BT completes upgrade of Scotland's public sector network

BT has completed its upgrade of the Scottish Wide Area Network, covering more than 5,000 public sector sites across Scotland.

The work is part of a contract worth up to £350 million over six years, awarded in 2023 by NHS National Services Scotland, now Public Services Delivery Scotland, for public sector connectivity.

The programme covers sites ranging from hospitals and GP surgeries to pharmacies, schools, libraries, transport hubs and local government buildings. The network stretches from Dumfries to the Shetland Islands, including some of Scotland's most rural areas.

BT completed the work ahead of schedule and described the project as one of the UK's largest public sector network transformation programmes.

The upgrade involved fibre builds and the transfer of live critical and national services across public sector environments. It also required coordination with NHS Scotland, the Scottish Government, the Scottish Ambulance Service, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, local authorities and national agencies.

SWAN is used across the Scottish public sector as a shared network for communications and digital services. The upgraded network is intended to support services including virtual healthcare, remote diagnostics, contact centre operations, voice, video, cloud connectivity and secure remote access.

Ishbell MacPhail, Head of BT Business, Scotland, said: "This is an important milestone for BT and for the organisations that rely on SWAN every day to deliver vital public services. From healthcare and emergency response to schools and local government, better connectivity helps teams share information more effectively, collaborate more easily and support people in communities across Scotland."

MacPhail added: "This programme stands out not only for its scale, but for the complexity of delivering major network upgrades while critical services continue to operate. By working closely with partners across the public sector, we are helping to build a secure and resilient platform that can support innovation and improved services long into the future."

Public sector network

Public Services Delivery Scotland said organisations using SWAN had completed the transition to enhanced network services. The body oversees delivery of shared national services for parts of Scotland's public sector.

Steven Flockhart, Director of Digital and Security, Public Services Delivery Scotland, said: "Working collaboratively with Public Services Delivery Scotland and BT, organisations across the SWAN community have completed the transition to enhanced network services that provide the resilience, performance and flexibility required to meet the evolving needs of modern public services. Together, we are creating an advanced digital foundation that will support innovation, transformation and improved public services for years to come, ensuring that SWAN remains the digital home of Scotland's public sector."

The project also drew comment from ministers because of its role in public service delivery. Digital links are increasingly central to healthcare, education, emergency response and administrative services, particularly where services operate across dispersed geographies.

Tom Arthur MSP, Minister for Business and Fair Work, said: "The successful upgrade of digital connectivity at more than 5,000 public sector sites across Scotland is a significant achievement.

"Reliable digital connectivity is increasingly essential to the delivery of public services. Through the £350 million SWAN contract, awarded by NHS Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, BT and public sector organisations working in partnership have helped provide the robust and dependable digital infrastructure they rely on to serve communities across the country."

Next phase

Although the main upgrade programme has been completed, the contract continues. BT will keep working with Public Services Delivery Scotland and public sector bodies through the remainder of the agreement.

The next stage is expected to focus on changing customer requirements and further network improvements. The broader aim is to maintain a common connectivity framework across Scotland's public sector organisations while supporting different service needs in urban centres and remote communities.

The programme was delivered with Openreach and other delivery partners. Its completion marks the end of a large migration project affecting thousands of public sites and critical services across Scotland.