The descriptively named Data Communications Company (DCC), which manages Britain’s national Smart Meter network(s), recently began their first live customer trials that will see existing Smart Meters in UK homes being upgraded to use Toshiba’s new 4G Communication Hub. Several suppliers, such as E.on and British Gas, are taking part.

The development was actually announced just before Christmas, so we’re playing catch-up today. At present, existing Smart Meters (SMETS 1 and SMETS 2) use a mix of wireless network technologies to communicate how much gas and electricity people are using back to a central database – better known as the Smart Metering Wide Area Network (SMWAN).

For example, Scotland and the North of England are largely served by Arqiva’s Long-Range Radio (LRR) wireless network, which operates in part of the 400MHz licensed spectrum band. By comparison, O2’s (Virgin Media) old 2G and / or 3G based mobile network is typically used to cater for meters installed across the rest of England and Wales. The original 15-year O2 smart metering contract, signed 2013, was worth £1.5bn, while Arqiva’s contract for the north was worth £625m.

However, O2 will start switching off 3G services in April 2025, and they aim to complete that by the end of this year (here). But it will then take “several years” after that before their 2G services can be fully withdrawn, which is partly due to the technology’s use inside existing Smart Meters. According to the Public Accounts Committee (here), an estimated 7 million Smart Meters may need to have their 2G/3G modules upgraded to 4G to avoid a huge connectivity problem.

The Solution

Back in August 2023 we reported that DCC had signed a new 15-year agreement for Vodafone to manage Britain’s national Smart Meter network (here), which would also see the operator working alongside Toshiba, Accenture, CGI and Deloitte to upgrade the network with a cost-efficient 4G Communications Hub solution. Vodafone are providing the 4G network and management, with CGI doing the software and Toshiba the Hub itself.

Just to be clear, as other reports often get this part wrong, under DCC’s programme the meters themselves won’t be replaced, it’s just the communications “hub” (i.e. the “router” that connects the meters in the home to the network). This is still a very big job (nationally speaking), and it requires a site visit to pull off, but it’s also a quicker and simpler job than when a Smart Meter is first fully installed.

The good news is that DCC began an upgrade trial of the new 4G Dual Band Communications Hub from Toshiba a few weeks ago. Energy supplier E.on is understood to have carried out one of the first installations in Staffordshire (England) and many more are due to follow. Around 10,000 Hubs will be installed in the “coming months” as part of DCC’s validation process (mostly by the end of Feb 2025), all involving several energy suppliers.

Assuming the trial goes well, DCC said they would then begin rolling out the new Hubs as standard from summer 2025. “Given that 2G/3G networks will be phased out by 2033, that gives us and our partners eight years to ensure connection continuity for around 24 million smart meters – a huge challenge, but one we are confident we will achieve,” said DCC.

Tom Stockwell, Head of Critical National Infrastructure at Vodafone, said:

“We are delighted to collaborate with DCC on this significant milestone. The installation of the first 4G Communication Hubs in UK homes marks a major step forward in future-proofing the smart metering network. We now look forward to working together to support the continued rollout of 4G Smart Hubs to millions more in the future.”

Thomas Cunliffe, COO M2M Solutions Division at Toshiba, said:

“It has been a privilege for Toshiba to design and build the 4G Dual Band Communications Hub for the DCC. 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.”

The 4G upgrade programme however doesn’t just seek to “replicate the old functionality with newer technology” and instead claims to have taken the chance to build something better. “We’ve collaborated … to build these 4G Hubs such that they will deliver direct benefits to energy suppliers and network operators, helping to drive flexibility, and maintain grid balance and stability, and allow deep insight into consumption patterns and network performance,” although it may take a few years to fully realise all that.

However, we should point out that gas Smart Meters also contain a lithium battery, which different sources suggest should last for 10 years or longer, although quite a few people have found them failing far sooner. But you can’t change these yourself, and another engineer visit is required. Suffice to say, there may be some cases where it would be more cost-efficient to combine the 4G upgrade with a battery replacement, yet so far as we can tell that will NOT be happening under the upgrade programme.

One final point to make is that 4G is about as future-proof as 2G and 3G were before it (many people are already on 5G mobile and 6G is just around the corner), thus this won’t be the last time that such a problem emerges. Mind you, all such hardware and systems reach end-of-life eventually.

Network operator nexfibre, which shares some of their UK parentage with retail broadband ISP partner Virgin Media (O2), has today announced that they’ve made their 2Gbps speed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network available to more than 9,000 additional homes in the city of Bath (Somerset, England).

Bath already has a strong level of gigabit broadband coverage, albeit via somewhat of a patchwork of different network operators (not all of which overlap). The latest development means that Virgin Media and nexfibre now have some of the strongest coverage, although Openreach, CityFibre and Truespeed also have a strong level of FTTP coverage in various areas. After that, smaller altnets, like OFNL and Hyperoptic, can similarly be found in a few specific areas.

Nexfibre itself has already covered 2 million premises across the UK with their new full fibre network (here) and many more will follow. Just for some context. Telefónica, Liberty Global and InfraVia Capital Partners originally set up the new £4.5bn nexfibre joint venture in 2022 (here), which aims to deploy an open access fibre network to reach “up to” 7 million UK homes (starting with 5m by 2026) in areas NOT currently served by Virgin Media’s network of 16m+ premises. The funding reflects £3.3bn of fully underwritten financing and up to £1.4bn in equity commitments.

Mobile network operator Lyca Mobile, which in the UK is a virtual operator (MVNO) on EE’s network, has taken a break from recent troubles (here) by pledging to “transform” the “payment experiences” of its customers through a new partnership with online payment provider Revolut Pay, making it the neobank’s first official MVNO partner in the UK.

The partnership promises to introduce “seamless” payment capabilities, including “automated payments for subscriptions and bills, real-time notifications for payment statuses, and one-click top-ups“. These features are said to “eliminate” the need for repeatedly entering bank details, simplifying the payment process and “ensuring a hassle-free experience“.

Revolut Pay’s advanced payment system is already said to have achieved a 100% authorisation rate for Lyca Mobile transactions in its first month of operation. Additionally, 80% of Lyca Mobile customers using Revolut Pay have adopted automatic top-ups and subscriptions.

Frank Wiemann, Group CMO at Lyca Mobile, said:

“Revolut’s focus on efficiency and innovation aligns seamlessly with our mission to deliver unparalleled connectivity solutions. This partnership is already simplifying the way our customers manage their payments, offering convenience and peace of mind. We’re excited to continue enhancing their experience with cutting-edge technology.”

Alex Codina, General Manager of Acquiring at Revolut, added:

“At Revolut, we’re obsessed with creating the best possible customer experience. We’re delighted to partner with Lyca Mobile and bring all the efficiency benefits of Revolut Pay to the world of subscription payments as we expand into the telecommunications sector.”

The move could perhaps also be seen as forming part of Lyca’s recent “strategic reorganisation” that it said aimed to “drive efficiency and foster global growth“ – this has already resulted in UK job cuts as the provider tries to tackle some big financial challenges.

The not-for-profit London Internet Exchange (LINX), which handles a large chunk of UK and global data traffic through their switches via around 900 members (broadband ISPs, mobile operators etc.), has today announced an update to its pricing structure for 2025 – impacting port and service fees – that aims to “deliver greater member value“.

The new pricing structure is said to be based on member feedback and an analysis of the wider interconnection market, which LINX said had “resulted in port price cuts, more flexible and fractional peering services being added as well as increased value to the £100 per month membership fee benefits.”

The new pricing came into action on 1^st January 2025 and LINX member networks will be able to log in to the portal to activate elements of the new pricing structure.  

Key Pricing Changes

• LINX members now receive 2Gbps of peering at each global LINX operated hub included in their monthly membership fee (increased from 1Gbps previous).
• A reduction of approximately 12% on port access fees 
• Increase in options for peering service speeds on 10G ports and a new option of 50Gbps of peering on 100G ports 

For the full breakdown of the pricing strategy with real use cases, visit: https://www.linx.net/services/service-fees/ .

Jennifer Holmes, CEO of LINX, said:

“Here at LINX we pride ourselves on our transparency and as a not-for-profit, reinvesting in the network architecture and delivering price cuts to our members wherever possible. We spent a lot of time reviewing our member feedback over the last 12 months and working out the financials to ensure we could propose the most attractive pricing review possible.

We run an annual member survey as well as our wider team carrying out member interviews where feedback is collected and used where possible to shape future LINX strategies, not only for pricing but for product development and global expansion.”

The exchange recently reported that, during 2024, they achieved their highest-ever network traffic, with a maximum peak of over 10.841Tbps (Terabits per second), up from 9.229Tbps in 2023 and 7.424Tbps in 2022 (here).

The FTTH Council Europe has published an interesting new report that looks at the progress being made across 27 EU member states (and the United Kingdom) in switching off older copper based broadband networks as part of adopting gigabit full-fibre infrastructure. The report finds a mixed picture, with Portugal, Spain and Sweden leading the way, while others lag far behind.

The report largely seems to act has a high-level summary of policies and progress across each country, which unfortunately doesn’t tell us anything terribly new about where the UK stands because there’s a lack of key data in the report (as evident from the illustration below, although we’re probably somewhere around Italy’s position). But it does help to show just how much work is going into this across the EU and that the UK is far from being alone in its challenges.

Regular readers of ISPreview will already be aware that the move away from copper to full fibre lines is a very gradual process and one that involves several separate, albeit complementary, phases. For example, Openreach and BT’s ongoing effort to shift consumers off traditional analogue voice (PSTN / WLR) services to digital all-IP technologies by 31st Jan 2027 could be said to form the first phase (here and here).

On top of the above phase, we also have Openreach’s “FTTP Priority Exchange Stop Sell” programme, which reflects areas where over 75% of premises are able to get full fibre lines and will thus stop selling copper-based services (latest progress). After that will come Openreach’s move to close around 4,600 old telephone exchanges under the “Exchange Exit” programme (currently in pilot), but that won’t really kick off at scale until 2030 onwards.

The council’s new report provides similar information for all the other countries it covers, which praises operators in Portugal, Spain and Sweden who have “mostly discontinued their copper networks“, while also revealing that Germany, Greece and the Czech Republic “still rely heavily on old copper infrastructure“. The UK is in a similar place to the latter group, as our own FTTP deployments are still playing catch-up with most of Europe (we started the FTTP build, at scale, quite late).

The report highlights that in only 12 countries do the incumbent operators have a plan for complete copper switch-off and in 8 of these 12 countries the plans are publicly available (the UK is one of these, so that’s a plus), while in others (e.g. Portugal) the plan is confidential.

“We believe that fibre networks are fundamental to the digital transformation of Europe,” said FTTH Council Europe President, Roshene McCool. “Phasing out copper networks for fibre infrastructure will lower energy consumption and reduce overall operating costs, therefore making a great contribution to the achievement of the EU’s Digital Decade objectives”, Ms McCool continued.

The new tracker and report are useful for those seeking some additional context across countries, but as we say, it doesn’t really add much for the UK that we haven’t reported on many times before in various different articles. Ofcom’s next major market review is likely to take a closer look at Openreach’s currently plan, which is currently more of an industry-led process, and it’s possible we may see some additional changes as part of that effort.

The Full Report
https://www.ftthcouncil.eu/resources/all-publications-and-assets/2317/copper-switch-off-tracker-decommissioning-copper-in-the-european-union-and-the-united-kingdom

Fibre manufacturer ACOME Group has today announced the introduction of a new platform that they claim could help broadband operators to reduce the amount of expensive optical fibre cable network builders throw away each year. All you need is a QR code and an App that combine to keep a record of each cable drum and its usage.

The manufacturer claims that, every day, broadband companies “waste on average 10% of the full fibre cable they deploy” owing to a lack of knowledge of how much cable they have available in stock or on the field. The solution they came up for helping to solve this is called QR-Drum, which assigns a QR code to each cable drum to work as its digital twin (this keeps a record of cable lengths – down to the last metre, locations [cloud-based GPS tracking] and deployment history).

According to ACOME, this approach allows for a much more efficient fibre management, “cutting fibre cable waste by half or more, and saving up to 5% on cable costs“. The platform is compatible with any manufacturers’ cable-drum and caters to two types of users. Users ‘in the field’ have a mobile app to deploy and record data, and those managing stock use the desktop dashboard to monitor availability and waste in real time – taking some of the guesswork out of things.

ACOME’s QR Drum Product Manager, Delphine Dépont, said:

“Faced with higher interest rates, a need to cut costs and improve deployment efficiency, QR-Drum has been launched by ACOME Group to address a common industry issue of a lack of visibility on available cable lengths leading to overstocking issues. Reducing all forms of waste is a key element in any sustainability strategy. By limiting waste and landfill, the QR-Drum solution will help improve the environmental profile of the broadband sector.

The inability to track exact remaining cable lengths and the inordinate amount of time spent on inventories and logistics tracking, has long been a hindering factor in operational and cost efficiency in our industry.”

The new platform sounds like something that might be more useful for larger network operators, although a lot of providers already have reasonably good systems of their own in place for tracking cable usage. But clearly any new solutions that can help to minimise such issues are always welcome.

FTTH network builders can significantly reduce the amount of expensive optical fibre they throw away thanks to a new initiative from French cabling experts, ACOME Group .

Every day, broadband companies waste on average 10% of the full fibre cable they deploy owing to a lack of knowledge of how much cable they have available in stock or on the field. ACOME’s QR-Drum assigns a QR code to each cable drum which works as its digital twin, keeping a record of cable lengths, locations and deployment history. This allows much more efficient fibre management, cutting fibre cable waste by half or more, and saving up to 5% on cable costs. 

QR-Drum not only facilitates precise cable inventory management, providing information down to the last metre, it also streamlines and enhances the efficiency of the logistical process.

“Faced with higher interest rates, a need to cut costs and improve deployment efficiency, QR-Drum has been launched by ACOME Group to address a common industry issue of a lack of visibility on available cable lengths leading to overstocking issues”, said ACOME’s QR Drum Product Manager, Delphine Dépont. “Reducing all forms of waste is a key element in any sustainability strategy. By limiting waste and landfill, the QR-Drum solution will help improve the environmental profile of the broadband sector.”

QR-Drum, which is compatible with any manufacturers’ cable-drum, has been designed as close to the field as possible, with the help of operational teams, digitalising a work monitoring tool to streamline operations for on-site users and logistics teams alike.

The platform caters to two types of users. Users ‘in the field’ have a mobile app to deploy and record data, and those managing stock use the desktop dashboard to monitor availability and waste in real time. This dual-access approach helps contractors see exactly which installers still have stock, eliminating the guesswork on whether to reorder more materials.

“The inability to track exact remaining cable lengths and the inordinate amount of time spent on inventories and logistics tracking, has long been a hindering factor in operational and cost efficiency in our industry,” Delphine added.

“The QR Drum offers significant benefits by reducing both costs and cable waste,” said Thomas Cantin, Director of Digital Development at the Department Council of Ariège in Southwestern France, which used the solution. “With precise stock management, we’ve been able to avoid surplus fibre reels at project completion, achieving a 5% cost savings while minimising waste—a critical expense in cable management.“

QR-Drum offers cloud-based GPS tracking, providing real-time access to data for each drum used by teams spread across the country, working for various subcontractors. Dashboards are effective tools for monitoring and controlling equipment consumption.

It also helps dispatch the right drum for the job, whether for larger projects requiring fuller drums or smaller tasks that can use partially used drums. It supports proactive stock planning by helping to avoid dead stocks and offers performance indicators as part of the platform.

For more information about QR-Drum, you can watch the video case study or visit: https://www.acome.com/en/publications/446-expert-opinions/3278-cut-fibre-cable-wastage-50-qr-drum-digital-platform

ENDS

About ACOME Group  

ACOME Group is an international industrial and cooperative company that designs and manufactures high-performing cables for the data and telecom infrastructure, building, and transport and automotive sectors.

ACOME has established itself in the UK to supply the market with FTTH telecom products based on its Nanomodule technology, which is specifically designed for UK operators and builders to help reduce costs, time and environmental impact.

With 13 factories in 7 countries, 9 logistic centres, and 2 R&D centres, ACOME employs more than 1700 people worldwide. The company turned over €558million in 2023. Find out more at https://www.acome.com/en or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

News 

The Finnish tech giant will provide the optical network to connect eight new renewable energy platforms in the North Sea 

Nokia has been selected by TenneT, a European offshore transmission operator, to supply key technology for a large renewable energy project in the Dutch North Sea.  

As part of the deal, Nokia will supply optical networking technology for eight new 2-gigawatt (2GW) platforms, keeping them connected to the mainland.  

The new 2GW program is designed to streamline energy transmission from offshore wind farms, creating a standardised approach to handling large volumes of renewable energy. TenneT has partnered with three consortia — Petrofac and Hitachi Energy, GE Vernova-Seatrium, and GE Vernova-McDermott — to deliver these platforms. 

Nokia will use its1830 PSS DWDM technology will reliably connect the offshore platforms to TenneT’s onshore systems, enabling TenneT to oversee and manage the platforms while ensuring steady energy transmission.  

The optical network will have long-distance un-repeatered transmission capabilities of up to 400km, with technologies designed to handle the challenging offshore environment. Nokia will also provide design, testing, and long-term support to ensure the system’s reliability. 

“At Nokia we know that ‘there’s no green without digital’. This project demonstrates that principle in action. By delivering standardised, high-performance optical networking technology that meets the unique demands of offshore environments, Nokia is supporting TenneT in providing reliable green energy to millions of homes across the Netherlands and Europe,” said James Watt, SVP and General Manager of Optical Networks business at Nokia in a press release. 

The rollout of Nokia’s technology will start in early 2025, in line with the construction of the 2GW platforms. The first platform is scheduled to become operational by 2029. 

Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter 

Also in the news:
Chinese engineers patenting submarine cable cutting tech
Myanmar’s Mytel among latest company to be added to US ‘Entity List
Uswitch highlights risks to customers as VMO2 targets 3G sunset

Johannesburg, South Africa, 13 January 2025 – CMC Networks has appointed Paolo Gambini as its new Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Gambini joins CMC Networks from his prior role as Head of Enterprise Sales at Arelion, where he spent over five years leading global sales initiatives. He brings more than 25 years of telecommunications experience and expertise to CMC Networks to continue to drive revenue growth, strengthen customer relationships, and support requirements across Africa and the Middle East.

Gambini has a proven track record in international sales, business development, marketing, network design and more, providing a multifaceted skillset to expand upon CMC Networks’ success. The appointment marks a key step in the company’s roadmap and mission to ensure businesses and users can benefit from world-leading technologies, no matter where they operate.

“Big things are happening at CMC Networks, and I’m thrilled to join at such an exciting time,” said Paolo Gambini, CRO at CMC Networks. “I’m looking forward to working with the team to support the company’s strategic goals and drive the next phase of growth, cementing CMC Networks as the go-to provider for business connectivity in the MEA region.”

Paolo’s extensive career also includes over a decade at Tiscali International Network/Inteliquent, where he held the senior roles of VP Product Marketing & Development and Sales & Marketing Director, as well as Chief Technical Officer at Tiscali Spain. With a deep understanding of the technical, operational and commercial aspects of the telecommunications landscape, he is uniquely positioned to accelerate CMC Networks’ growth goals and customer engagement.

“We are delighted to have Paolo on board as our new CRO. His extensive experience and innovative mindset are invaluable as we continue to drive innovation and solidify CMC’s position as the leading player in Africa and Middle East,” said Marisa Trisolino, CEO at CMC Networks. “We are dedicated to making it as simple as possible for our customers to do business and grow in these regions, without connectivity headaches or market complications. I’m looking forward to working with Paolo to strengthen and refine our approach even further, with our customers at the core.”

CMC Networks specialises in delivering high-performance connectivity solutions that empower businesses to thrive in some of the world’s most complex markets. It has the largest pan-African network servicing 51 out of 54 countries in Africa and 11 countries in the Middle East.

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About CMC Networks

CMC Networks is a Tier 1 service provider that enables and accelerates digital transformation in the most challenging markets in the world. Headquartered in South Africa and providing services for over 30 years.

CMC provides data communications to Carriers, Governments, Multinationals, and various non-profit organisations, operating more than 110 Service Locations providing a cost-effective, scalable and resilient network. CMC Networks has the largest pan-African network servicing 51 out of 54 countries in Africa and 11 countries in the Middle East, plus regional hubs in key interconnect locations across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific.

https://www.cmcnetworks.com/