Handbook · Section 7 of 8

Physical

Diverse hardware and network supply, with open instruction sets as the long-term path.

Version: 0.1.0
Status: Draft
Maintainers: The Sovereign Stack
Evidence layers: Device chips, Server & AI accelerator chips, Networks & telecoms, Storage hardware
Findings index: 58/100 from 42 findings

1. Specification

Chips, servers, devices and networks are the layer with the least UK capability and the longest lead time. No single purchase changes that. The profile asks for diversity of supply, documented provenance, and a long-term preference for open instruction sets so that the layer above is not bound to one vendor’s silicon.

2. Layer profile

Id	Criterion	Standard
PH-1	The origin of chips and assemblies is documented to the component level.	Hardware bill of materials
PH-2	Devices run an open operating system without a vendor account.	Platform PL-1
PH-3	Firmware is updatable by the buyer and, where possible, open.	Open firmware projects; signed updates under buyer control
PH-4	Network equipment uses open management interfaces and open routing protocols.	NETCONF and YANG; standard routing protocols
PH-5	Accelerators and servers can be sourced from more than one vendor for the same workload.	General criterion G9
PH-6	Long-term: open instruction sets are preferred where performance allows.	RISC-V

Already adopted in UK government

No Open Standards Board profile covers hardware or networks (Open standards for government). Adoption is de facto and concentrated in a handful of chip and device vendors. PH-6 is a direction, not an adopted position.

3. Open-source solutions that meet the profile

Not yet assessed. Candidates: Raspberry Pi for education, open firmware projects, RISC-V boards.

4. Public services implementing the standard

Not yet recorded. Candidate: Jisc’s Janet network.

5. Skills and horizon

Horizon 3: open hardware moving from research into production. Universities lead; see the skills section and the roadmap.

What this section rests on 42 findings

Every published finding in the Body of Knowledge for the layers this section covers. The Handbook recommends; the Findings show where we are. Open any row in the Stack Playground to see its sources.

Published findings for the layers covered by Physical
Finding	Organisation	Product	Vendor	Owner country	Index
BBC-004	BBC	Next-generation broadcast/IP WAN linking all UK BBC sites (21 broadcast centres, local radio, bureaux)	BT (BT Media & Broadcast)	United Kingdom	74 · Partly sovereign
BBC-005	BBC	London data centre, fixed telephony and additional connectivity	Vodafone	United Kingdom	77 · Sovereign
BBC-006	BBC	DDoS 'scrubbing' protection for BBC Internet Network (bbc.co.uk, iPlayer, CDN origin)	HCL Technologies UK	India	34 · Dependent
BBC-007	BBC	Authoritative public DNS for BBC Online (dual resolver networks, DDoS-resilient)	Not yet named (DNS infrastructure providers only, no resellers)	United States	56 · Partly sovereign
BBC-008	BBC	Hotbird satellite distribution of BBC News to European DTH audiences	Not named (Eutelsat Hotbird capacity)	France	46 · Dependent
DEF-002	Defence	End-user device support for 220,000+ laptops, desktops, peripherals and software applications worldwide	Computacenter	United Kingdom	70 · Partly sovereign
DEF-005	Defence	SKYNET 6A military communications satellite (build, cyber protection, launch, ground segment updates)	Airbus Defence and Space UK	Netherlands	58 · Partly sovereign
DEF-006	Defence	SKYNET Service Delivery Wrap (SDW): operation of military satellites and ground stations, terminal integration	Babcock (Team Aurora)	United Kingdom	77 · Sovereign
DEF-007	Defence	SKYNET 6 Wideband Satellite System (WSS) – space segment from 2032 (competition)	Airbus Defence and Space UK; Lockheed Martin UK (bidders)	Mixed	40 · Dependent
DEF-008	Defence	Future Integrated User Services (F-IUS) mobile device and airtime services	BT	United Kingdom	67 · Partly sovereign
DEF-009	Defence	Managed enterprise internet and Wi-Fi service across defence sites (incl. living accommodation)	BT	United Kingdom	67 · Partly sovereign
DEF-010	Defence	Army Estate Wide Internet Access (AEWIA): BT managed service on Cisco Catalyst/Meraki switching and Wi-Fi across 498 sites	Cisco (with BT)	United States	33 · Dependent
DEF-011	Defence	Next Generation Communication Network (NGCN): fixed-network replacement; transformation partner and Network Systems Integrator selection	PA Consulting	United States	61 · Partly sovereign
DEF-012	Defence	Maritime Communications Capability Support (MCCS): upgrade and support of internal/external comms on warships and submarines	Thales UK	France	58 · Partly sovereign
DEF-013	Defence	TRINITY deployable tactical Wide Area Network linking drones, vehicles, jets, carriers and commands	BAE Systems (with KBR, PA Consulting, L3Harris)	United Kingdom	65 · Partly sovereign
DEF-014	Defence	MORPHEUS / Evolve to Open (EvO) tactical CIS to succeed Bowman (paused Dec 2023)	General Dynamics UK	United States	38 · Dependent
DEF-015	Defence	TacSys Resource Partner: output-based support to the Land Environment Tactical CIS programme	QinetiQ; Eviden (Atos); BMT; Roke; Accenture	Mixed	60 · Partly sovereign
DEF-016	Defence	NetApp storage devices procured for the Sustain environment	NetApp	United States	39 · Dependent
DEV-002	Devolved Governments	Scottish Wide Area Network 2 (SWAN2): fibre, mobile, resilience and cyber services for Scottish public bodies	BT	United Kingdom	67 · Partly sovereign
DEV-003	Devolved Governments	SG core WAN circuits migrating from SWAN1 (Capita) to SWAN2 (BT), 131 sites	BT (SWAN2); Capita (SWAN1, exiting)	United Kingdom	73 · Partly sovereign
GOV-004	Central Government	NVIDIA GPUs for AI compute (Stargate UK / Nscale-Microsoft UK supercomputer)	NVIDIA	United States	23 · Exposed
GOV-005	Central Government	Public Services Network (PSN) legacy government network	Multiple (BT, Vodafone and others as PSN suppliers)	United Kingdom	83 · Sovereign
GOV-006	Central Government	Protective DNS (PDNS) for public sector, NCSC Active Cyber Defence	Cloudflare (with Accenture)	United States	37 · Dependent
HE-003	Higher Education	Isambard-AI (AIRR) - 5,400+ NVIDIA GH200 Grace Hopper superchips, HPE Cray EX	HPE; NVIDIA	United States	44 · Dependent
HE-004	Higher Education	Dawn (AIRR) - Dell servers; Intel Data Center GPU Max (phase 1), AMD Instinct MI355X expansion	Dell; Intel; AMD; StackHPC (software)	United States	47 · Dependent
HE-005	Higher Education	ARCHER2 national supercomputer - HPE Cray EX with AMD EPYC CPUs	HPE; AMD	United States	51 · Partly sovereign
HE-006	Higher Education	Next National Supercomputing Service (Edinburgh, UKRI-5244) - vendor TBC	TBC (HPE and Eviden reported frontrunners)	United States	44 · Dependent
HE-007	Higher Education	Janet national research and education network	Jisc	United Kingdom	77 · Sovereign
HE-008	Higher Education	Janet optical transport (Ciena 6500 / WaveLogic, 400G)	Ciena	United States	38 · Dependent
HE-009	Higher Education	eduroam (UK roaming Wi-Fi) and eduroam Visitor Access	Jisc (UK operator) / GEANT global	United Kingdom	97 · Sovereign
NHS-003	NHS	Health and Social Care Network (HSCN) – private network for NHS/social care	BT; Virgin Media Business; Redcentric; Exponential-e; Node4; MLL; Capita and others (19 live suppliers)	United Kingdom	92 · Sovereign
POL-002	Policing	Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro rugged smartphones for officers	Samsung (via CCS Media reseller)	South Korea	30 · Dependent
POL-003	Policing	Motorola Solutions VB400 body-worn video cameras (10,500 units)	Motorola Solutions	United States	38 · Dependent
POL-004	Policing	Fujitsu BS2000/OSD SE700-30 mainframe running the Police National Computer	Fujitsu Services	Japan	30 · Dependent
POL-005	Policing	Airwave TETRA emergency services radio network	Motorola Solutions (Airwave Solutions)	United States	39 · Dependent
POL-006	Policing	ESN mobile services (4G/5G SA core and radio access for Emergency Services Network)	BT / EE	United Kingdom	77 · Sovereign
POL-007	Policing	ESN user services (core software, push-to-talk, device management, systems integration)	IBM (with Samsung, Ericsson, Frequentis, Exponential-E, Palo Alto Networks)	United States	33 · Dependent
POL-008	Policing	TETRA handsets, software and maintenance (Airwave terminals) extension	Motorola Solutions; Sepura	Mixed	57 · Partly sovereign
POL-009	Policing	Public Services Network (PSN) connectivity	Vodafone	United Kingdom	83 · Sovereign
SCH-004	Schools	LGfL wide area network (London Grid for Learning)	LGfL (charity) with Virgin Media Business	United Kingdom	83 · Sovereign
SCH-005	Schools	Connect the Classroom (DfE-funded Wi-Fi and fibre upgrades)	DfE (funder) with commercial ISPs and Wi-Fi integrators	United Kingdom	87 · Sovereign
SCH-006	Schools	Schools Broadband / BT and other commercial school ISPs	Schools Broadband; BT; others	United Kingdom	82 · Sovereign

Changelog

0.1.0 · 2026-10-19
Specification and layer profile seeded from the reference architecture. Solutions not yet assessed.

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