O2 UK, owned by the Spanish multinational Telefónica, is a telecommunications services provider in the United Kingdom. With over 26 million subscribers, O2 is the second-largest UK mobile network operator after EE, followed by Vodafone and Three.
Smart Metering Implementation Programme
The SMIP is the world’s most ambitious smart meter deployment to date and will involve the roll out of approximately 53m gas and electricity meters across Great Britain by 1 January 2021.
As part of the 15 year agreements, O2 / Telefónica will provide the communications infrastructure to connect smart meters in the Central and Southern regions of Great Britain. The technology solution selected by Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is primarily based on Telefónica existing cellular network and complimented with mesh technology to provide connections in hard to reach areas.
Drivers to change
Smart meters also have the potential to be a foundation for smarter homes with other value added services, such as home automation, able to connect through the infrastructure.
Finally, they will drive innovation in the energy industry through enabling more tailored tariffs and through the development of smart grids.
Intended benefits
The combination of cellular and mesh represents the ideal communications technology for smart meter deployments. Cellular is a proven, open, standards-based technology that is ready to support the needs of smart meters without needing additional infrastructure. Mesh compliments cellular, providing coverage in more remote areas and in hard to reach spaces. Telefónica has successfully tested both technologies in relation to smart meters and currently connects over 400,000 smart meters in Great Britain.
TESTIMONIALS
The project Eugi led was challenging, made all the more so by the Capital Economics’ inexperience and sometimes reticence to digitise our services. He coped with this as calmly as he could have and soldiered on, delivering the lion share of what ended up being a valuable new platform.
Eugi was instrumental in helping our team at PEI Media understand and implement new agile ways of working and related governance/processes. He’s also programme managed a complicated multi-track tech development roadmap.
Eugi held a key role in understanding the complex processes and ways of working that had developed in the Economist over the course of multiple years. I found Eugi to be proactive, result oriented, responsible and technically sound and he is always ready to put all his energy and time to get the job done. He has exceptional troubleshooting, coordination and analytical skills.
Eugi’s attitude and ability led to him becoming more involved in delivery of the requirements he had helped shape and get approved. His understanding, interest and enthusiasm for working agile helped shape the cross-functional team he managed, gaining the trust and respect of everyone he worked with.