800 ambulance service vehicles across Wales are undergoing a major communications refresh thanks to a collaboration between the Welsh Ambulance Service (WAST), Telent and Panasonic TOUGHBOOK.

The communications rollout started in May 2023 in Caernarfon, North Wales and will maintain the important communications link between control rooms and ambulance service vehicles, with the local collaboration bringing cost savings and minimising the time ambulances are off the road. The vehicle upgrades will take place at Panasonic TOUGHBOOK’s European Configuration and Service Centre in Cardiff, South Wales and WAST’s facility in North Wales.

Telent will install the new specialist equipment as part of the Mobile Data and Vehicle Solution (MDVS), which is replacing the mobile data elements of the communications equipment within ambulances. The upgrade will enhance communications for frontline ambulance workers, and the MDVS installation includes a vehicle data router and a fully ruggedised Panasonic TOUGHBOOK touch screen tablet device.

The Panasonic team will assemble the TOUGHBOOK devices at the Cardiff facility with Telent integrating these and other components of the overall solution within the vehicles. Key components of the devices have been sourced from local suppliers across Wales. Panasonic’s facility will be staffed by Telent’s experienced vehicle engineers, with the team ensuring the vehicle upgrades do not disrupt active operations.

The upgrade is needed for the NMA software, a new and improved standard solution that is being deployed for all NHS Ambulance Trusts. WAST was already using the NMA Lite app for its volunteer Community First Responders, but new communication equipment for the MDVS needed to be installed into all ambulance service vehicles.

To find out more information about Telent, please visit: https://telent.com/.

About Telent
Telent is a leading technology company and specialist in the design, build, support, and management of the UK’s critical digital infrastructure, drawing on decades of experience in mission critical communications and technology. We enable organisations to create, improve and operate the ICT and communication networks that their businesses and operations depend on.

Telent are at the heart of many of the UK’s and Ireland’s best-known organisations, with a strong focus on key areas including transport, emergency services, network providers and the public sector. Our expertise, accreditations and knowledge make us a trusted partner for organisations at the forefront of the digital revolution.

Clients include Transport for London, National Highways, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Ambulance Radio Programme, Virgin Media, Network Rail, Openreach, Merseyside Fire and Rescue and Hinkley Point C.