Agenda item

Report of the Chamberlain.

The Committee received a report of the Chamberlain, concerning the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) Replacement Project, seeking the approval of a drawdown of £350,000 to complete the audit and replace the devices (such as lift and fire alarm devices) that would pose to its users and the City Corporation.

A Member queried why the replacement of these devices would be managed by the respective service departments. The response was that there was no consistency with the type or brand of hardware used across the City Corporation’s estate (for instance, lifts) so the recommendation was to devolve procurement decisions to the respective service department as there was not a single solution.

A Member was interested in whether a solution (such as mobile signal or fibreoptic) for the PSTN had been identified, and whether alternatives had been costed. The Committee heard that the audit would assess the appropriate solution. Further, if the audit flagged connections which are no longer required, these would be removed.

It was asked whether mobile network failure would affect communication with infrastructure that uses mobile signal. The Committee were assured that there are mechanisms in place to deal with such events, and the response is robust and tested. This was further discussed in non-public session.

A Member made comments on the structure of the report, noting that it made the requested decisions unclear. This point was acknowledged and well understood by officers, and it was noted to the Committee that comments on the project report would be considered as part of a future review of the template of project reports.

RESOLVED – That the Digital Services Committee:

·       approve a Budget drawdown of £350,000 to allow for the migration of high priority analogue lines and devices ahead of the completion of the PSTN audit

·       note that the total estimated cost for the PSTN project remains at £2.5 million, subject to the results of the PSTN audit

·       note the revised budget for Gateway 2 is £550,000 (excluding risk)

·       approve option 2 in the report, to migrate known high priority analogue devices, alongside the PSTN audit.