The Data Communications Company (DCC) in collaboration with Vodafone and others has started rolling our 4G communications hubs to connect smart meters in the UK.

The DCC has collaborated with Vodafone, Toshiba, Accenture, CGI and Deloitte to upgrade the smart meter network with a cost-efficient 4G communications hub so homes and small businesses continue to benefit from smart metering as 2G and 3G sunsets by the end of 2033.

This is part of a planned upgrade that will see DCC harness the capability of 4G and beyond, improving operational performance and driving value for energy consumers.

The first 4G communications hubs are being installed from this month to February 2025, with mass roll-out from summer 2025.

The partnership between DCC and Vodafone (www.vodafone.co.uk) dates back to August 2023 when they signed a 15-year agreement to build and operate managed IoT connectivity and supporting services to provide 4G connectivity for Britain’s smart meter network. The deal enables DCC to evolve its communications network, part of critical national infrastructure, to 4G and beyond.

Now in over half the homes in Britain, smart metering is supporting consumers in managing their energy usage, enabling innovation and efficiency for energy suppliers and network operators, and helping the UK deliver its net zero targets.

The smart meter network, designed, built and operated by the DCC, is one of Europe’s largest telecommunications networks and continues to grow as more meters are connected; it will reach over 100 million devices in 33 million premises at scale.

Energy suppliers began installing the 4G communications hubs this month. One of the first installations in the central and south regions took place in Biddulph, Staffordshire, by E.On.

“Smart meters are a crucial component in the work to deliver net-zero targets in Great Britain,” said Phil Gilbert, director of net-zero delivery at E.On (www.eon.com). “They allow households to take control of their own energy usage and carbon footprint and help suppliers to balance demand across our national energy infrastructure. As a responsible energy supplier, we continually work to maintain our smart meter fleet and ensure they operate as expected. Therefore, we are delighted to be one of the first suppliers to be piloting the installation of these new 4G communications hubs.”

Gav Parrott, director of products at DCC (www.smartdcc.co.uk), added: “At DCC we are continuously looking to ensure our technology is fit for the future, and it’s fantastic that DCC’s customers, energy suppliers, have started to successfully install the new 4G communications hub in consumers’ homes. This milestone is a testament to the hard work and dedication of DCC colleagues, our partners and customers, and marks a major moment in the history of the smart metering roll-out.”

To streamline and simplify the installation process, a dual-band communications hub has been developed for use in all premises, extending the reach of the home area network and delivering a simplified installation process for energy suppliers, compared with the current setup that uses both single- and dual-band communications hubs.

“It has been a privilege for Toshiba to design and build the 4G dual-band communications hub for the DCC,” said Thomas Cunliffe, COO of Toshiba’s M2M division. “We are immensely proud of not only the 4G end-product but also the way the team at Toshiba has collaborated with all the partners within the programme. Our global supply chain is ready, and we look forward to ramping up production volumes for the mass roll-out next year.”

Smart metering is an essential component of the UK’s journey to net zero, helping households reduce their own carbon footprint, while facilitating grid balancing and flexibility by delivering near real-time information on energy consumption and performance. This upgrade should ensure energy consumers benefit from continued smart metering services in their home, allowing them to manage energy usage, benefit from flexible and time of use tariffs, and easily and quickly switch supplier.