The Australian Federal Police has signed a contract with Telstra to undertake part of the first phase of its radio replacement program.
The two-phase Unified Operational Communications project aims to deliver a suite of operational communications systems to replace existing radio systems and associated hardware.
Each phase consists of multiple parts, of which Telstra has landed one.
The three-year mobile devices and mobile services contract worth $17.7 million was signed last month and will see Telstra deliver the first phase of the project.
Costs of the project are being met by existing agency resources, with $15.4 million provisioned in the 2015 federal budget for the first phase.
A spokesperson from the agency told iTnews that the contract includes advanced dispatch consoles, GPS location, and a new command and control system.
“A review of current AFP systems revealed that existing radio communications have significant limitations and do not effectively meet the diverse communication needs of frontline law enforcement,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also cited changes to the communication spectrum that will require the AFP to stop using radios on the current frequency by the end of next year.
“This new approach will allow the harmonisation of AFP communications nationally and greater interoperability with law enforcement partners.
"It will be key in day-to-day policing operations.”
The project is happening alongside the agency's migration from its owned and operated primary data centre to a managed “private cloud” solution, which it hopes to have completed by July 2018.
Correction: The story originally stated that Telstra had won the first phase of the radio overhaul project. It has actually won a portion of the first phase.