Europe is apparently entering a decisive phase in LTE and 5G-based public safety broadband network rollouts, even as long-standing challenges continue to shape deployment timelines

Annual global spending on LTE and 5G NR-based public safety broadband infrastructure and devices will exceed $6.3 billion by the end of 2028, up from an estimated $5 billion in 2025, according to a new report from SNS Telecom & IT. The firm expects the market to grow at a compound annual rate of around 8% over the next three years, driven by a combination of new nationwide projects and the expansion of existing dedicated, hybrid government-commercial and secure MVNO or MOCN-based networks.

Europe features prominently in the analysis, with Western and Northern European countries planning large-scale migrations away from legacy TETRA and Tetrapol systems towards 3GPP-based mission-critical broadband networks between 2028 and 2031. The United Kingdom, France, Finland and Sweden are among those pursuing full transitions to broadband-centric public safety communications, reflecting a broader shift in policy and technology direction after more than two decades of reliance on narrowband LMR systems.

In the UK, the Emergency Services Network is finally moving into a substantive delivery phase after more than a decade of delays. New mobile and user services contracts are progressing, and a prior information notice has been issued for a device procurement programme valued at up to $1.2 billion.

ESN is planned to be voice service-ready by 2028, with the migration of approximately 300,000 users from the Airwave TETRA network expected to conclude by the end of the decade. During the transition period, both systems will operate in parallel, linked through interworking gateways connecting thousands of high-traffic TETRA and mission-critical broadband talkgroups.

France has launched its Radio Network of the Future, or RRF, backed by an initial budget of nearly $400 million and designed to support up to 300,000 users by 2028. The programme combines a geo-redundant core, MCX services, priority and pre-emption across multiple public radio access networks, and rapidly deployable assets supported by satellite backhaul. Alongside the national rollout, several French cities are deploying private cellular networks for public safety use cases, including video surveillance over private 5G.

Germany, meanwhile, plans to begin procurement for the first phase of its broadband public safety programme in 2026, starting with a dedicated 4G/5G core network and later adding standards-based mission-critical services. In parallel, commercial mobile operators are positioning themselves to support public safety users through prioritised MCX offerings, network slicing and interworking solutions.

Across the Nordics, deployment activity is comparatively advanced. Sweden’s SWEN network is expected to replace the Rakel G1 TETRA system by 2030, with user migration planned for 2028 and 2029, while Finland’s VIRVE 2 service is already operational alongside its legacy TETRA network. Norway, Denmark and Ireland are progressing hybrid approaches that combine state ownership of core platforms with commercial radio access, deployable private assets and satellite connectivity.

Steady or slow?

However, while SNS Telecom & IT points to growing delivery momentum, the report also reflects the inherent complexity of these transitions. Many European programmes remain exposed to governance challenges, procurement delays and the operational risks associated with migrating mission-critical voice services. Interworking between TETRA and broadband systems, in-building coverage, and the integration of deployable and satellite assets continue to add cost and time to national deployments, even where underlying 4G and 5G technology is mature.

Budgetary and political factors also remain influential. Public safety broadband programmes are typically long-term, cross-ministerial undertakings, making them sensitive to changes in government priorities and fiscal pressures. Delays to projects in countries such as Switzerland and the extended timelines seen elsewhere underline the difficulty of maintaining momentum over multiple political cycles.

MEA progress

Beyond Europe, the report highlights large-scale deployments in the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and the Americas. In the Middle East and Africa, several major public safety broadband initiatives are underway or operational, led by Saudi Arabia’s $8.7 billion contract awarded to STC to build a secure mission-critical LTE network (with planned 5G transition) for defense, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies, with Western, Korean, and Chinese suppliers competing for subcontracts. 

The UAE operates separate 700 MHz networks with Emirate-wide coverage in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where Nedaa is exploring 5G upgrades whilst Abu Dhabi Police has recently deployed a Chinese-supplied private 5G network focused on high-definition surveillance. Qatar’s Ministry of Interior was among the world’s first to deploy a nationwide public safety LTE network using 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz spectrum, enhanced with eMBMS technology before the 2022 FIFA World Cup and currently undergoing MCX upgrades, while Qatar’s Armed Forces is deploying its own 3GPP-based network. 

Oman has been expanding its 800 MHz public safety LTE network through follow-on contracts since the initial $220 million award in 2013, and modernisation programs are also progressing in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan (the latter deploying a hybrid TETRA-LTE system with over $10 million investment). 

Beyond the Gulf region, Egypt has deployed a 4G LTE network as part of its $1 billion Unified National Emergency & Public Safety Network program, Madagascar has implemented a private LTE network in Antananarivo funded by a $43 million Chinese loan, and Nigeria’s MPS Technologies plans to deliver a 450 MHz 5G-ready network for the Nigerian Police Force as part of revitalising the National Public Security Communication System project.

Misplaced optimism?

The report presents an optimistic outlook on public safety communications modernisation, particularly regarding migration timelines and transition smoothness. This optimism appears most pronounced in the assumed migration schedules, where European programmes have consistently experienced significant delays beyond initial plans – the UK’s ESN being the most notable example, alongside similar setbacks in Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. 

The report’s projection of large-scale user migration between 2028 and 2031 may underestimate the substantial friction created by governance complexity, procurement challenges, mission-critical testing requirements, and operational risk aversion. Additionally, whilst MCX standards are stable, the report potentially underplays how real-world integration challenges – including legacy TETRA interoperability, interworking gateways, priority mechanisms, and in-building coverage – frequently become deployment bottlenecks rather than enablers. 

The spending forecasts also assume sustained political and budgetary commitment, which history suggests is vulnerable to governmental changes, fiscal pressures, and competing national priorities.

However, this optimism is not entirely unfounded, as it reflects genuine structural improvements in the sector. Compared to a decade ago, commercial 4G and 5G infrastructure, standalone cores, and satellite backhaul have matured significantly, whilst several countries now possess operational reference networks rather than theoretical frameworks. The increasing adoption of hybrid models using commercial RANs has reduced barriers to incremental deployment, even if long-term risks remain.