Telecoms giant BT, together with communications infrastructure specialist Arqiva and BAE Systems’ data expert offshoot Detica yesterday officially launched their bid to provide the UK with an end-to-end smart metering solution.
The Government has set a target of rolling out smart meters to 26 million homes by 2020 and will shortly commence the process of establishing the regulatory framework and a new body – a data communications company (DCC) – to procure the necessary data management and communications functions.
And it is those data management and communications functions that BT, Arqiva and Detica believe can be handled by their smart metering consortium, SmartReach.
The SmartReach solution is based on a dedicated long-range radio frequency communications network (at 412 MHz), which the partners say is the only option for 100% coverage across the UK and with sufficient penetration to reach meters in hard-to-reach places.
The consortium says it offers expertise in national communications, secure systems and data services and will provide an end-to-end smart metering solution tailor-made for the UK.
Arqiva is currently testing the concept over 80 km2 area around Reading using existing telecoms and broadcast infrastructure.
Early results are promising, says David Green of Arqiva, although a full report on the trial will not be available until February next year.
“We have an extraordinary breadth and depth of relevant capability,” says Jo Wright, vice president of smart meters and smart grids at BT.
The current Government wants to see the smart meter roll out programme accelerated and the SmartReach consortium are calling for the service provider procurement process to start in early 2011 in parallel with the establishment of the regulatory framework.