[JoeSoap]

Just a bit of info...

I had an engineer visit a couple of weeks back (I was told it would be cancelled but it wasn't) and he did a few checks on my meters. We had a chat about my loss of comms and I asked him what would happen if 3G was switched off and would my meters become dumb. I don't even know anything about 3G but I see it mentioned on here when people suddenly lose comms or get told their meters are going to stop working smartly.

He said something like the meters communicate on the lowest something or other. Basically, according to him, they use the slowest or cheapest or most basic route available. Sorry, I'm not very techie but hopefully you get what I mean. I pushed further to confirm the bit about 3G, not that I know what my meters use, and he said if they use 3G and that gets switched off then they'll choose the next lowest (or most basic) route so my meters will still communicate.

Whatever terms he actually used, he was adamant that I won't lose comms if/when 3G gets switched off.

[geoffers]

@JoeSoap from this link it sounds as though our SMETS2 comms hubs will need changing in the next 10 years 🥴
https://www.smartme.co.uk/smets-2.ht...in%20Q2%202024.

And Vodaphone have got the contract for the 4g upgrade

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.ph...4g-mobile.html

[JoeSoap]

@geoffers

It's all a bit beyond me. I wish I could remember the guy's terminology but he said that 3G being switched off just means my meters will communicate at whatever the lowest level would be at the time. Time will tell, I suppose.

[geoffers]

@JoeSoap that article says that the comms hub should connect to the 2g network when the 3g is turned off, but 2g will also be phased out, so everything then needs to be upgraded to connect to 4g

[WizzyWigg]

Originally Posted by geoffers

@JoeSoap that article says that the comms hub should connect to the 2g network when the 3g is turned off, but 2g will also be phased out, so everything then needs to be upgraded to connect to 4g

That's what I have read. No 2G, no 3G, thus lowest would be 4G. Unless there's a Top Secret network in development. 😉

[JoeSoap]

@geoffers @WizzyWigg

According to what the engineer said, if 4G was the lowest then the meters would communicate through that. He did mention something that was lower than any of the Gs but I can't remember what that was. I was baffled at the time and I'm baffled now. I'm not for a minute suggesting he was correct but merely passing on what he said so see what folks here made of it.

[geoffers]

@WizzyWigg yep - but 4g is a "higher" level not "lower".

Hence the comms hubs will all need to be upgraded to be able to communicate with 4g networks.

I don't think its just the internal SIM functionality, but (from memory when upgrading a mobile phone) the antenna is different too, as it's connecting to a different frequency signal.

[WizzyWigg]

Originally Posted by geoffers

@WizzyWigg yep - but 4g is a "higher" level not "lower".

Hence the comms hubs will all need to be upgraded to be able to communicate with 4g networks.

I don't think its just the internal SIM functionality, but (from memory when upgrading a mobile phone) the antenna is different too, as it's connecting to a different frequency signal.

Precisely 👍. Unless this Top Secret network is near completion 😉, and uses the available tech.

[WizzyWigg]

Originally Posted by JoeSoap

@geoffers @WizzyWigg

According to what the engineer said, if 4G was the lowest then the meters would communicate through that. He did mention something that was lower than any of the Gs but I can't remember what that was. I was baffled at the time and I'm baffled now. I'm not for a minute suggesting he was correct but merely passing on what he said so see what folks here made of it.

I'm wondering if he's thinking of what @Mailman uses. 🤔

[JoeSoap]

Originally Posted by WizzyWigg

I'm wondering if he's thinking of what @Mailman uses. 🤔

A 2nd class stamp? 🤣