News
Northumbrian Water Trialling 5G & AR Technology
Supplier Northumbrian Water has teamed up with Ericsson and O2 to trial the use of 5G and augmented reality (AR) technology to help it maintain its water and sewerage services across the north-east.
O2 launched its 5G network in October last year, providing lower latency, faster speeds and greater network coverage, meaning that the water supplier can now look at new ways to increase efficiency, productivity and safety. A private network installation has also been set up for the company to guarantee uninterrupted network access and capacity.
Head of strategy and enterprise architecture at Northumbrian Water Martin Jackson said: “This is the first time a trial like this has ever been done by a water company and we’re incredibly proud to be leading the way in the utilities sector.
“We first explored the ways in which we could harness the power of 5G at our Innovation Festival and we’re delighted to be working with O2 and Ericsson to develop this project and deliver an even better experience to our customers.”
These initial trials will focus on key areas like creating a home water maintenance app for customers so they can monitor their water supply and flow to identify unusual patterns and reveal possible issues ahead of time.
In addition, AR mapping will be used to provide 3D representations of buried assets and, if successful, this technology could then be extended to cover the layout of water mains, pipes and conduits, to help engineers manage hazards and risks in real time.
Hearing more about what Northumbrian Water is up to could well inspire you to switch water supplier so you can find a company that ties in more effectively with what you as a business stand for.
The English water retail market opened up back in April 2017, allowing companies to choose their own supplier based on their individual needs for the very first time.
There are all sorts of benefits associated with this, ranging from enjoying greater cost savings and better service (such as more accurate billing) to being able to find a supplier that specialises in services for your particular industry or operational needs.
Because choosing your own supplier is likely to be a new experience for you as a business, you might struggle to navigate the tricky landscape and find the best one for you and your company. Talking to a water consultancy service like H2o could prove particularly useful if you want to get it right first time.
We can carry out a full audit of your site to examine your current use and compare it to your present billing. By working out what you use your water for we can then help you find the supplier that suits your needs the best. Give us a call today to find out more.