh government to operate its Public Sector Broadband Aggregation (PBSA) scheme, beating out incumbent Logicalis, which has run PBSA since its launch in 2007.

The contract, valued at up to £420m over its lifetime, and expected to begin in November, will see BT offering IP services in support of schools, hospitals, councils and emergency services. The contract’s duration can be extended to 14 years, according to Welsh authorities.

Connectivity

PBSA is a managed private network connecting Wales’ 22 local authorities, fire, police and rescue services, as well as health and education providers, at a total of 4,000 sites across the region.

“The PSBA contract benefits public service organisations throughout Wales by making significant savings whilst continuing to provide people with valuable and effective services,” said economy minister Edwina Hart in a statement. “The network also provides increasing opportunities for Welsh public services to work together to improve service delivery.”

Julie James, deputy minister for skills and technology, said PBSA is a “unique service” that forms an important part of Wales’ plans to become “one of the world’s most connected digital nations“.

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