4G rollout started for Britain’s smart meters
Image: DCC
The Data Communications Company (DCC) has reported the start of the rollout of 4G communications hubs for Britain’s smart meters.
The upgrade, which is planned for mass rollout from summer 2025, is aimed to future proof the smart meter network and enable ongoing benefits of smart meters for homes and small businesses as the current 2G/3G communications used in the central and southern regions of Britain is set to sunset by the end of 2023.
The hubs are being installed by suppliers, with the first batch of around 10,000 taking place from December 2024 up to February 2025 as part of the validation process.
“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,” said Gav Parrott, director of Products and Networks at the DCC.
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“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 rollout.”
The new 4G communication hub solution was developed in partnership with Vodafone for network connectivity, Toshiba as the manufacturer, Accenture, CGI and Deloitte.
To streamline and simplify the installation process, the solution is dual band and extends the reach of the home area network, whereas the current solution offers both a single and dual band communications hub.
The DCC’s network is considered one of Europe’s largest telecommunications networks and is expected to reach over 100 million devices in 33 million premises at scale.
Currently almost 19.9 million premises, including over half of homes, are connected to the network, accounting for a total of over 33 million smart meters, including 21.2 million SMETS2 meters and 11.8 million SMETS1 meters.
The daily connection rate is averaging around 16,300 smart meters.
