BT Sign £200m Deal with Northern Ireland Electricity Networks to Upgrade Connectivity

Telecoms and broadband giant BT has today announced that they’ve signed a new deal worth “up to” £200m with Northern Ireland Electricity Networks (NIE Networks), which will see the operator deliver “enhanced connectivity, cyber security and IT to support critical services” for homes and businesses across the country.

NIE Networks owns the electricity network across Northern Ireland, consisting of approximately 2,300km of transmission network and 58,800km of distribution network. It is also the operator for the distribution network and is responsible for the safe, secure and reliable supply of electricity to 966,000 homes, farms and businesses.

Under the new deal BT will take on responsibility for upgrading NIE Network’s digital communications infrastructure and modernising its key services, although little in the way of solid details have been provided with the announcement. The contract will run for five years, with the option to extend by up to another 10 years.

Chris Sims, Chief Commercial Officer at BT Business, said:

“Electricity networks are part of the critical infrastructure that keeps Northern Ireland running, and they rely on technology that is secure, reliable and resilient by design. That’s where BT comes in.

With evolving cyber threats, protecting essential services is more important than ever and organisations rely on digital connections they can trust.

With our experience in supporting critical services and our long-standing presence in Northern Ireland, we are in a unique position to provide the secure, trusted connectivity and specialist expertise that will help strengthen the network for years to come.”

Rohan Kapoor, Chief Information Officer of NIE Networks, said:

“This multi-year partnership is a win-win for Northern Ireland’s economy supporting local jobs, skills development, and supply-chain opportunities. The collaboration will also help meet Northern Ireland’s energy needs, increasing our technological capabilities and enabling further electrification, renewables integration and emerging flexibility markets all of which have a positive impact on the Northern Ireland economy and the NI Executive’s net zero targets.”

The BT Group, which also includes Openreach and other divisions, is said to have a strong presence in Northern Ireland, employing more than 3,400 people and providing an economic boost of £630 million.