BT pilots N3 VoIP service in London

NHS trusts in London are being offered free connections to the N3 Local Gateway Service (LGS) as part of a major city-wide pilot.

The N3 LGS provides an interface between a local telephone switch and the N3 Voice Core Services Central platform. It enables cost free telephone calls to be placed over the N3 network and grants access to the central mobile gateway, enabling reduced rate calls to mobile phones.

Costs to trusts are limited to a signalling interface card to connect to the N3 gateway, software configuration charges and a monthly management fee.

Currently 21 trusts in London have joined the pilot, which has been running for a couple of months. Another 26 are ready to proceed, while several more are expected to sign up before funding expires on 31 December 2007.

Stuart Hill, chief executive officer of N3 Service Provider, told E-Health Insider: “This is a great example of the wide-reaching benefits that the N3 Network is capable of delivering. We want to use London as an exemplar to the rest of the country demonstrating how trusts can save circa 10 – 20% from their usual trust spending. London will be the catalyst for change throughout the country.”

The pilot follows BT’s announcement in July that the N3 network has been enhanced to carry phone calls using voice over internet protocol technology (VoIP), meaning NHS trusts can make free IP phone calls using the N3 LGS.

As well as the free calls to any UK landline number, a partnership with mobile operator O2 means that trusts will also be able to call mobile numbers at a subsidised rate. BT claim that around 70% of NHS call charges are to mobile phone numbers at present.

The pilot will also help to explore whether the N3 network can support new technologies.

Hill said: “The ability to call other NHS trusts connected to the N3 gateway is just the first step in NHS London being able to exploit new and future communications technologies, such as the ubiquitous WiFi, wearable communications, patient and asset tracking, and VoIP smart phones, utilising the N3 network as they become available.”

NHS Connecting for Health has part-funded the pilot with BT to explore the benefits of the N3 Local Gateway Service across a large scale community. The outcomes are expected to influence the uptake of services in other regions, and Hill wants as many trusts as possible to take up the funding opportunity before it expires.

“For NHS London to fully exploit this opportunity, it is necessary for as many trusts as possible to fully engage in the pilot. The more trusts that sign up, the bigger the benefits, making it important for remaining trusts to come onboard before funding is withdrawn in four week’s time. After this, trusts will want to come on board in order to reap the benefits of the buy-in power our competitive tariff offers,” he said.

London trusts have been involved in roadshows at the BT Tower and are enthusiastic about the benefits N3 LGS is providing.

Rick Juniper, ICT director at North West London Hospitals NHS Trust – the first trust to sign up to the pilot – said: “Currently, most of our call charges from landlines are spent on calling mobiles. The offer of nationally negotiated rates for fixed to mobile calls will lead to substantial savings, which can be reinvested back into local service improvements.”

Once N3 LGS is deployed around the country, Hill hopes to be able to show other suppliers how to use the platform to their advantages.

“We want to be able to apply the technology that runs the N3 network to assist remote working and mobile technology. The N3 platform will enable this and in the future we will want to be able to push its capabilities in this field. This is a while away, though.”

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Joe Fernandez