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Smart meter rollout problems and delays...

AJJewsbury
Since zoomup doesn't seem to be around, I'll do the honours....


It appears that there are still some significant problems with the supplier-independent network that SMETS 2 meters need to communicate - especially in the "North" where it seems that some special radio system is being used rather than piggybacking on the mobile system. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49680943


Then a day or two later the government announces a delay on the smart meter rollout programme: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49721436


Does anyone know where the boundary between the "north" and "south" networks is?


Why is the UK so bad at implementing projects (starting with coming up with & approving a design that couldn't cope with people changing suppliers)?


Looks like I'm going to have to wait even longer for my immersion controller that cuts in automatically when electricity is cheaper than gas.


   - Andy.
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    mapj1:

     




    Does anyone know where the boundary between the "north" and "south" networks is?



    The North in this context is the area covered by Arqiva's network by means of a Communications Hub, which will be installed separately from the Smart Meter unit. The system uses "Long Range" Radio in the UHF band at 412-414 MHz for the uplink and 422-424 MHz fur the downlink. The network equipment is provided by a US company, Sensus and operates over a proprietary radio protocol, which has been customised for utilities messaging services. Transmit power is about a watt. (nothing UHF is  'long range' by my standards but ho-hum )

    specs of a typical northern unit https://www.smartdcc.co.uk/media/2967/standard-420-revd-sbch-comms-hub-datasheet.pdf


    In the over populated south, where there is therefore good mobile phone coverage, the operator is Telefonica UK using equipment that is in effect mobile phone equipment data links internally on 900MHZ and 2100MHz specs of a typical southern unit  https://www.smartdcc.co.uk/media/1889/toshiba_sku1_cellular_datasheet_2017-10-20.pdf

    The Contractor shall provide the Services to Domestic and Smaller Non-Domestic Premises in the Territory, where the Territory is defined by the boundaries of the areas of the electricity Distribution Network Operators (DNO) in Great Britain such that:


    a)the North including Scotland includes the DNO regions North Scotland, South Scotland, North East England, North West and Yorkshire;


    b)Central including Wales includes the DNO regions East Midlands, West Midlands, Eastern England, South Wales and North Wales, Merseyside and Cheshire; and


    c)South includes the DNO regions Southern England, London, South East England and South West England.


    More here


    So it's not Watford then! ?


    The advantage of being on the Hampshire coast is that I have no doubt that I am in the South. But wait a minute, should that be the Isle of Wight instead?

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  • 0

    mapj1:

     




    Does anyone know where the boundary between the "north" and "south" networks is?



    The North in this context is the area covered by Arqiva's network by means of a Communications Hub, which will be installed separately from the Smart Meter unit. The system uses "Long Range" Radio in the UHF band at 412-414 MHz for the uplink and 422-424 MHz fur the downlink. The network equipment is provided by a US company, Sensus and operates over a proprietary radio protocol, which has been customised for utilities messaging services. Transmit power is about a watt. (nothing UHF is  'long range' by my standards but ho-hum )

    specs of a typical northern unit https://www.smartdcc.co.uk/media/2967/standard-420-revd-sbch-comms-hub-datasheet.pdf


    In the over populated south, where there is therefore good mobile phone coverage, the operator is Telefonica UK using equipment that is in effect mobile phone equipment data links internally on 900MHZ and 2100MHz specs of a typical southern unit  https://www.smartdcc.co.uk/media/1889/toshiba_sku1_cellular_datasheet_2017-10-20.pdf

    The Contractor shall provide the Services to Domestic and Smaller Non-Domestic Premises in the Territory, where the Territory is defined by the boundaries of the areas of the electricity Distribution Network Operators (DNO) in Great Britain such that:


    a)the North including Scotland includes the DNO regions North Scotland, South Scotland, North East England, North West and Yorkshire;


    b)Central including Wales includes the DNO regions East Midlands, West Midlands, Eastern England, South Wales and North Wales, Merseyside and Cheshire; and


    c)South includes the DNO regions Southern England, London, South East England and South West England.


    More here


    So it's not Watford then! ?


    The advantage of being on the Hampshire coast is that I have no doubt that I am in the South. But wait a minute, should that be the Isle of Wight instead?

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