O2 launches £10/month 4G contract for the public sector

4G mast

Mobile operator O2 is rolling out a 10 a month 4G payment plan aimed exclusively at public sector and charitable organisations.

The new plan has been dubbed the No.10 tariff, in reference to its monthly cost, and users will receive either a 4G-enabled Nokia Lumia 635 or a Samsung Galaxy device.

They will also be able to take advantage of unlimited calls and texts, and receive reasonably generous 5GB data allowance.

The contract is being offered to public and third sector organisations solely through Lot 6 of the Public Services Network (PSN) framework.

Its launch follows the recent news about O2 becoming the first mobile network provider to be awarded the government's CAS-T certification, which recognises its status as a secure and approved for public sector use network.

Billy D'Arcy, managing director of public sector business at O2, said the aim of the tariff is to help the public sector and charities keep the cost of their operations as low as possible.

"By giving public sector workers access to the latest digital technology, we can ensure that citizens are being served by the Government in the best possible way," he said.

"For example, by giving doctors the technology to deliver remote diagnoses to patients or by delivering vital information to citizens through new channels, such as mobile apps."

This announcement comes nearly a year after O2 first switched on its 4G network in the UK on 29 August 2014.

Caroline Donnelly is the news and analysis editor of IT Pro and its sister site Cloud Pro, and covers general news, as well as the storage, security, public sector, cloud and Microsoft beats. Caroline has been a member of the IT Pro/Cloud Pro team since March 2012, and has previously worked as a reporter at several B2B publications, including UK channel magazine CRN, and as features writer for local weekly newspaper, The Slough and Windsor Observer. She studied Medical Biochemistry at the University of Leicester and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Magazine Journalism at PMA Training in 2006.