Etherstack awarded UK Home Office MCPTX Contract
11 November 2025, Sydney, Australia: The UK Home Office has awarded a critical communications contract to Etherstack as part of its plan to transition UK public safety communications to its next generation 5G network known as the ESN (Emergency Services Network).
Etherstack will deploy its world-leading 3GPP LMR-IWF (InterWorking Function) into the ESN to allow public safety agencies to communicate from their existing TETRA digital radio network (known as Airwave) to the new LTE cellular based ESN. ESN is being delivered through IBM providing the User Services (US), while BT/EE are providing Mobile Services (MS).
The Etherstack LMR-IWF switching platform is software deployed in the UK that acts as a bridge between the traditional digital radio network to the new network, allowing hybrid operation across both networks and eventual migration to the new ESN solution.
ESN will be used by the primary emergency services – police, fire, ambulance services – and other critical government and public safety bodies across Great Britain.
Etherstack CEO, David Deacon said, “We are thrilled to have been chosen by the Home Office for such a prestigious and essential project for the safety of the public and the dedicated officers who serve them. This win demonstrates our ability to deploy and provide 24/7 support to our highly complex, resilient public safety solutions on multiple continents around the world.”
This announcement follows a recent award valued at more than US$20m with AT&T, the US cellular giant, for similar technology which had an initial term of 7 years. Combined, these two deals represent the two largest public safety critical communications networks that have been awarded to date that will be fully compliant to the new 3GPP standards for MCPTX.
Australia is currently planning its future PSMB (Public Safety Mobile Broadband) solution based on the 3GPP standards.
Etherstack and Streamwide to offer NextGen MCPTXaaS in Australia
15 Oct 2025, Melbourne, AUSTRALIA: Today at Comms Connect Melbourne 2025, Etherstack and Streamwide announced a collaboration to offer their combined MCPTX solution as a managed service within the Australian and New Zealand markets.
The companies have committed to launching a hosted Communications-as-a-Service (CaaS) solution for the resources, utilities and transportation sectors, and to collaborate in public safety opportunities as they arise.
Streamwide’s “Team On The Run” (TOTR) application runs on iOS and Android based platforms, providing Mission Critical Push-To-Talk (MCPTT) communications. Streamwide’s solution has been deployed nationally in France for public safety and the 2024 Paris Olympics, and they have recently been announced as a core technology supplier to AT&T for their FirstNet, built by AT&T offering to public safety agencies across the United States.
Etherstack’s world-leading LMR IWF (InterWorking Function) solution bridges cellular MCPTX applications such as Streamwide’s to existing digital radio networks currently in use in mission critical applications, as well as the command and control solutions for the network operators.
The collaboration will see Streamwide’s MCX Application Server hosted within Etherstack’s georedundant data centres across Australia, with Etherstack and Streamwide providing in-country support services to separate and joint customers.
Streamwide CEO, Pascal Beglin said, “The co-operation with Etherstack in Australia, and more broadly globally, makes good sense for Streamwide and our customers. Etherstack’s multi decade experience in traditional digital LMR technologies across all regions and major protocols such as P25, TETRA and DMR combined with their world leading position in MCX InterWorking Function (IWF) capability made them an obvious choice for partnering.”
David Deacon, CEO of Etherstack said, “We have been working in the background with Streamwide for some time now and were impressed by the maturity of their product and global reach. Our products and teams work well together, so the decision to partner and cross-represent in the Australian market to pursue CaaS opportunities was easy. We think that combination of the products together provide extraordinary capabilities to the end user communities.”
Hear from Etherstack CEO, David Deacon, and Gert Jan Wolf of Critical Communications Review at CCW 2025 in Brussels as they discuss the industry move from narrowband to broadband communications currently underway using standards-based interfaces.
After a successful beta of Etherstack’s LMR IWF (“InterWorking Function”) with AT&T over the past 12 months, Etherstack has been selected by AT&T as their 3GPP compliant IWF Supplier for a new FirstNet®, Built with AT&T mission-critical solution.
The innovative 3GPP compliant IWF solution is deployed into secure, highly available data centres across the U.S. to provide the crucial bridging technology between LMR (Land Mobile Radio) networks and FirstNet — America’s public safety network. The first production interoperable call between LMR and the FirstNet mission critical solution utilizing IWF was made in Fairfax County, Virginia last year.
The LMR IWF solution was connected to digital LMR networks in multiple states during the beta, including those deployed by the largest LMR equipment manufacturers, and trialed by first responders to assess audio quality, security and essential service types like emergency calls and those made under duress.
As a fault-tolerant network application that securely bridges traditional digital radio communications, LMR IWF can be used daily by first responders.
Matt Walsh, AVP Product, FirstNet and Next Generation 9-1-1, AT&T said, “As public safety’s partner, we are always looking for the best collaborators to innovate for first responders. We strive to create better platforms and evolve with the needs of public safety. Etherstack’s proven record will help us give America’s public safety community the flexibility to adapt to whatever emergency they might face.”
Etherstack CEO, David Deacon said, “FirstNet, Built with AT&T is an innovator of mission-critical communications that is dedicated to public safety. The expansive network build, integration with other vendors and ease of end-agency provisioning is industry leading. We are so pleased to work alongside AT&T on what is truly an industry changing journey”.
FirstNet and the FirstNet logo are registered trademarks and service marks of the First Responder Network Authority. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Join us at this year’s International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) event taking place in Las Vegas, NV, from 27-30 March. The expo, which has been running for over 45 years, is the pinnacle event for the mission-critical communications community in the Americas, with over 400 exhibitors and more than 6,500 visitors anticipated.
Doug Chapman, SVP/GM Etherstack Americas, said of the event “This year marks the 20th year we’ve attended IWCE and the value the show continues to provide in terms of accessing B2B partners and clients is immeasurable”.
David Deacon, CEO Etherstack, said “As the industry progresses with the complex transition from narrow- to broadband-wireless solutions, we’re seeing far greater need for products such as those from Etherstack. With over 25 years as an independent provider of wireless communications solutions, there has never been a greater need to ensure open standards for interoperability in communications”.
Etherstack will be displaying an array of products and technologies at this year’s IWCE, including the industry’s only fully independent Inter-Working Function (IWF) and on-boarding router for P25 users of FirstNET. Other solutions on display include the P25-over-satellite radios, independently rated best-in-class tactical P25 repeaters, and P25 networks.
To learn more about Etherstack technologies, visit us on stand is #1725 in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Centre. To register to attend the event, see Etherstack discounted sign-up, here:
https://l.feathr.co/IWCE2023/Etherstack—NY
#Etherstack #P25 #IWCE23
Etherstack is delighted to announce our Network Architects, Jerry Drobka and Thomas Senese were both recognised as ‘Star Award Winners’ for their contributions to the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) over the last year.
Etherstack (ASX:ESK) was further recognized for our contributions in the Organization category. Jerry Drobka was acknowledged in the ‘top 2%’ category, and Thomas Senese took out the ‘Rookie of the Year’ award. For more information, see TIA here.