Vodafone will provide UK Power Networks, the country’s largest electricity distribution operator, with 5G connectivity in a world-first trial.
In November of last year, UK Power Networks launched the Constellation project to transform how electricity networks operate. Constellation equips local substations to analyse millions of data points about network performance, allowing the system to safely reconfigure itself to accommodate higher volumes of distributed generation and demand.
Ian Cameron, Head of Customer Service and Innovation at UK Power Networks, said about Constellation:
“Working with Vodafone and our industry and academic partners, we are creating an exciting platform that keeps our networks the smartest in the world.
We already have smart control rooms and smart electric vehicle chargers – developing smart substations in the middle will help us facilitate net zero and deliver real cost and carbon savings for our customers.”
Vodafone is supporting Constellation by connecting substations over a dedicated, highly secure slice of its 5G Standalone (5G SA) network.
5G delivers speeds far beyond previous generations and offers capabilities such as very low latency and high bandwidth. These features will allow each substation to process millions of data points in near real time and manage the network more efficiently. Network slicing lets operators partition the same physical infrastructure into multiple virtual networks, each tailored with its own performance characteristics.
Andrea Dona, Chief Network Officer at Vodafone UK, commented:
“Helping our customers achieve their ambitious net zero targets is an essential part of our strategy. The team at UK Power Networks has seen the huge potential of 5G and network slicing.
5G is not only replacing older and more expensive technologies, it is bringing about new capabilities that benefit everyone – consumers, businesses and our environment.
We are looking forward to working with UK Power Networks on this exciting and innovative project.”
Constellation aims to create extra capacity for renewables on the electricity network and support the UK’s net-zero carbon ambitions. The number of clean energy generators connected to UK Power Networks — including wind and solar sites — has grown from a handful in 1990 to more than 170,000 today, increasing the need for smarter, more flexible network management.
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