End in Sight to Waiting for the Meter Man

DTI press release - 19 November 1998

People are one step closer to having their meter read even when they aren't at home, DTI Minister, Barbara Roche said today.

Extra space on the airwaves, allocated by the Radiocommunications Agency (RA) today, will allow industry to build on existing pilot work and deploy low powered radio equipment to tune in and read our meters nationwide.

The allocation of radio frequencies follows a consultation process this summer, when the RA asked for views on setting aside blocks of the radio spectrum for meter reading services. It also asked for expressions of interest from companies interested in providing third-party meter reading services commercially to the utility industries.

Mrs Roche said:

"The extra allocation of radio airwaves today will ensure that staying in to wait for the meter to be read will be a thing of the past.

"Flexible and innovative technologies already being piloted are allowing companies to tune in to read our meters without having to come indoors.

"It is only a matter of time before everyone benefits from this new development which is an excellent example of Government working in partnership with industry to provide better services for consumers."

The allocation of the extra 200kHz block of spectrum will be the third of five which fall between 183.5MHz and 184.5MHZ, a space identified as being suitable for low power radio equipment to remotely read and monitor the metering of gas, electricity and water supplies. Data that is collected may be used not only for billing purposes, but also to predict and control peak demand and flow rates, identify faults and outage and to combat unauthorised tampering with the supply or the meter.

The first block of spectrum consisting of eight 25kHz channels will now be made available for licensing regionally, as well as nationally which was originally proposed. The second block, a 200kHz channel, will be released on a nationally exclusive basis to BCN Data Systems who applied for a licence to provide third party meter reading services.

Allocations from the shared 25kHz channel or 200kHz channel will be made available on application and payment of a licence fee to the Radiocommunications Agency.

Notes For Editors

1. The licence fees under the Wireless Telegraphy Act for each of the eight 25 kHz shared channels will be £1000 for a national licence and £200 for a regional licence. For the one shared 200 kHz channel, fees will be £8000 for a national licence and £1600 for a regional licence.

2. Non media enquiries:

Robert Emson,
Radio Communications Agency,
Public Telecommunications networks,
11N/18.4 New Kings Beam House,
London SE1 9SA.

Tel: 020 7211 0568
fax: 020 7211 0117
e-mail: emsonr@ra.gnet.gov.uk.

3. Remote meter reading is currently being used in 30,000 locations.

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