• Managed service contract to replace 7000 pagers over the next three years
• Arqiva to source, acquire, test and maintain the devices for the RNLI Call out and Communications System (COACS)
• RNLI to make use of Arqiva's testing facility at the National Maintenance Centre in Leeds for all communications support

Arqiva today announced that it has won a contract with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to fully manage the replacement of 7000 pagers over the next three years, marking an extension to its existing contract to support the organisation's paging infrastructure.

As part of the deal, Arqiva will source and negotiate the full specification of the pagers from Swissphone, a leading provider of communications equipment within the public safety sector. Arqiva will also carry out performance testing and offer training to RNLI staff and volunteers before the devices are installed at lifeboat stations across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

With more than 230 RNLI lifeboat stations in the UK and Republic of Ireland, pagers are a critical part of the lifeboat call out system. Arqiva has been working with the RNLI for the past seven years, having designed and built the original full communications infrastructure.

Commenting on the deal, Brian Faulkner, Radio Communications Manager at the RNLI said, "Pagers are the cornerstone of RNLI communications and Arqiva understands our specific and mission critical needs. Arqiva is able to supply and manage the best possible solution, ensuring that we have reliable, secure communications for our lifeboats and stations. We have been working with Arqiva for the past seven years and we look forward to continuing our successful relationship."

As part of the contract, the RNLI will also benefit from Arqiva's National Maintenance Centre (NMC), a purpose-built testing facility in Leeds, where all the pagers for the RNLI will be specifically configured and tested prior to introduction across the lifeboat stations in the UK and Republic of Ireland. All ongoing pager maintenance, including repairs and replacements, will also be managed at the NMC.

Alastair Davidson, managing director of Arqiva's Public Safety division commented, "The RNLI is a very important customer for Arqiva and we are delighted to extend our work with them. We appreciate the importance of paging solutions for an organisation such as the RNLI and our expertise in supplying high-performance, highly-available, resilient communications services will ensure the RNLI receives the best possible service to enable them to carry out its life-saving work."