EE and Nokia to connect emergency services in the skies with air-to-ground 4G network

(Image credit: EE)

EE and Nokia are to build the “world’s first” 4G-enabled air-to-ground (A2G) network to support the UK’s Emergency services Network (ESN).

The A2G infrastructure will support up to 300,000 emergency services staff by connecting sensors, aircraft and helicopters to the ground-based LTE network. A range of between 500 feet and 10,000 feet above the ground is promised.

EE will provide active network equipment for a reference facility before staging a seven site trial across North Wales and London. This will allow partners to test the hardware and software capabilities, as well as deployment models across different terrain.

EE 4G ESN

Once testing has been completed, EE will deploy the necessary kit at 80 Home Office cell sites, with Nokia also providing support, equipment and installations services.

“Our deployment of this reinforces our network leadership as the UK’s biggest and fastest mobile network, and harnesses Nokia’s deep expertise in network equipment and installation of an Air-to-Ground solution,” says Richard Harrap, Managing Director of ESN at EE.

“With the help of this first ever Air-to-Ground network using commercial LTE, emergency services personnel will be able to rely on uninterrupted communications nationwide,” added Cormac Whelan, CEO UK & Ireland at Nokia.

EE won a £1 billion contract in 2015 to build more than 400 new sites and to develop a core system to support the ESN, which will provide emergency services with data-rich applications and generate significant savings.

A report last year from the National Audit Office suggested the ESN could cost the government £3.1 billion more than planned and that a 2022 launch was still too ambitious.

Steve McCaskill is TechRadar Pro's resident mobile industry expert, covering all aspects of the UK and global news, from operators to service providers and everything in between. He is a former editor of Silicon UK and journalist with over a decade's experience in the technology industry, writing about technology, in particular, telecoms, mobile and sports tech, sports, video games and media. 

Latest in Phone & Communications
GlocalMe KeyTracker
When I tested this global tracker, it trounced the Apple AirTag in so many ways
Privacy Hero II
Privacy Hero II VPN Router
ThinkPhone 25 by Motorola
I reviewed the ThinkPhone 25 by Motorola and while it's not as fast as its predecessor, it's the superior phone in so many ways
FRITZ!Box 7690 WiFi 7 Router
FRITZ!Box 7690 router review
Ulefone Armor Pad 4 Ultra Thermal
Ulefone Armor Pad 4 Ultra Thermal rugged tablet review
Unihertz Tank Pad 8849
Unihertz Tank Pad 8849 rugged tablet review
Latest in News
An image of Pro-Ject's Flatten it closed and opened
Pro-Ject’s new vinyl flattener will fix any warped LPs you inadvertently buy on Record Store Day
EA Sports F1 25 promotional image featuring drivers Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz and Oliver Bearman.
F1 25 has been officially announced, with this year's entry marking a return for Braking Point and a 'significant overhaul' for My Team mode
Garmin clippd integration
Garmin's golf watches just got a big software integration upgrade to help you improve your game
Robert Downey Jr reveals himself as Doctor Doom to a delighted crowd at San Diego Comic-Con 2024
Marvel is currently making a major announcement about Avengers: Doomsday's cast on YouTube, and I think it's going to be a long-winded reveal
Samsung QN90F on yellow background
Samsung announces US prices for its 2025 mini-LED TV lineup, and it’s good and bad news
Nintendo Switch Lite
Forget the Nintendo Switch 2, the original Switch is getting one last hurrah in a surprise Nintendo Direct tomorrow