Category: Uncategorised

If the past few years have taught us anything, it is that nothing is certain or guaranteed. You can never be too sure about what’s waiting for you right around the corner. That’s why, during this period of uncertainty, many businesses have turned to alternative sale avenues to guarantee revenue and cut costs. For instance, some have embraced the online world in order to bridge the gap between their products and their customers. However, other businesses weren’t able to make this shift so easily. 

Staying Connected 

As many businesses began to feel disconnected from their loyal customers and target audience. There was one industry looking to ease some of that tension, keeping people and businesses connected. Enter Telecommunication companies, ISPs and MSPs. 

Connectivity has always been a hot commodity, but now more than ever it’s in high demand. Businesses are constantly looking for the newest and best way to stay connected and of course, MSPs are more than happy to oblige. 

But it’s never that easy, right? 

With this increased demand comes increased expectations and a need to scale quickly- often leading to a narrow profit margin for telecommunication companies and MSPs. 

More demand requires more stock, and more space to store that stock. It requires an increased capacity in every way you can think of. Staff, labour, transportation, maintenance teams and on-call engineers. 

You soon end up with a long list of tasks and costs, without the resources to keep up with this growth. But there is a simpler way for Telecommunication companies and MSPs to scale their business without having to take a hit or a risk. 

The solution is Dropship Data.

What is Dropship Data? 

Dropship Data is a new and exclusive club for pioneering partners that wish to focus on growing mobile connectivity and IoT pipelines. 

Dropship Data, created by Tardis Wholesale, operates as a sort of ‘bank’ for any partner. It is an invisible conduit between providers and their customers. Traditional MSPs and ISPs will stock routers, CCTV cameras, SIM cards and all other sorts of critical hardware. This comes at a cost for the partner, generally dictated by the supplier. 

Dropship Data looks to disband this structure and entirely remove the need for capital expenditure, all by banking the stock of all hardware and SIMs on a partner’s behalf. This program essentially operates in a similar way to FBA (fulfilment by Amazon). The difference is – our programme is specifically designed for mobile broadband and connectivity partners in the UK channel space. 

How does it Work? 

1. A partner creates a Dropship Data order on the Tardis Wholesale portal.
2. They can then choose the network, the router, or even the type of CCTV cameras they want to use. 
3. They can also choose and request information on other hardware such as IoT functionalities and our surveillance software. 
4. Once the partner has identified the requirement on the Tardis Wholesale portal, they enter all the required delivery details for their customer. 
5. Team Tardis can then fulfil that order branded completely as the partner.
6. Tardis activates the sim, configures the hardware, and deploys the hardware.
7.  All the partner has to focus on is billing their client.

That’s it.

Focus on Growing, Marketing and Sales

By outsourcing in this way, MSPs and ISPs can put their energy and resources into other critical areas involved in scaling. Partners can focus on marketing and promoting their connectivity solutions, without having to doubt whether they’ll have the capacity to fulfil orders and satisfy new customers. 

Whether partners provide mobile broadband or installation of DVR and CCTV systems. Dropship Data can aid in any IoT or connectivity endeavour. 

In fact, Tardis Wholesale is allowing companies to focus on the margin for new opportunity. By utilising our knowledge base, we can educate partners on the potential that is accessible in various markets. 

An insight that is yet to be offered by any other organisation in the UK. 

You could say that Dropship Data helps partners unlock a new realm of potential and success. We view ourselves as pioneering and wish for nothing more than to pass that pioneering endeavour to every partner we work with. 

Dropship Data is the future of connectivity – 

The answer for any company, in the telecommunications space, looking to scale, and fast.

What is Wireless WAN (WWAN)?

Mobile broadband [MBB] is faster, more reliable and has the ability to benefit from greater security than ever before (thanks to Cradlepoint), which is great news for IT professionals and anyone that uses a modern, cellular Wide Area Network (WAN).

Originally launched on LTE (4G), WWAN now works on the latest 5G-enabled technology and it is the next step in cellular network transformation to enable connectivity to things, places and people, anywhere.

WWAN provides greater agility, security and simplicity for its administrators and users.

WWAN is tomorrow’s connectivity, today

Mobile wireless has always been a perfect solution for business continuity and connecting critical assets in places traditional wired set-ups struggle to reach, such as plant vehicles, remote workers and construction sites – modern 5G/4G networks are more pervasive and achieve much faster speeds with the deployment of pioneering Gigabit-class connectivity.

The Wireless WAN era is upon us because there is genuine commercial appetite for companies to utilise broader wireless mobility – WWAN, through Cradlepoint and Ericsson, is fast becoming the preferred broadband solution for branched networks, remote sites and scalable IoT applications.

For many businesses, cloud applications and mobility resilience are the two keys to maintain efficient operations – WWAN enables flexibility and a unified approach to connecting things, places and people, anywhere.

The next generation of mobile connectivity can uniquely combine reach and reliability through greater agility, security and simplicity – exactly what all types of users require for the best experience in 5G. 

Connectivity beyond locations (without wires!)

The demand for WAN routers is growing dramatically as companies expand beyond fixed locations.

Connected vehicles and IoT devices exploded in 2021, which is just the beginning.  

How to get started with Wireless WAN…

⚡ Improving network reliability

Through SD-WAN and QoS capabilities, enterprises can acutely control network traffic while ensuring high availability.

There are several UK-based contractors [with a European footprint] who have decided to go totally wireless for both WAN and Local Area Network (LAN) with Cradlepoint’s all-in-one routers, allowing for better uptime and improving overall performance.

⚡ Strengthening network security

Wireless WANs have integrated security capabilities beyond wired connections, such as SIM card authentication and private APNs, nornally found at network level, but Tardis is its own network.

Via Cradlepoint, construction companies are scaling IoT solutions and Wireless WAN to provide individual and secure networks for remote deployments, utilising smart devices and connected sensors.

⚡ Increasing network flexibility

Cellular cloud-controlled wireless-edge solutions are simple to deploy and easy to relocate. Routers [and adapters] can be moved to a new site without the pain and expense of pulling out cable. 

Many residential developers benefit from Cradlepoint’s NetCloud Manager via the Tardis Portal, coupled with Tardis’ SIM management, to improve their remote site visibility.

⚡ Getting a faster network

Gigabit mobile connectivity can go further, faster.

5G/4G-A offers fibre-fast download speeds and this contributes to overall expansion of all types of businesses.

⚡ Enabling network scalability

From smart buildings and vehicles to IoT devices and people, enterprise networks can grow incredibly fast.

5G mobile networks are designed to support millions of routers and adapters across a seamless nationwide footprint.

Be innovative.

Start by running your own hybrid WAN solution on-premise and let your Managed Solution Provider prove their Proof of Concept (PoC).

Improve operational efficiency.

Reduce downtime.

Choosing to build a cellular-based private network gives enterprise the control, flexibility and security necessary for wireless edge connectivity.

For contractors and businesses with a regional or national footprint, a Private Mobile Network is a suitable, cost-effective and secure way to establish a wireless LAN (Local Area Network).

WiFi for LAN isn’t scalable or cost-effective and open 5G/4G may not fit due to availability – that’s why Private Mobile Networks are mostly used in transportation hubs, construction sites and smart cities.

Private Mobile Networks will provide a highly secure and high-performance LAN across large areas.

A PMN leverages local cell towers to provide connectivity, similar to a scaled-down version of a public mobile network. It is a dedicated network that combines the control and fixed cost of a private network with the flexibility, security and macro-network benefits of cellular.

Which hardware is required to create a PMN?

Companies that want to utilise their own Private Mobile Network will need primary equipment; computers, CCTV cameras and sensors.

Smart devices that aggregate to a router or other types of hardware are on the “front line” of a PMN. Equipment examples include 5G/4G mobile broadband routers, smart phones and other end-user equipment that can utilise a Private Mobile Network SIM card.

Small cells are radio access points that can be deployed indoors or outdoors and on licensed, shared or unlicensed spectrum. Small cells allow routers and smart phones to connect to a PMN.

In each mobile network is an EPC (Evolved Packet Core), which is the true brain of the PMN – it can be on-premise or cloud-based. The EPC directs, authenticates and prioritises all data and voice traffic over the mobile network.

Any enterprise can design and build this type of private network, but it is challenging, particularly if knowledge is not on point. Instead, search for a 5G/4G Managed Solutions Provider (MSP) that works with Wireless WAN.

The last two years saw residential developers and construction contractors begin to “listen to the little guy” and expediate their site-based digital transformations.

Three of the major operators are working day-and-night to rush through the rollout of their standalone 5G networks and with this new cellular technology, comes new possibilities, not including another new wireless capability, by the design of hardware manufacturers – WiFi 6.

These pioneering mobile wireless technologies compliment each other and will transform the world as we know it [including the metaverse], not just construction.

I witnessed 5G and WiFi 6 on a Willmott Dixon site in the summer of 2020 – it was amazing to see the positive impact on the site team and general operations of the art gallery – I have several examples like this that have been instrumental in proving the worth of PoCs [Proof of Concepts]. That said, in 18 months, infrastructure and hardware advancements mean today’s tech has even great power to deliver more astonishing results.

A hardware vendor I work with closely, is Cradlepoint – their innovations for Wireless WAN are cutting-edge and compared to other vendors I have partnered with previously, the Ericsson-owned SD-WAN company should be first-choice for contractors and residential developers.

Despite broadband being the fundamental utility to get a site operational, connectivity remains a genuine challenge, but it doesn’t need to be.

Yes, there are inconsistencies with digital approaches from fixed-line carriers and yes, each construction company has its own ideas on how to deliver reliable internet to site compounds, but, FTTP is not the answer.

5G and LTE-A are far more capable than fibre and should be included in all contractors digital strategies.

For example >

1. Fibre is unable to help monitor wasted energy across a medium or large estate of vacant new homes.
2. Wireless routers provided by fibre providers are just about good enough to connect 20 devices, ideal for low-use consumers – that’s it.
3. Contractors on fibre connections cannot branch out to other areas on the development without severe costs.

Mobile connectivity and wireless WAN is the solution and it can be achieved on the same day in some cases.

If the hardware used is fit-for-purpose, site connectivity will be the last of your worries. An optimised LTE-A or 5G solution means fewer drops in download speeds and more reliable Teams meetings.

⚡ What is 5G? 

5G is the 5th generation mobile network and it is the new global wireless standard after 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G (LTE).

5G enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect everyone and everything together, including machines, objects and devices. [Plant vehicles, drones, tools and handheld smart devices.]

5G wireless technology can deliver up to 1Gbps download speeds with ultra-low latency, more reliability, Massive Input Massive Output (MIMO) network capacity, much greater end-user availability and a better consumer experience. Higher overall performance and improved efficiencies empower experiences and brings various industries together.

5G is faster, more efficient and smarter than 4G and any other form of telecommunications, including satellite and fibre.

⚡ Why is 5G crucial for construction? 

In a market known for slow-adoption, the construction industry has a responsibility to adapt much quicker because it is so heavy with data use. Contractors need the latest technology to build faster and to achieve this, the workforce needs the most flexible form of comms – 5G and WiFi 6.

A developer’s main aim is to build and sell as soon as possible to aid cash flow. To do this at an elite level, without disruption, 5G, WiFi 6 and IoT will improve operational efficiency and reduce overall risk.  

I have personally seen 5G on more than one thousand sites since May 2019 and its ultra-high performance allows for more options for contractors to digitise and improve their building processes. For those contractors that utilise data-hungry BIM and other similar applications, 5G mobile broadband and WiFi 6 will become as vital to them as air is to me breathing.  

Other applications where 5G is required includes the monitoring of wasted energy in vacant plots, waste reduction, preventing health and safety issues in real-time, enabling site teams to edit and save large files instantly from handheld smart devices. 5G will be very popular because it enables the possibility of leveraging real-time updates, thus improving site-based reporting across several remits – all this made possible from fibre-fast mobile internet.

⚡ 5G Mobile Broadband 

If the digital future of construction is to be taken seriously, developers and contractors need to invest in 5G and WiFi 6, now.

The Cradlepoint R1900 is the best enterprise endpoint to aid in delivering wireless WAN across site compounds – our engineers have experienced download speeds in excess of 400Mbps across multiple locations last month, such as Aberdeen, Doncaster and Oxford.

With data speeds as fast as that, why would you consider fibre? Especially when it takes months to install!

Construction site 5G broadband is a game-changing solution, but only for those willing to enjoy the difference.

If you think your company would benefit from better workflows, a smaller carbon foot-print and less expended energy, mobile connectivity is your answer, regardless of the type of site.

Tardis solutions are on HS2 site compounds, Highways England projects, in listed buildings across several cities and in plots, enabling people to work from home.

Part 1 highlighted the key reasons for network failure, which included Support Failures; Config Issues; Power Loss + a few more…

Part 2 is all about prevention of network failure.

Avoiding and minimising network failure

Enterprise requires connectivity products and services that are made to build resiliency and security into any sized network.

Fibre [FTTP] is not the answer.

Mobile broadband and fit-for-purpose equipment is the answer – here’s why:

Below are the Top 6 Solutions IT Pros Won’t Tell You.

Key takeway’s that will help your enterprise network become more resilient and avoid single points of failure.

⚡ Hardware redundancy

Through virtual router redundancy protocols and the use of several Cradlepoint routers, automatic failover is instant and seamless to prevent any WAN failure or connectivity issues.

⚡ Dual carrier connectivity

Utilising wireless 5G/4G connectivity still presents the vulnerability of single linkage. Cradlepoint hybrid routers can use two individual modems and connect up to four different UK mobile operators, which guards against connection failure on any carrier.

⚡ Diverse linkages

By maintaining a diversity of linkages to a remote site, construction companies avoid losing their connections because of the failure of a single link. Cradlepoint devices utilise 5G/4G that can be used together to provide more than a single connection, combined with a wired connection to the same device, or it can act as a dynamic backup device to an existing wired router.

⚡ Dynamic resource scaling

Cradlepoint end-points (routers) are extremely capable of maintaining and activating back-up connections to spread traffic load, which is awesome and has been designed to not overwhelm any single point in a network. Then, when a spike in traffic has passed, the normal network setup is restored.

⚡ Out-of-Band Management

When a device goes down due to a firmware or hardware failure, in-band management becomes impossible. Cradlepoint back-up adapters provide a control interface that can act independently of the failed device, allowing remote personnel to perform testing of said failed device and resolve any issues without needing to access it physically. Massive time saver!

⚡ Multiple DMVPN tunnels

No matter where sites are located, Cradlepoint routers can set up secure Dynamic Multipoint Virtual Private Network (DMVPN) connections to multiple data centres to act as primary and backup connections in the case of any head-end device failure.

Medium and large-scale networks are common realities for thousands of construction companies.

Enterprises of all sizes across the globe will mostly be looking to the “big boys” for answers to solve complex and basic connectivity needs, but the answer, for construction, is not fibre.

For contractors that have teams across a handful, or even a hundred or more sites, require very reliable and robust connectivity to maintain efficient operations – that solution is branch Wireless WAN (Wide Area Network).

Since 2010, businesses have experienced a technology revolution in networking capabilities, especially with being able to manage various sites with good connectivity performance, reliability and ease of management through cloud-based software.

The implementation of advanced networking has enabled construction enterprises to utilise products and services like video conferencing, facial recognition, autonomous vehicles and smart manufacturing. Although a decade ago, loss of signal was an issue, it was not commercially prohibitive like it is now – stopping operations and cause for lost revenue – two biggest factors.

There are several unavoidable issues that may arise, but equally, there are a number of avoidable circumstances that could lead to network failure. Below are the Top 6 Reasons for Network Failure:

⚡ Line damage

When a business relies on telecommunications and connectivity from an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to handle their data and voice traffic between sites, those phonelines and fixed communication gateways immediately become a calculated risk to said business. Whether those connections are damaged through man or natural causes, hard-wired networks [fibre] are at far greater risk of failure, at any point, when compared to 4G or 5G – wireless solutions remove the possibility of line damage.

⚡ Traffic spikes

One of the most common causes of network disruption are spikes in traffic. This extra activity is strenuous and can overwhelm a network if it isn’t prepared or scalable. These network failures will disrupt modern business and possibly across multiple sites if the failure hits a critical point in the network architecture.

⚡ Support network failures

Any distributed network that relies on the hardware of a third-party supplier is entirely dependant on that providers infrastructure – it has to be stable. If the equipment fails, your network will, too. Even if a network utilizes wireless networking features, it may still be susceptible to failure at critical points, such as cell towers and network masts.

⚡ Configuration errors

As networks grow, IT personnel are required to configure and manage all of these devices. Network misconfigurations and hardware failures will happen and even pulling the wrong wire will occur more often than you think.  It’s not hard for someone to make a simple mistake and fix it, but it can become incredibly frustrating if that mistake brings down an entire branch network.

⚡ Power loss

Even in the most heavily developed and advanced cities in the world, power failure is not an uncommon occurrence. In many parts of the world, partial or total power failure is a regular nuisance. Networks lacking in redundancy and emergency power solutions will find that their business is ultimately beholden to the reliability of power distributors.

⚡ Hardware failure

Hardware wears over time, as expected, and devices can fail, particularly when networks scale – it is part of growth, unless redundancy is built-in from the start. The failure of any device in a network can cause either partial or entire network outages.

Make sure you are following my newsletter to read Part 2.

Construction continues to grow at a rapid rate, but it is notorious for slow adoption of pioneering technology, but why?

Knowledge, experience, trust in providers or resellers of new innovations – the point is, there are numerous reasons why construction companies do not subscribe to the latest ideas quickly, but it is changing now.

Below are four disruptive technologies that contractors are using to be more efficient and effective during their operations and builds.

⚡ IoT – The Internet of Things

Using intelligent smart devices and wearable technologies, construction companies are beginning to track more than their workforce – contractors large and small are making better decisions faster via management software and a good example of this is concrete.

What would you think if a contractor has remote visibility of their cement and materials? It is happening and has been for some time.

Regional construction contractor, Corbyn, use sensors to risk mitigate and prevent time wasting. With better operational management, rather than attending a site to find the concrete is still not set, field managers can plan their days around acutely accurate sensor management.

IoT doesn’t only mean better decisions for companies – this has a knock-on effect for their clients too.

When you look at the daily data volumes across industries, construction is one of the greatest users. The challenge with this level of data is managing it for it to be used logically, which most of the software companies still struggle to do, and even more so when they use white label software – not their own.

Smart infrastructure has a purpose and that it to optimise data, allow users to analyse it on software, which then enables managers to make better decisions in real-time. From this process, construction projects run smoother, use less materials and improve safety.

⚡ AI – Artificial Intelligence

AI is vast, unbelievably so.

In the context of innovations specific to the construction industry, AI comes in the form of mobile applications, management software and robotics.

There are many mobile applications built for purpose around workforce management and task-only objectives and these types of solutions and services are more and more available, however, there are a lot of questionable companies, but two I recommend are Paperless Construction and HouseBuilder Pro. These software businesses are changing the way construction companies and residential developers streamline their communication and have a huge impact on overall performance, i.e. complete projects faster and keep new build customers happy, for longer.

Looking at robotics, there are more plant manufactures like JCB looking at AI-driven cranes and bulldozers, but these will improve over time, as they are still manned.

⚡ AR – Augmented Reality

AR is possibly the most exciting area of new construction technologies because it is incredibly visual and immersive – as if you are there.

Smart devices have a tremendous role to play in the early adoption stages of augmented reality, but this is a good thing because it helps the adoption rate as most people are used to using their smart phone or tablets.

With the above said, how does construction benefit? AR is an enabler to the digital world, but for designers, architects and interior fitout contractors, overlays can aid in productivity, especially if the workforce has access to site-based tablets – if “worker bees” have full visibility of what needs to be done, not just operation or project managers, this can lead to a safer site through the knowledge of individuals knowing where they need to be, i.e. lack of movement around site.

If building designs can be seen digitally without the need for extra spend, the workforce will be able to see instructions and safety alerts directly in their field of vision – so important as it will help reduce the number of mistakes and improve productivity.

⚡ 3D Printing

Skanska famously used concrete in a secret 3D printing project in Norway back in 2019 – what was once can you imagine is now in action on many projects around the world, including Chicago, Dubai and Shanghai.

This incredible new method of printing houses and other types of buildings used to be viewed as pure science fiction, but 2022 will see a rapid rise in adoption because 3D printing allows more complex designs to be built without the need for structural support or external materials.

Another massive point is the fact 3D printing uses less energy than traditional construction methods and it is far more sustainable for the environment.

It is early days, but the potential is clear.

Self-build opportunities are on-trend and more people are considering the opportunity of building their dream home – could 3D printing be the perfect catalyst for this trending construction topic? The construction industry needs greater revolutionary concepts, but where IoT and AR will mainly be for commercial use, 3D printing can be utilised by consumers, too.

The construction industry, as we know it, is using technology to build better, faster, and smarter, but there is a lot more the industry can do.

1.     Trust small businesses more.

2.     Try new technologies, if possible, without commitment.

3.     Spend more when trialling new software and hardware. Unless projects deliver pioneering tech on scale, there is a greater chance it will not be adopted due to the false economies of scale.

Will you be a contributor to game-changing technologies or a prohibitor? Choice is yours.

A powerful new mobility cloud platform to improve the safety of road users is being tested for the first time on the open road in the UK. Drawing on the power of mobile and data technologies, the platform is a new type of information superhighway which will ultimately connect vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians and infrastructure in a seamless digital transport ecosystem. 

Developed by Vodafone, Nokia and Chordant, with support from the UK Government Centre for Connected and Automated Vehicles (CCAV) and the Midlands Future Mobility (MFM) consortium, the platform is providing digitally connected road users in the West Midlands with live, highly localised and targeted updates from road operators on lane closures, speed restrictions and traffic incidents.

Road authorities are also trialling the platform to control and ease traffic jams and make informed planning decisions using secure, anonymised and aggregated vehicle position data sent up to 10 times every second from users who have opted into the service. This capability could be extended for emergency services when responding to an incident such as someone driving the wrong way on a motorway, or for breakdown recovery organisations to assist vulnerable road users.

The platform is a leading example of how CAM Testbed UK – the UK’s world-leading test facilities for Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) – is enabling innovation and the development of new technologies critical to the safe, mass adoption of connected and self-driving vehicles.

With the open platform at its centre, Vodafone is creating an ecosystem of connected vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians across Europe and Africa, with each one acting as the ‘eyes and ears’ of the road. This information can be used to warn each other of congested traffic, incidents and other hazards that they might be heading towards. More than 70% of all cars built in 2020 have digital telematics capabilities already, and now Vodafone is working with private and public sector organisations to extend the advantages of integrating in-vehicle connected systems within the wider connected transport ecosystem.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority, is leading the way in the UK with the adoption of ‘vehicle-to-everything’ technology, starting with the region’s city centres and key transport hubs including Birmingham, Coventry, and Wolverhampton.

Using Vodafone’s fast 4G and 5G network and advanced multi-access edge computing (MEC) technology built into the platform, it allows real time road information from Highways England to be displayed initially on users’ smartphones, and in the future, on in-car infotainment systems. 

The platform works with Convex, Chordant’s Mobility Data Exchange facility, to enable dynamic data to be exchanged with road operators and their traffic systems and is the UK’s first live implementation of Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technology. C-V2X combines the latest mobile technologies with in-vehicle computer systems to create new mobility services for improved safety and reliability as well as allowing road operators to build ‘greener’ and more sustainable transport networks.

Mike Waters, Director of Policy, Strategy and Innovation at TfWM, said: “We are now reaching the point where connected vehicle technology is genuinely able to start making a meaningful and very powerful difference to the big issues in transport like safety and energy efficiency. The work we have done with Convex and Vodafone is moving solutions forward not just for the West Midlands, but for the whole country and really exemplifies the UK’s position of global excellence in this space.”

Luke Ibbetson, Head of Group R&D at Vodafone, commented: “It’s fantastic to see vehicle to everything mobile technology being deployed on the open road for the first time in the UK. While the system is delivered via smartphone, drivers will need to use handsfree equipment. Meanwhile we are working with the automotive industry and road operators to have the technology integrated within vehicles and transport infrastructure to make our roads safer.”

“Safety is of paramount importance to the development of systems that connect road users across mobile platforms. Running on Vodafone’s edge, Nokia analytics software will apply data insights to make roads safer, provide a better experience for users, and enhance road infrastructure management efficiency in a way that can easily be deployed across multiple geographies,” said Chris Johnson, Head of Nokia’s Global Enterprise Business.

“Road Operators are seeking to digitally interact and exchange information with vehicles and road users”, said Ash Wheeler, Senior Vice President at Chordant, “We’re delighted that, through this partnership and the services we are creating, transport authorities and vehicle manufacturers around the world will be able to test, validate and rapidly deploy standardised C-ITS services over existing cellular networks, improving road safety, reducing congestion and unlocking new driver experiences. This is also another important demonstration of how UK Government investment in the Future of Transport, through CCAV, is enabling innovation, international partnerships and solutions that will generate long term value for the UK in this space.”

Vodafone Automotive

Today, vehicles are no longer individual machines moving on roads, they can interact and relay information about the environment around them to improve the road user experience and increase safety. Vodafone is in talks with car manufacturers, fleet companies and haulage firms to have the platform integrated within the vehicle. Unlike most existing systems, which rely on stationary roadside infrastructure to provide a picture of road conditions, the platform uses data generated from the movement and position of the vehicle.

With operations in 21 countries and partners in 48 more around the world, Vodafone intends to use its geographical and technological scale to combine the power of in-vehicle communications systems with real-time data from road operators, other road users and car manufacturers across multiple countries. Vodafone Automotive is already providing advanced telematics to the automotive sector and developing technology to help with the switch to electric vehicles, advanced security and tracking systems, fleet analytics and management.  

West Midlands trial

The overall goal of the trial in the West Midlands is to improve the experience for road users by improving road safety, offering valuable new services to drivers and providing road operators with data driven capabilities which improve efficiency and pave the way for intelligent multi-mode transport solutions. It forms part of the part of the Midlands Future Mobility initiative involving the installation of Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) solutions. These include CCTV, weather stations, communications units and highly accurate GPS coverage to make the roads safer and allow for more predictable goods delivery and journey times. 

Every day almost 4,000 people are killed globally in road traffic crashes. More than half of those killed are pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists. Meanwhile road transport contributes to around 20% of total global CO2 emissions. Communication technologies are a key tool in reducing the number of accidents on the road and increasing transportation efficiency by enabling cooperation between the different road users and the road infrastructure.

Internet of Things (IoT) technology has the power to transform your business, whatever industry you’re in. It can help collect and leverage data, streamline business operations, improve customer service and give you unprecedented visibility of your supply chain, assets and operations.

The boundless potential for IoT does not come without major IT challenges and considerations, however. With great power, comes great responsibility.

IT teams that are responsible for hundreds or thousands of connected devices and applications must look at IoT solutions with a scrutinising eye as there are complexity, costs, and security implications to consider in today’s IoT landscape. In addition to this, if the connected applications happen to span across country borders, you can see how achieving the flexibility, scalability, security, and overall cost-effectiveness necessary would appear a daunting task.

Cradlepoint’s recent partnership with Vodafone has resulted in a new enterprise solution for global organisations looking to implement an IoT strategy, without the headache. The joint offering eliminates the need to contract several different vendors and provides an all-in-one solution that can be deployed across 22 countries making the leap from proof of concept to production quicker and easier.

The turnkey, cloud-managed solution aims to provide fast and secure WWAN connectivity to Cradlepoint customers and gives IoT businesses the ability to securely connect devices to their network, prioritise network traffic, control sensitive data, and run business applications. It is also offered under a single contract, logistics, and support model addressing even the most challenging global IoT deployment and management requirements, through our joint distributor Westbase.io.

This collaboration between Cradlepoint and Vodafone is designed to fast-track the time to market for business-critical applications and services across several verticals. Examples include manufacturing operations, retail omnichannel operations, freight monitoring and logistics in transportation, Internet of Healthcare Things and telemedicine, remote asset security and smart ATMs in finance, artificial intelligence, and machine learning across all environments including smart utilities, smart transport and smart governments.

Vodafone has been testing 5G networks across Birmingham for a short while, and now, New Street Train Station is the first of its kind to benefit from 5G.

Next generation cellular connectivity has enabled The Mayor of West Midlands and passengers to enjoy 325Mbps download speeds at New Street trainstation concourse and other areas of the station using a 5G router supplying Wi-Fi driven 5G (emulated 5G) to non-5G handsets. The video below shows speeds of 325MB per second being achieved.

The network giant confirmed it will launch 5G in 19 locations: London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Liverpool, Cardiff, Glasgow, Reading, Southampton, Birkenhead, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Guildford, Newbury, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Stoke-on-Trent, Warrington and Wolverhampton towards the end of this year. Of course, you can’t buy a 5G smartphone yet but that won’t be too long in the distant future!

It’s a massive positive to see new technologies are supported by a digital communications strategy led via West Midlands Combined Authority.

“We are delighted to bring 5G to the West Midlands, giving businesses, residents and visitors fast and reliable connectivity even in exceptionally busy locations such as train stations and airports. 5G will enable new applications and experiences and support the development of connected cities and smart transport solutions. It will help businesses to implement emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, IoT and robotics. We look forward to continuing to work with Andy Street and his team to deliver the vision of a more prosperous and digitally connected region” Anne Sheehan, Director of Vodafone Business