Motorola Solutions Australia has been awarded a $261 million contract extension with Partnerships Victoria to expand and upgrade the mission-critical radio network serving Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria and the Metropolitan Fire Brigade.
The contract has been extended for seven years with the option to extend for a further five.
In 2004, Motorola was awarded the Metropolitan Mobile Radio (MMR) project valued at $120 million at the time.
The goal was to replace the existing analogue radio system used by Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria and the Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board with a "state of the art" digital radio system, ultimately delivering a mission-critical, digitally encrypted voice communication system for emergency services throughout greater metropolitan Melbourne.
Motorola Solutions was in charge of the design, build, finance and provision of support and maintenance services to the network. The initial contract term was for seven years plus a two-year option for extension.
The MMR has been extended for the additional two years with a further two one year optional extensions.
The new contract, announced on 24 April, could see the ongoing partnership between the organisations stretch out until 2030.
Victoria State Emergency Service, Corrections Victoria and Life Saving Victoria will also join the network later in the year.
Motorola is expected to also provide enhanced data services and incremental safety features including GPS and location services, as well as customised online reporting.
“Emergency services depend on having ‘always on’, secure and reliable communications for their daily work,” Motorola Solutions vice president and managing director, Steve Crutchfield, said
“For the past 13 years the MMR network has provided essential communications for Victoria’s first responders when they have needed it most.
"This includes uninterrupted coverage during Victoria’s tragic Black Saturday bushfires in 2009 and reliable performance during many other major emergencies."
The network enables the three agencies to communicate seamlessly with one another, according to Motorola, for better emergency response and 24/7 support from Motorola Solutions’ Melbourne-based control centre.
