FOI202500021S Mobile, Voice & Data Services/Managed IT Services
Published 21 July 2025
© Crown copyright 2025
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foi-release-mobile-voice-data-servicesmanaged-it-services/foi202500021s-mobile-voice-data-servicesmanaged-it-services
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST REF: FOI202500021S
Thank you for your email of 3 July 2025 asking for information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000. You asked:
“I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding the Mobile, Voice & Data services currently in place at FCDO Services.
I would be grateful if you could provide the following information:
1) Current Mobile, Voice & Data Services
Total number of active SIMs.
Description of current tariffs/allowances.
Name of the current service provider(s).
2) Requirements for the Next Contract
Planned budget.
Contract length.
Estimated total number of SIMs (Voice & Data, and Data-only).
Distribution of SIMs across networks (e.g. 50 on Vodafone, 100 on EE, etc.).
Description of required UK tariffs/allowances, and EU & Rest of World (RoW) roaming bundles.
Total number of Mobile Device Management (MDM) licences.
Total number of Mobile Lifecycle Management subscriptions.
Total number and types of Microsoft 365 licences.
Total fund for mobile devices.
3) Managed IT Services
Are all your IT & Telecoms services managed in-house or is anything outsourced?
If outsourced, who do you use?
Is this contract managed by the same officer at {Name of Council}?
4) Contract Review
Date of the next review for the Mobile, Voice & Data services contract.
5) Responsible Officer(s)
Name and contact details of the officer(s) responsible for the contract review at FCDO Services”
I am writing to confirm that we have now completed the search for the information which you requested.
I can confirm that FCDO Services does hold information relevant to your request, as set out below.
1) Total number of active SIMs: 742
Description of current tariffs/allowances: Your request falls under the exemption in section 43(2) of the FOIA. Disclosure of this information would significantly weaken the successful suppliers’ competitive advantage, causing harm to their commercial interests. See below for further information.
Name of the current service provider(s): The Name of current provider is exempt under section 21 of the FOIA, as we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible to you. Details of the current provider can be found here: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/6c703c8b-0eb7-4fe8-83ec-4f0bc002effc?origin=SearchResults&p=1
2) Requirements for the next contract have not yet been finalised. This normally takes place 6 months prior to the end of the current contract.
3) FCDO Services is a trading fund of the FCDO and as such uses the technologies (hardware & software) provided by the FCDO. The use of these technologies’ forms part of a terms of business agreement between the FCDO and FCDO Services. There are some exceptions to this, as we procure devices that we own and manage ourselves.
However, details of FCDO Services IT & Telecoms services are withheld under Section 31 of the Freedom of Information Act. Please see below for further details on Section 31.
4) The date of the next contract review is estimated to be 6 months prior to end of contract date.
5) The information you have requested, i.e. names of staff, is personal data relating to third parties, the disclosure of which would contravene one of the data protection principles. In such circumstances sections 40(2) and 40 (3A)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act apply. In this case, our view is that disclosure would breach the data protection principle that personal data should be processed lawfully, fairly and transparently. It is the fairness aspect of this principle, which, in our view, would be breached by disclosure. In such circumstances, s.40 confers an absolute exemption on disclosure. There is, therefore, no public interest test to apply.
Section 31
Section 31(1) is a qualified exemption, which means that it is subject to a public interest test. We acknowledge the public interest in openness and transparency. However, disclosure of the information requested could aid a criminal who was intent on launching an attack on the Department’s ICT systems and could expose the FCDO Services to potential threats such as targeted e-crime, reveal any potential network infrastructure / cyber vulnerabilities or weaknesses and expose FCDO Services to potential threats of a criminal nature.
Section 43
Section 43(2) of FOIA exempts from disclosure information, which would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of any person. It is a prejudice-based exemption, so the test for exemption is whether the individual’s commercial interests would be prejudiced by disclosure and it is subject to balancing the public interest. It is recognised that there is a general public interest in the disclosure of commercial information to ensure, for example: transparency in the accountability of public funds; proper scrutiny of government action; and the effective use of public money. However, where disclosure would make it less likely that companies or individuals would provide the department with information in the future or where disclosure would make it more difficult for individuals to be able to conduct commercial transactions, or have future dealings with public bodies, without fear of suffering commercially as a result, these are factors that may weigh in favour of non-disclosure.
We considered the commercial interests of third parties and the benefit to the public for the release of this information. We also considered the impact that this may also have on our future business relationships. In considering this case and the details required, we consider that the public interest in favour of disclosing such information is outweighed by the obligation to protect the commercial interests of third parties. We have therefore taken the decision to withhold the information.
For the reasons set out above, we have assessed that the public interest in maintaining this exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure.
Once an FOI request is answered, it is considered to be in the public domain. To promote transparency, FCDO Services may now publish the response and any material released on GOV.UK in the FOI releases section. All personal information in the letter will be removed before publishing.
Where copies of information have been supplied to you they will continue to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. You are free to use it for your own purposes, including any non-commercial research you are doing and for the purposes of news reporting. Any other re-use, for example commercial publication, would require the permission of the copyright holder. Most documents supplied by the FCDO will have been produced by government officials and will be protected by Crown Copyright. To re-use Crown Copyright documents please consult the Open Government Licence v3 on the National Archives website.
Information you receive which is not subject to Crown Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. You must ensure that you gain their permission before reproducing any third party (non-Crown Copyright) information.
If you would like to request a review of our decision, you should write to the Data Protection Officer (DPO), Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) Team, FCDO Services, Hanslope Park, Milton Keynes, England, MK19 7BH (e-mail: FCDOServices.DataProtectionOfficer@fcdo.gov.uk). Please note you have 40 working days to do so from the date of this letter. Please quote the reference number above in any future communications.
If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may then apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the Information Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by the FCDO. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF, or online at: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/
Yours sincerely,