Keeping Comms Open

Project Data

Start date:

01/20/2025

End date:

01/20/2027

Budget:

£635,102

Summary

Keeping Comms Open is designed to benefit customers who have a Smart UPS device in their home or live near a Community Satellite phone. In the event of a power outage, these devices will provide crucial support, easing stress and giving users a greater sense of control over their situation.

What is the project about?

The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is transitioning from traditional copper cabling to a faster fibre optic network. As a result, the new fibre optic system will no longer rely on power from the telephone exchange but will instead depend on a power supply from customers’ properties.

During a storm, significant damage to the High Voltage (HV) overhead network could lead to widespread power outages, leaving many customers without supply for extended periods. This would also disrupt mobile phone coverage, with poor or no signal due to power loss at mobile network masts.

Without mobile coverage, staying in touch with family, colleagues, or emergency services could become a challenge. However, access to a Community Satellite Phone would provide a vital lifeline, allowing customers to contact emergency services and their Distribution Network Operator (DNO). Additionally, operational staff would benefit from these devices, as they would enable them to stay connected with depots and the operational control center during prolonged outages.

How we’re doing it

DefProc Engineering will enhance an existing smart, uninterruptible power supply (Smart-UPS), previously used for telehealth, to create a new device that powers an Optical Network Terminal (ONT). The ONT connects users to fibre-optic networks, enabling internet access. The goal is to ensure multi-day power supply for fibre-to-the-premises, supporting both domestic and emergency phones during power outages.

In addition, DefProc will develop a satellite phone box designed for remote communities and substations. This will provide a critical communication link to the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) in the event of a complete loss of communication in an area. The device will help operational staff stay connected and provide necessary support to individual Priority Services Register (PSR) customers and communities, tailored to their specific needs.

As part of the testing phase, up to 18 Smart-UPS units will be provided for customer acceptability trials. Customers who participate will have the opportunity to test the Smart-UPS during power cuts, ensuring they can maintain telecommunications and receive necessary assistance.

Additionally, up to 18 community satellite phones will be deployed to remote areas or substations with limited mobile coverage. Field staff will be invited to trial these phones, ensuring they can stay in touch with control centers and receive instructions in the field.

What makes it innovative

This project emerged from the EIC Call for Innovation ICA-23-03 – Keeping Comms Open During HV Faults, where four innovators submitted proposals. One innovator has been selected by the contributing network operators to move forward with the project.

The focus of this initiative is the deployment and trial of telecommunications systems within customers’ homes, an area not typically covered in the day-to-day operations of electricity networks. With the PSTN switch-off set to begin in 2027, there are currently no active examples of these devices, as there has been little demand for them. The type of equipment being developed in this project has not yet been tested in a live environment. By conducting trials over the course of the project, we aim to ensure that Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) are well-prepared to meet the needs of their vulnerable customers when the PSTN switch-off takes place.

What we’re learning

The project officially kicked off in January 2025 in collaboration with network partners Northern PowerGrid and ScottishPower Energy Networks. Since then, we’ve held workshops with charities and representative user groups to better understand the needs of vulnerable consumers, ensuring that the devices are designed with inclusivity in mind.

Currently, prototypes for both the Smart UPS and the satellite phone are being developed. These will be ready for testing later this year, after which they will be deployed in homes, community spaces, and substations.

In preparation for the trials, UK Power Networks will review the Priority Services Register (PSR) to identify the number of customers who could benefit from the project. We will also assess the prevalence of mobile “not spots” to pinpoint the best locations for deploying the community satellite phones.

Additionally, the project will provide valuable insights into the challenges surrounding the PSTN switch-off. By the end of the project, the findings will be shared with other Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) to help them quickly implement similar solutions.

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Project Data