Police radio suppliers accused of exchanging pricing data

The UK telecoms regulator has opened an investigation into two suppliers of old style police radios after accusing senior staff at each corporations of exchanging pricing data throughout a 2018 tender for a big contract.

Ofcom on Friday issued a so-called assertion of objections to Motorola Options and Sepura, a UK-based firm owned by Chinese language group Hytera, regarding the provide of “Tetra” radios to the police power.

The physique stated it had provisionally discovered that senior staff on the two corporations had exchanged delicate data on their respective pricing methods over a two-week interval in September 2018 as they competed for a £180m contract with procurement arm the Police ICT Firm.

“The Assertion of Objections alleges that Motorola and Sepura participated in a concerted observe that had the item of stopping, proscribing or distorting competitors within the provide of Tetra gadgets, equipment and associated providers,” Ofcom stated in an announcement.

The regulator stated the investigation was at an early stage and it had not reached a view as as to whether competitors legislation had been breached.

Potential fines over breaches of the Competitors Act may be substantial — 10 per cent of related income — in keeping with the regulator. Ofcom just isn’t sometimes in command of competitors instances however was deemed to be the extra related authority given its telecoms experience.

The police contract, which was break up between the 2 suppliers, was wanted to replenish the inventory of gadgets to be used on the devoted emergency providers community, Airwave.

The usage of Tetra-based know-how, quick for terrestrial trunked radio, is being wound down after the UK authorities awarded EE, now BT’s cellular arm, the emergency providers community contract in 2015.

Airwave, which is now owned by Motorola, was on account of be switched off by 2022 as EE transferred emergency providers communications to its 4G community. Delays have nevertheless prolonged Airwave’s life by as much as three years and has meant extra Tetra gadgets might be wanted over that interval.

Motorola and Sepura are successfully the one two suppliers of handsets to Airwave which means any breaches of the Competitors Act might distort the market, in keeping with Ofcom.

Neither Motorola or Sepura instantly responded to requests for remark. Each corporations might be invited to formally reply to Ofcom as a part of the investigation.