To provide the police with an improved secure radio communication system the Police Information Technology Organisation ("PITO") signed a framework contract in 2000 with British Telecommunications plc. The contract, (which was subsequently novated to O2), was to deliver a new digital mobile telecommunications service (known as Airwave) to the police forces in England, Wales and Scotland. The Airwave network is now being rolled out across the country.
The term "sharers list" is commonly used to refer to the list of organisations within a closed user group to which Airwave mmO2 Limited ("O2") is permitted to provide its Airwave network services. Previously the closed user group was provided for by conditions in a licence granted under the Telecommunications Act 1984 ("the Telecommunications Act licence"), which was administered by the Department of Trade and Industry ("DTI").
The Telecommunications Act licence was revoked as part of the recent reform of the communications regulatory regime by the Communications Act 2003. An obligation to provide Airwave network services only to organisations on the sharers list ("the closed user group obligation") will now be included as a term of O2's wireless telegraphy licences. The user group itself (the sharers) will be listed in a schedule to those licences.
Future amendments to the sharers list will be made by variation of the Airwave wireless telegraphy licences. Wireless telegraphy licences are now granted and administered by Ofcom. Ofcom will apply procedures and criteria similar to those used previously by the DTI when inviting and considering further applications for inclusion on the sharers list.