Cable&Wireless (C&W) has struck a 15-year, £207m deal to design, deliver and manage a Next Generation Operational Telecommunications Network (OpTel NGN) at the National Grid.
The OpTel NGN will support National Grid’s Core Network Infrastructure and Operational Systems, vital for the safe transmission of electricity throughout the UK.
The deal is split into two contracts – a 15-year, £108m deal to oversee National Grid’s optical fibre network, which underpins the Grid’s entire core operational functions; and a 5-year, £99m contract for a managed service for the Grid’s Operational Telecommunications Network infrastructure.
According to the companies, the OpTel NGN can enable the secure delivery of mission-critical services via an integrated Multi Service Platform (MSP). This can also ensure future scalability by providing a, ‘seamless migration path for future technology and service requirements.’
The deal will also enable National Grid to operate the UK High Voltage Electricity Grid safely, efficiently and reliably. A Network Management Centre will be set up on a National Grid site and engineering and technical support for all National Grid Operational Sites will be provided.
Security and safety will also benefit from a Major Incident management and priority fault restoration process being created.
David Lister, CIO, National Grid, said: “Our Operational Telecommunications Network provides mission critical services, so it’s absolutely vital that we picked the right strategic supplier that could support us in the transmission of electricity in the UK. Cable&Wireless offered us all the assurances we need in terms of customer service, resilience and security for us to continue to provide the highest standards of service to our customers.”
