Re: EE Data
As for the UK perhaps having multiple providers, i guess that wouldn't be too smart, it would just need the spec rigid and strictly adhered to, a countrywide emergency services radio network was do-able on analogue systems, (MOULD anyone) but no-one serious will use analogue anymore, no privacy, no data, no GPS no ID etc etc
All digital comms are many times more complicated than analogue and with even with open standards like P25 and TETRA (and less mission-critical focussed systems like DMR) we still see vendors like to tweak their particular flavour - presumably as a way to lock you in to their flavour of the 'standard' by adding additions to keep you as their 'dealer' - vendor lock in, if they're allowed to.
One of the biggest tech problems on 9/11 i believe, was comms interoperability, with several repeaters becoming n/a and with a proportion of comms infrastructure suddenly becoming knackered up a bit, the differences between vendors became apparent.
I think the UK should keep TETRA and improve their implementation of it, it's far from perfect, but it's a pretty good system, sure the sets are low power and lthus imited range - requiring vastly heavier and more complex infrastructure.
TETRA is very secure STILL, sounds good and portable & mobile terminals currently aren't too pricey, unless they hear you're from the Government and then prices seem to magically rise - as is a case often levelled at one main manafacturer in the US, Yes infrastructure is already in place, and sure, data is terribly slow, but many blue-light users fall back to cell phones anyway..
It's taxpayers money, and alledgedly tax-payers they are trying to protect, but i fear the conversation between Men in suits in Whitehall and Men in suits in say, Illinois or somewhere may be frought :)
I was going to make a point somewhere in here, but i dozed off whilst typing it .. this uneasy alliance has been done to death over the years..