BT has signed a multi-million pound contract with the UK government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to provide mobile connectivity.

According to BT, the contract will see the company deliver thousands of mobile connections to support real-time reporting of critical events, from flooding to farming disease outbreaks.

Although the value of the contract was not disclosed by BT, the telco stated that the contract will run for up to five years across England, Scotland, and Wales.

BT will use EE’s mobile network to provide 34,000 connections for workers and a range of devices, from water sensors to payment machines.

As part of the contract, Defra will be able to use EE's 4G network, which covers more than 99 percent of the UK population.

The telco claims that the connectivity will enable reliable reporting of real-time data on things like water quality, extreme weather events, flood risks, and the spread of disease through farming crops or livestock.

BT will also support the Environment Agency, Animal, Plant & Health Agency, Natural England, Marine Management Organization and The Rural Payment Agency.

“For organizations with large fleets and field workers, hybrid working is about more than just home and office spaces. Staying connected on the go is critical for Defra’s workers who rely on mobile connectivity to operate effectively and serve the wider public community daily or in emergency situations," said Andy Rowe, BT’s director of central government.

BT also noted that it's supporting Defra's carbon reduction targets as part of the deal. As such, Defra will have access to tools including eSim capability and BT’s Carbon Dashboard, which provides visibility of electricity consumption and carbon emissions at an individual workload and application level to help minimize waste and reduce carbon-generating activities.