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Arqiva partners with Sensus to deliver UK Smart Meter solution
1st Dec 2009

* Long range radio-based communications platform designed for all of the UK's utility companies
* Uses the Sensus FlexNetTM technology already deployed to over 4 million smart end points across the United States and Canada
* Arqiva to commence technology trials in December 2009

Arqiva, the communications infrastructure and services company, and North America based smart grid specialist Sensus, today announced a partnership to deploy a communications platform as part of the UK's rollout of smart meters to all homes and businesses. Under the terms of the partnership, Sensus will supply Arqiva with its technology for smart metering, telemetry and control of the Utility assets. Arqiva will focus on the operation of the long range radio-based solution for the single centralised national communications network as recommended by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) in its smart metering consultation paper issued earlier this year.

Arqiva's solution, based on long range radio technology, will operate in licensed UHF spectrum and builds on the company's experience in operating the UK's terrestrial TV and radio broadcast networks. Sensus will provide its FlexNetTM smart grid communications system and SmartPointTM technology. The Sensus smart grid technology is being used by 200 electric, water and gas utility customers in North America who have already deployed more than 4 million smart meters.

The ability of the FlexNetTM and SmartPointTM technologies to provide network security, proven resilience, and scalability were key factors in Arqiva's decision to choose Sensus as its partner. Arqiva also believes that these factors, alongside its ability to provide near universal coverage, offer distinct advantages over other communication platform options.

The government is committed to rolling out smart meters to all homes and businesses by 2020, as a way of driving down energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Arqiva believes that its communications platform will support these key objectives by delivering a cost-effective, rapid rollout and, importantly, provide a solution that is scalable to encompass water meters.

"With the Government's commitment to put smart meters in all homes by 2020, we have the opportunity to make the UK one of the most advanced and efficient consumers of energy in the world. For what will become a critical piece of national infrastructure, we must make sure that we set the bar high with the proposed central communications network. This means not only universal coverage but resilience, security and availability, something that long range radio has proven it can deliver through the UK's broadcast network," said John Cronin, managing director, Arqiva Wireless Access.

"The marriage of Sensus' smart metering experience in the North American market and Arqiva's experience with critical network infrastructure in the UK represents an exciting proposition for the UK's smart metering initiative. Sensus is already playing a key role in the largest modernisation of utility networks in the USA and Canada and we're excited by the prospect of helping the UK to achieve its energy modernisation ambitions," said Bill Yeates, executive vice president, Conservation Solutions at Sensus.
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