Manx Telecom has won a major Isle of Man Government contract to provide fixed line communications for essential public services across the island.

They include critical services for police, fire service, coastguard, Noble’s Hospital, and 999 emergency lines.

The three year contract - which runs from 2018 and was awarded following a rigorous tender procedure - means the company will provide services to around 300 Government sites across the island, and more than 7,000 fixed line phones.

It’s good news for the company just months after the disappointment of losing out in the tender process to supply the government with mobile telephony services. Last September we reported Sure won that contract and its chief executive, Mike Phillips, said Sure was delighted to have been awarded preferred supplier status by the Isle of Man Government to provide mobile telephony services, subject to contract, following a competitive tender process.

Now Manx Telecom is delighted to have clinched the vital communications contract.

Gary Lamb, Manx Telecom chief executive officer, said: ’We are extremely pleased and proud to be awarded this significant contract by Isle of Man Government.

’The scope of the services we will provide means Manx Telecom will deliver a platform which underpins critical communications for most essential public services, and in doing so we will also be playing a vital role in helping Government to achieve its goals for economic growth.

’This contract represents an endorsement of our ongoing strategy of investment in infrastructure, and of our commitment to the Isle of Man.’

Laurence Skelly MHK, Minister for the Department for Enterprise, said: ’A good-quality, reliable and secure telecommunications service is absolutely fundamental to the Isle of Man Government and the people we serve.

’Manx Telecom is a trusted business partner with a long-standing commitment to the Isle of Man and we look forward to working with the company over the term of this contract.’

Under the contract, Manx Telecom will supply fixed line voice, SIP VoIP (Session Initiation Protocol and Voice Over Internet Protocol) and Ethernet circuits - with service and support provided by Manx Telecom’s nearly 300 on-island staff, which includes the largest, most qualified, pool of skills and experience in telecoms and related industries on the island.

In addition to the services covered by this latest contract, Manx Telecom continues to provide a range of other services to Isle of Man Government under existing agreements.

The company’s ConnectMann and HostMann contracts cover the provision of wide area (WAN) and local area network (LAN) connectivity, and data hosting at Manx Telecom’s twin Tier 3 designed data centres.

Manx Telecomsays it has invested more than £120million in the island’s communications infrastructure over the past 10 years, the most recent examples being in fixed line broadband for consumers and business, with a range of new services which were launched in December 2017.

Later this year the company says it will be rolling-out lightning fast optimal fibre broadband to consumers and businesses in selected areas, depending upon customer demand and commercial viability.