A CHORLEY UK technology and network services company, telent, has welcomed the news that it has been awarded a major new contract by Highways England to keep England moving into the future.

The contract win will lead to the creation of approximately 30 new jobs at telent’s north-west Regional HQ in Chorley, helping expand the area’s technology footprint.

The contract will see telent take over the current NRTS (National Roads Telecommunications Services) network and provide an end-to-end managed service. This is a critical component of national infrastructure supporting the country’s 4,400-mile strategic road network.

Chris Metcalfe, telent’s Managing Director of Technology Solutions, said: “This contract win is an outstanding accomplishment for telent and I want to thank the significant contribution of our Chorley office to winning the new contract. We are excited to soon begin work transforming the NRTS network and upgrade the nation’s strategic road network”.

From Spring 2018, telent and its technology partners will collaborate with Highways England to transform the NRTS network, and rollout innovative, world-class network technology. This will support the provision of new telecommunication services, including the development of smart motorways, to increase safety for road workers and users, helping to ensure passengers can travel with minimal delays and facilitate the development of future communications-based services alongside the strategic road network.

Mike Toole, telent’s Business Director in the Chorley office, and member of the Chorley Council Development Committee, also commented: “Our office in Chorley has increased over threefold in size in recent years and this latest win means that we will also now become a key hub for telent to deliver the new NRTS contract. telent has invested significantly in the town and north-west area, and this latest announcement of new skilled jobs only underlines this success story”.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP said, “telent’s success on this contract is great news for the company and for Chorley. On each occasion that I’ve met with telent I’ve been impressed with the company’s genuine commitment to developing talent within the organisation and to supporting the local community. The fact that telent chose Chorley for its regional head office is a real boost to the town and a vote of confidence to Chorley and Lancashire as a place to do business.”