Avanti West Coast On Train Passenger Wi-Fi network Coverage Improvement

Description

The provision of on train network coverage to improve the AWC’s On Train Wi-Fi passenger services by delivering a guaranteed 98 % 4G network coverage on AWC's core and secondary sections of its train routes with minimum speed guarantees of: (i) core connectivity service capable of delivering minimum downloads speeds of 20 Mbps; and (ii) secondary connectivity service capable of delivering minimum downloads speeds of 2 Mbps. This requirement will be achieved by investment with and from the selected Mobile Network Operator (‘MNO’). Lot 1: Our vision is to provide a world-class connectivity proposition that will transform customer experience. The current on train Wi-Fi service does not meet customer expectations and historically AWC has received low customer service ratings, linked to low speed and a significant number of ‘not spots’ throughout AWC’s train route. The provision of an enhanced-on train network coverage will improve Avanti’s on Train Wi-Fi passenger services by delivering a guaranteed 98 % 4G network coverage on its core (Litchfield Trent Valley to Manchester via both Stock and Crewe, and Crewe to Liverpool) and secondary (Glasgow Central, Edinburgh to Crewe, Holyhead through to Crewe, Stafford to Birmingham New Street and Rugby through Northampton to Milton Keynes) connectivity sections of its train route with minimum speed guarantees of: — core connectivity service capable of delivering minimum download speeds of 20 Mbps, and — secondary connectivity service capable of delivering minimum download speeds of 2 Mbps. The MNO will invest in the infrastructure and work collaboratively, to ensure the delivery of a secure, consistent and enhanced 4G connectivity. The MNO is the technical design authority with full responsibility for implementing, sustaining and guaranteeing the solution to ensure it meets AWC’s requirements. The service will be technically designed and implemented to achieve the guaranteed minimum speeds (not average speeds) and the selected MNO will provide independently verified network performance metrics. The contract value is confidential but is in the range of between GBP 38 000 000 to GBP 49 000 000. For the avoidance of doubt, First Trenitalia West Coast Rail Ltd (‘Avanti West Coast’) is not a utility or a contracting authority for the purposes of the Utilities Contract Regulations 2016 and this notice is published voluntarily for publicity purposes only.