BT Secures Contract to Revolutionize UK's Environmental Monitoring
Deal News | May 06, 2025 | fitch media ventures
The partnership between EE and the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) aims to enhance environmental monitoring and protection across England, Scotland, and Wales. BT's mobile arm, EE, will provide 34,000 machine-to-machine (M2M) connections under a five-year contract, leveraging its 4G connectivity to facilitate real-time monitoring of environmental factors such as water quality and flood risks. This initiative will contribute significantly to the UK's sustainability objectives by enabling timely responses to environmental challenges. Moreover, DEFRA will gain access to BT's Carbon Dashboard and eSIM capabilities, allowing better management of electricity consumption and carbon emissions related to its IT infrastructure. EE's move into the Internet of Things (IoT) segment via this contract is an expansion of its government and private sector offering, presenting new opportunities for growth and scalability.
Sectors
- Telecommunications
- Environmental Services
Geography
- United Kingdom – The entire partnership and deployment of connections are focused on improving environmental monitoring efforts across England, Scotland, and Wales.
Industry
- Telecommunications – The partnership involves BT's mobile arm, EE, utilizing its 4G network to provide essential M2M connections that will improve environmental monitoring.
- Environmental Services – The contract aims to enhance real-time monitoring across various environmental factors, playing a critical role in the UK's environmental protection efforts.
Financials
- 34,000 – Number of M2M connections to be provided under the contract.
- GBP1bn – Investment plan under the Shared Rural Network project aimed to expand 4G coverage.
Participants
| Name | Role | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| BT Group | Service Provider | Company | BT's mobile arm, EE, is providing 34,000 M2M connections to support UK's environmental monitoring efforts. |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) | Client/Partner | Government | DEFRA is partnering with EE to enhance environmental monitoring and management, aligning with UK's sustainability goals. |
| EE | Service Provider | Company | EE, part of BT Group, will provide connectivity solutions under the five-year contract. |
| Ofcom | Regulator | Government | UK regulator that reports on the number of M2M connections, indicating market trends relevant to the partnership. |