BBC Panorama on Monday 11th Nov '24 addressed the subject of Smart Meters...

The broadcast is now available on iPlayer, subject to the usual restrictions (such as UK viewers only).

BBC.CO.UK "https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0024yyc/panorama-the-truth-about-smart-meters"

Panorama - The Truth about Smart Meters - BBC iPlayer

Smart meters are supposed to make paying our energy bills easier and cheaper. But is that the whole story?

In just 30-mins the only topic which could be addressed was the lack of connectivity for consumers in certain parts of the UK.

The Smart Meter Wide Area Network (SMWAN) is operated by the Data Communications Centre (DCC)

Britain is divided into three territories.

The South and Central areas use modified 3G communications carried by mobile phone masts operated by Telefonica (O2).

The North of England, and all of Scotland, have a radio transmission system operated by Arqiva.
It uses the 423MHz frequency which originally carried the ITV analogue broadcasts.

The boundary line for the Northern Territory coincides with the electricity Distribution Network Operator (DNO) licence areas.

The communication hubs used in South/Central have options for external aerials which boost signal strengths in hard-to reach areas.

Unfortunately the Northern Territory comms-hubs don't have an external aerial option.

The theory is that 423MHz is sufficiently low that it can penetrate walls.
But that theory doesn't make allowances for signal blockage or absorption by nearby objects.

It's possible that relocating the meter-position within the house solves the problem.
But installers seem to think they should only attempt the existing position, with meter 'tails' as short as possible.

If this were me, before fixing the new ESME and Comms Hub to the wall, I'd temporarily run it from a piece of electrical flex plugged into a wall socket.
It could then be moved around in 3D space to see if the signal was better close by, possibly in an external box.
Perhaps they don't try that because it's not stipulated in the training manuals, and would therefore require ingenuity.

In another topic @ianmk13 drew attention to the Panorama programme ahead of broadcast:

Posted by: @transparent

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Yes, I'd seen that trailer for tonight's Panoroma @ianmk13  and I'm sure it will be of interest to @homonid too

But I fear it will be over-simplistic.
They're likely to concentrate on the use of Smart Metering to obviate the need for manual meter readings.
But, as we know on this forum, the more important issue is getting access to ToU Tariffs.

Those tariffs are required not just to bring financial benefit to consumers, but also to regulate demand on the grid.

Unless homes and businesses are basing consumption on half-hourly periods then we're going to end up discarding ever more generation from rural areas.
That's going to take more than a half-hour BBC programme to explain.

Due to a hosting error that section of posts got lost 😥 
which is why I'm pasting what I still have on-screen to this topic here!

Posted by: @ianmk13

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Posted by: @transparent

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But I fear it will be over-simplistic.

They're likely to concentrate on the use of Smart Metering to obviate the need for manual meter readings.
But, as we know on this forum, the more important issue is getting access to ToU Tariffs.

Those tariffs are required not just to bring financial benefit to consumers, but also to regulate demand on the grid.

Hopefully, your fears will be unfounded.  The news article states:

"As more energy comes from renewable sources, smart meters will form a vital part of a “smart grid”, allowing consumers’ demand for energy to match the available supply, minute-by-minute."

Also, it mentions the doctor in Glasgow wanting access to ToU tariffs.

Posted by: @transparent

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Posted by: @ianmk13

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it mentions the doctor in Glasgow wanting access to ToU tariffs.

Yes. That story will cause a regulatory earthquake within the SEC.

Octopus obviously feel that they're willing to bring this contentious issue into the limelight.
But there's no 'Approval' for deployment of Comms Hubs using 3G connectivity in the territory for which Arqiva holds the licence.

Moreover, there's a very significant proportion of premises in rural areas of the North which can only be reached by the 423MHz band which is owned by Arqiva.
This is going to have legal repercussions.

The SEC is now busy setting the legislative and technical requirements for the next generation of Comms Hubs, which use 4G/5G.
We could really do with moving more rapidly towards those rather than getting embroiled in a spat between Arqiva, Telefonica and DCC.

We've already reached deadlines where deployment deadlines have needed to be extended beyond the original certification lifetime for early Smart Meters.

to which @majordennisbloodnok replied

Posted by: @majordennisbloodnok

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To be frank, I can't see any reason why a quid pro quo arrangement can't be applied to the licenses of Arqiva and Telefonica such that if a customer requests a smart meter and the licence holder can't provide comms via their own method then the other licence holder's method should be attempted. I'm sure there are areas in the central and Southern regions that aren't reachable by 3G and could be via radiowave, and neither licence holder is atually missing out since all this only affects meters they couldn't service anyway.

I'm also surprised that Arqiva don't get their smart meter manufacturers to add an insignificant upgrade to any new boxes that allows for the attaching of an external antenna that can be placed where there IS actually a radio signal.

and to which I responded:

Arqiva and Telefonica have contracts which grant them licences and territorial responsibilities to provide Wide Area Network connectivity.
There were rival bidders whose bids failed, and they will be watching to see if their original technical proposals end up being part of a solution adopted by either of the two successful companies.

Neither WAN operator has control over the design of the Communications Hubs which link to their networks within user premises.
The specifications are developed independently, thereby allowing several manufacturers to submit designs for approval.

Each piece of the Smart Meter network has to pass tests before gaining approval, and entry onto the Central Products List.
The licence for each module has a fixed timeframe. Once that has passed no more of that product can be installed.

A request for modification of a specific feature in an existing licensed product will result in substantial additional work by the manufacturer.
For example, changing the Zigbee chip (used in the Home Area Network) so that it can operate at 868MHz in addition to the usual 2.4GHz cost £1m, mainly due to the testing/licensing regulations.

These Dual Band Comms hubs are now being used.