The new Emergency Services Network (ESN) is intended to transform public safety communications in the UK. Led by the Home Office, it will replace the current Airwave TETRA based voice radio service across Great Britain over the next few years. 300,000 frontline users will depend on ESN from the police, fire and rescue, and ambulance services, to the coast guard, local authorities, and utility services.

The aim is to deliver a modern voice and data service across the country, providing a single reliable and secure platform for mobile communications for all users. ESN is to offer 4G LTE functionality with an inbuilt pathway to 5G using cellular infrastructure owned and operated by EE, part of the BT Group, which is a significant change from the current Airwave service which is a privately owned 380-430MHz TETRA network.

It is expected that there will be a period of migration between these technologies to ensure constant communications for users with Airwave likely to be switched off by 2029.

Panorama Antennas is the market leader in 4G/5G mobile and fixed site antenna products in the UK. With 10s of thousands of products installed and operating with first responders worldwide providing mission-critical connectivity daily, Panorama Antennas can be trusted to provide reliable and high-performance solutions for ESN users. Panorama has an industry-leading range of combination Airwave and 4G/5G antenna products in our award-winning Sharkee® product family. These products combine 4G/5G function with WiFi, GPS/GNSS and a range of whip antenna options for Airwave, ensuring that emergency services can manage the transition from TETRA to ESN in a simple and streamlined manner.