BT has announced it has signed a Deed of Undertaking (DoU) with the Cabinet Office, enabling it to become a provider of the core network underpinning the Public Sector Network (PSN) programme, a secure “network of networks” specifically for the public sector.

As a result, BT Wholesale becomes a key supplier of open and competitive Government Conveyance Network (GCN) services which will interconnect PSN Direct Network Service Providers (DNSPs), which in turn are supplying government departments and local authorities throughout the UK. In order to supply PSN-compliant networks to its government customer base, BT Global Services, a DNSP major candidate in the UK, will connect to the GCN via BT Wholesale.

GCN will deliver a common secure communications backbone to PSN service providers covering all parts of the Public Sector. The GCN will be one of the enablers for shared services, cloud-based services and datacentre rationalisation, which will deliver benefits to the public sector while reducing cost and complexity. BT’s GCN service will be built on its core UK MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) network, which is already CESG (Communications-Electronics Security Group) accredited, as are many BT network services, to the 2.2.4 standard for security and performance that meets Government requirements for the PSN.

Neil Rogers, president of BT Global Services for government and health, said: “Today’s signature of the DoU underlines BT’s commitment to the PSN, providing a full range of services including the GCN. Drawing on our experience of co-designing PSN we can help public sector organisations achieve both cost and service improvements as well as help them transition to PSN compliance. The PSN also creates a new and competitive market for shared ‘cloud’ services on top of the network, something which presents a real opportunity for BT given our expertise in networked IT services.”