We're proud to be supporting our partner Vodafone as part of a 15-year agreement to build and operate managed IoT connectivity and supporting services for the Data Communications Company (DCC) , who are responsible for Britain’s smart meter infrastructure. The deal will see Vodafone create a new dedicated wireless smart meter network, which will enable the DCC to upgrade its communications network to 4G and beyond. This will future-proof smart metering connectivity to ensure meters do not become obsolete when 3G mobile signals are gradually switched off over the next few years.

Vodafone will provide the 4G LTE network which, when live, will form part of the DCC ‘Wide Area Network’, which supports long-range communications between the DCC’s servers and their LTE smart Communication Hubs, connecting gas and electricity meters in millions of homes across Britain. As part of the new deal, CGI will be responsible for providing software development and support for the Vodafone IoT platform that delivers managed connectivity.

Mark Aston, Senior Vice President, Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications for CGI UK & Australia, said “CGI is delighted to work with both Vodafone and the DCC to develop the data collection and networks required to optimise the deployment of smart meters across Great Britain. With a sustainable future at the forefront of the global agenda empowering consumers with accurate information on usage has never been more important.”

DCC’s network seamlessly connects over 26 million meters in 15 million homes and small businesses across Britain. As the nation’s energy landscape evolves, DCC’s communications network and the data it collects will become increasingly important to enable new technologies and applications to support the move to a net zero society, and a smarter, less wasteful energy system. It will help homes across the country to cut their energy usage, enabling the grid to make the most of renewable energy generation and laying the groundwork for future energy system modernisation.

Read the press release