BT has been awarded a contract by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to support its military base communications.
The contract, worth over 99 million, will see BT managing both voice and data networks across 197 military bases. It will cover a quarter of a million of the MoD's assets, such as buildings and communications rooms.
The five year contract is part of an ongoing deal where BT delivers the Defence Fixed Telecommunications Service (DFTS) Agreement for the MoD. The new service will be in partnership with NG Bailey.
Darrell Midgley, head of the MoD Defence Equipment and Support Networks Team, said: "The commencement of this service for Defence represents a logical and significant step forward in the continuing modernisation and rationalisation of the fixed communication network infrastructure which began in 1997."
He also called it a "vital element in the UK's operational capability worldwide."
A statement from BT claimed that the new service will help to bring standardisation and a more predictable service to the MoD which will in turn allow better decisions to be made around the communications infrastructure. It also hopes to improve management and lower the risk of failure.
Tony Henderson, managing director of NG Bailey's network infrastructure division, said: "The continuity and reliability of communications is critical for UK Armed Forces."
The service should be in effect from 1 October this year.
