BT today launches its new multi-million-pound NB-IoT network, which is set to pave the way for more UK smart cities and industries – with the network covering 97%* of the UK population. It is underpinned by the award-winning EE mobile network.

NB-IoT is a low-power network with the potential to transform industries such as utilities, construction, and the public sector – by securely and reliably connecting the devices to automate many processes that currently require manual oversight or direct involvement.

BT’s new NB-IoT network will enable low-data-demand assets, such as street lighting or underground water sensors, to be connected over a smart network. This will not only deliver long battery life, but it can also enhance efficiency and reduce costs (by automatically detecting leaks in water infrastructure, for example).

The rollout of the network will allow BT to help fast-track ‘smart cities’ of the future through use cases that include monitoring and optimising energy use, storage, and distribution. The agricultural industry will also stand to benefit from IoT connectivity, with BT having previously trialled sensors to monitor haystack temperature and prevent fire risks, as well as safekeeping of livestock through gate sensors.

Chris Keone, MD, Division X at BT, said: “Growing numbers of businesses are beginning to realise the benefits of IoT applications, and our UK-wide NB-IoT network opens up a wide range of connectivity solutions for monitors, sensors, and other smart devices. Whether it’s building the smart cities of the future or reducing carbon emissions, our network will provide customers with the reliability and efficiency they need.”

The network will add to BT’s existing IoT portfolio, which includes eSIMs and IoT national roaming SIMs for UK businesses, offering greater connectivity to customers on the move or in remote locations.

The global leaders in their respective fields will build on their extensive expertise in sustainable building management and global networking to make it easier for customers to reduce emissions from buildings around the world.

Sarwar Khan, global head of digital sustainability, Business, BT, said: “Our collaboration with Johnson Controls will help BT deliver on its pledge to help customers avoid 60 million tonnes of CO2 by the end of March 2030. Customers will benefit from better visibility and management of energy data from connected buildings, helping them reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, and reach Net Zero faster.”

According to the World Green Building Council, buildings are responsible for almost 40 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions and the IEA finds they consume at least 30 per cent of energy globally. Smart and sustainable buildings are on the rise as they represent a key opportunity in helping to meet climate targets. At the same time, the number of subsystems, IoT devices and data is increasing exponentially, driving demand for secure and reliable networks. Connectivity to the cloud is now needed in areas within buildings that may have been poorly served by legacy networking solutions. 

The two parties are offering solutions that leverage smart building technology and Johnson Controls’ OpenBlue digital platform connected by secure and resilient networks that can improve data capture, enhance security, and provide effective management of connected buildings at scale.

Katie McGinty, vice president and chief sustainability and external relations officer, Johnson Controls, said: “With the powerful combination of technology and partnerships, coupled with government incentives, there has never been a more opportune time to drive sustainability leadership and action. The collaboration between Johnson Controls and BT will unlock new potential for customers to further reduce emissions, cut costs and energize employees with their sustainability mission.”

Using the combined technologies BT and Johnson Controls will be running a live demo at BT’s research facilities in Adastral Park.

ENDS

About Johnson Controls

At Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI), we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. As the global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, our mission is to reimagine the performance of buildings to serve people, places and the planet.

Building on a proud history of nearly 140 years of innovation, we deliver the blueprint of the future for industries such as healthcare, schools, data centers, airports, stadiums, manufacturing and beyond through OpenBlue, our comprehensive digital offering.

Today, with a global team of 100,000 experts in more than 150 countries, Johnson Controls offers the world`s largest portfolio of building technology and software as well as service solutions from some of the most trusted names in the industry.

Visit www.johnsoncontrols.com for more information and follow @Johnson Controls on social platforms.

Water. It’s our most precious natural resource and we all need it to survive.

But, climate change means both flooding and water scarcity have presented huge challenges over the past few years. Whether it’s taking steps to improve the UK’s flood defences or becoming more efficient with the way we use water, one thing is clear: we need to act now to protect our environment and natural resources.

According to the Met Office, last summer was one of the driest on record. And experts are predicting that drought conditions could return this year too. In April, a hosepipe ban was introduced hundreds of thousands of people in the south-west due to the knock-on effect of below-average rainfall last year, and a dry start to 2023.

During periods of drought, water sources such as reservoirs play an important role. They can supply water to our towns and cities and ensure the water keeps flowing, even when there are no raindrops falling from the skies.

So, ensuring they are working at full capacity and as efficiently as possible is a priority for water companies. And connectivity can be a big enabler.

Cutting Carbon in Nidderdale

One example of this is the work we’ve done with long-time BT partner, Yorkshire Water, using connectivity to help the business and the local community of Nidderdale in the Yorkshire Dales.  

Nidderdale is a sparsely populated village, around 15 miles north of Harrogate. For many years, Yorkshire Water’s engineers have taken manual readings measuring water quality along the Scar House reservoir. This is costly and time-consuming for the water company and the resources dedicated could be better used elsewhere. 

To tackle this problem, we worked with Yorkshire Water to install state-of-the-art IoT (Internet of Things) monitors on water courses feeding the reservoir, to help remotely monitor water quality. A new EE mast installed nearby provides connectivity for these smart sensors to relay data back to Yorkshire Water – where scientists and engineers use it to proactively select the best available water sources for transfer to the treatment works.

A key reason for installing the monitors is for sustainability purposes, which is an area which both our businesses are passionate about. For Yorkshire Water, better insights on water quality can have a knock-on impact on their carbon footprint. For example, by using IoT tech to monitor the temperature, weather, and condition of the moorland effectively, they can understand how much peat is in the water – and select water sources with better quality. The less peat there is in the water, the less treatment it needs. The better quality the water, the less time it will take to process; meaning greater efficiency for Yorkshire Water as it continues to provide great quality water to its customers – as it always has done.

The new IoT setup in Nidderdale is a perfect example of putting our purpose – to connect for good – into practice. And as an added benefit, the EE mast that has been installed is also providing 4G connectivity for around 1,000 local residents, small businesses, and holiday homes. 

Using IoT to work smarter in Derbyshire 

Another challenge faced by water companies as a result of climate change has been how to manage overflow of wastewater during periods of flooding; the UK experienced 825 raw sewage spills per day in the last year alone (Yorkshire Post, 2022). And AI (Artificial Intelligence) could help. Following our collaborative success in securing funds from the £200m OFWAT Breakthrough Challenge, BT has been working on a UK-first project in Derbyshire, in collaboration with Severn Trent. Essentially, we are working together to transform wastewater catchments by trialling new AI technology that can be used to predict weather conditions, forecast maintenance and most importantly, control waste flow autonomously. This in turn can help water companies prevent flooding and pollution of clean water sources – all through the use of highly secure data transactions.

As part of the trial, the AI technology will be deployed on Severn Trent’s pumping stations– operating independently, using monitors, and providing forecasting. The aim is to see if it can predict issues, such as storm weather conditions, before they occur. In tandem, Severn Trent will automatically have storage ready for any extra water entering the network, diverting it away from overflows and hotspots, and in-turn preventing issues like flooding.

This partnership brings together various partners from the industrial and water sectors, including Southern Water, South West Water, Thames Water, and Hafren Dyfrdwy, alongside global innovators Microsoft, Rockwell Automation, Blackburn Starling, 8power and the University of Exeter.

Managing water at its source in this way is a more cost effective and environmentally friendly approach, and our hope is that it can pave the way for a simple but innovative solution to a growing issue for water companies.

Connecting for good

These recent projects in the water industry are just two examples of how we can use tech to work smarter, benefiting both local people and the environment. After all, the climate pressures on our planet, and our natural resources, weigh heavy on us all: in businesses and communities across the globe. At BT, we believe technology can be a force for good – and that with the right innovation, it can help us play a bigger part in creating a more sustainable world.

To find out more about the innovative technology we are providing to the water industry please click here

BT today switched on its IoT National Roaming SIMs for businesses across the UK, allowing them to keep smart devices connected wherever they are.

IoT national roaming SIMs allow smart devices to connect to mobile networks ensuring they stay connected while on the move or in remote locations. BT’s IoT national roaming SIMs will connect devices to the UK’s best and largest network, EE, meaning data is quickly and reliably relayed where it’s needed most. As well as a primary connection to EE, part of BT Group, the SIM can connect to multiple other major UK networks, helping to keep smart devices online.

The rollout of BT’s new service is set to benefit courier and delivery companies in particular by giving them reliable, fast network access no matter where they are - whether in cities, rural areas, or by the coast. Just last week EE announced the arrival of 5G to over 500 new, predominantly rural locations, bringing the total number of UK cities, towns and villages where customers can access the service to over 1,000. At the same time, EE’s leading 4G network coverage is on track to reach 90% of the UK’s geographic landmass by the mid-2020s.

The new IoT service will help end users such as drivers and delivery workers improve accuracy and efficiency by giving them access to important information in real-time. An example of this would be providing visibility of fuel efficiency, changes to a delivery schedule and cold chain management so temperatures can be constantly monitored on a refrigerated vehicle.

IoT national roaming ensures that devices can continue performing to a high standard even in the harshest remote conditions thanks to the enterprise-grade IoT sims, offering reliable, fast connectivity. BT is also offering the product at the same competitive price as its existing pay-as-you-use IoT SIM service, meaning businesses only pay for the data they use rather than risking underutilising data on a fixed rate.

Marc Overton, Managing Director, Division X at BT, said: “Businesses across the UK are increasingly understanding the benefits of using IoT devices in running their operations. And now, with the unveiling of our IoT national roaming SIMs, we're making sure those connections stay strong no matter where business takes you. Whether in the heart of a bustling city or out in the countryside, our solution ensures data is transmitted quickly and reliably. We're excited to help both our existing and new customers fully harness the power of their smart devices with lightning-fast mobile connectivity.”

In addition to the improved connectivity, BT's IoT national roaming service will offer a secure management portal with full security measures to protect important data and help businesses keep track of all their smart devices. The added security helps to ensure the safe and efficient use of devices, allowing companies to focus on their core operations without worrying about data breaches or device mismanagement.

The launch of BT’s IoT offering is poised to shake up the B2B IoT market thanks to its connectivity capabilities, powered by the UK's largest and most reliable network, EE. The added benefit of being able to switch to other operator networks, when necessary, also offers greater simplicity for businesses with many currently negotiating separate deals with mobile network operators depending on where they have operations in the country.

To find out more about how you can utilise BT’s IoT national roaming SIMs, please visit here.

ENDS

Notes to editors

*EE is the UK’s best network as shown by RootMetrics, offering the best coverage, fastest speeds and most reliable connection – as well as 5G in more cities than any other network

*The IoT National Roaming SIM can operate via 2G, 3G (EE’s 3G network will be retired in early 2024), 4G, 5G as well as LPWAN

At the heart of our strategy is to be a better, more modern BT and we are on a charge to evolve from traditional telco to a technology company, while also enabling businesses and the public sector to make the same leap.

And that’s what is front and centre for us in Division X – to be the best digital transformation partner, helping our business and public sector customers take advantage of a digitally enabled future. That includes delivering quantifiable business outcomes for customers, and leading end-point solutions to improve productivity, optimise operations and drive cost savings, such as asset tracking, predictive maintenance, connected sensors, real-time data processing, automation, and robotics.

Managing these transformations is increasingly complex, and sometimes quite niche, and so the need to ‘collaborate to innovate’ has never been greater.

But choosing the right partners is critical. You must look for complementary skills and assets that add value. It’s not simply a question of working well together, you have to collectively drive better business outcomes than any one of you could achieve alone.

So, for us to be the best for our customers, we need to have the best-in-class partnerships to meet, deliver and exceed their expectations. 

And it’s something we are taking seriously at BT. We already have world class research and development functions and rich network experience and are actively engaged with many businesses today who are grappling with making the shift to a digital future. An example of this is reflected in our work with Belfast Harbour and the Port of Tyne, where we are deploying private 5G networks to help them revolutionise their processes, track assets, and understand how sustainable and productive their operations can be. Also, our partnership with Hyperbat in developing the world’s first 5G Virtual Reality Digital Twin solution is helping to accelerate the manufacturing process for electric vehicle batteries; and our innovative 5G trial with the BBC at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer also demonstrated the potential for a portable 5G network to transform broadcasting for live events.

None of the above would have been possible without the support of multiple partners, and so we made the decision earlier this year, as part of our BT Means Business Enterprise Customer Charter to create a more structured partnership engagement that would allow us to accelerate our ambitions and co-innovate in a more coordinated way.

Over the past number of months we have been talking to partners about the form this engagement should take and I’m delighted that this month, we launched our Partner Advisory Board (PAB), with the first wave of many partners joining the new collaboration.

The purpose of the PAB is for industry leading companies of all sizes to come together to discuss and share insights and best practices, to examine innovative propositions, and to debate potential solutions to current and future challenges that business leaders are encountering.

We held our first meeting this week where I was joined by Katherine Ainley (CEO UK & Ireland, Ericsson), Clay Van Doren (CEO Northern and Central Europe, Atos), Mike Grogan (Director Media & Communications Industry, Microsoft) and Warren Tucker (Partner and Head of Cloud & Digital, PwC) to set out the future roadmap.

Our aim as a group is to team up and accelerate the co-creation of digital solutions alongside our customers. This ranges from health, to logistics, transport and manufacturing.

BT has already launched a number of propositions in partnership with the founding members of the Board:

• Our Digital Vision partnership with Atos to provide customers with a powerful AI-based analytics tool to extract value from their digital images and videos,
• Our strategic alliance agreement with Microsoft to accelerate innovation across enterprise voice, cyber security and industry-focused services in sectors from digital manufacturing to health, setting businesses in the UK and around the world back to growth
• The first commercial 5G Private Network ‘off the shelf’ product with Ericsson offering the next generation mobile network technology products to businesses and organisations to enable new innovative applications and IoT capabilities.

And our partnership with PwC to inject deep industry insights – with an initial focus on transport and logistics and healthcare – together with cloud and digital transformation expertise to help organisations solve important problems such as productivity, asset tracking and sustainability.

But it’s not just about the UK’s large businesses and titans of the industry. Going forward, we’ll also champion the growth of UK tech start-ups and scale ups through this process, working with ETC, BT’s Digital Incubator team, to identify and nurture the best tech companies. Our ambition is to help increase digital technology adoption across multiple sectors and improve and increase the number of solutions we can offer to customers.

Over the coming months we plan to welcome even more business partners to the PAB. We’re looking forward to the exciting joint value this can bring, and, in turn, the opportunity we have to build and sustain partners of choice for our 5G, IoT, AI, infrastructure, security and future solutions.

At BT our purpose is to connect for good, and to do so in a way that is inclusive, responsible, and sustainable - our new Partner Advisory Board is no better example of this in action.

BT today announced it is working with ABB to elevate its internationally managed communications infrastructure to new levels of performance, choice and agility to support the company’s new operating model. It follows the signing of a new contract between the two companies.

The new contract builds on an existing agreement, signed in 2014, under which BT consolidated and optimised the leading global technology company’s international communications infrastructure. Working with ABB’s Information Systems team, BT will now transform the network infrastructure to create a sustainable, resilient and secure core platform featuring a highly automated and data-driven managed service.

Security is a top priority for ABB as it executes its cloud strategy, which includes consolidating data centres and moving more applications and data into the cloud. BT will enable ABB’s cloud-first ambitions with an end-to-end, compliant, multi-layered cyber security environment. It will deploy, manage and monitor over 1,100 end-point devices, continuously verifying every device, user and application accessing the network.

The communications infrastructure will reliably and securely connect people, devices and machines at over 600 facilities in 60 countries. Using the latest software-defined networking technology, it will offer ABB a choice of connectivity options for each site, including 5G access.

It will also provide ABB with a new software-driven platform delivered over Wifi 6 to enable mobility and digital manufacturing concepts, such as robotics, Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data technologies at production sites. Both companies have committed to a co-innovation fund as part of the contract.

By choosing BT, ABB is ensuring its network is delivered by a provider using 100 per cent renewable electricity globally with a commitment to achieving net zero emissions across all its operations by 2030.

“ABB’s world-class technology and digital capabilities are deeply embedded in our DNA. Maintaining and improving our innovation, technology and digital leadership is a strategic priority across the company,” said Alec Joannou, Group CIO, ABB. “BT is a great fit for our Information Systems function. As our trusted partner, it has helped us keep pace with a dynamic digital landscape and is now evolving our communications infrastructure to support our digital ambitions.”

“The cloud-first network and digital managed services we’re delivering will further enhance agility across ABB’s businesses,” said Bas Burger, CEO, Global, BT. “The unique trust between our two companies empowers us to push ahead as we connect ABB’s people, devices and machines in a sustainable and responsible way.” 

The Royal Hospital for Neuro-Disability (RHN) in Putney has enlisted BT and start-up firm Microshare to introduce a smart Internet of Things (IoT) solution to help automate routine tasks to enable staff to spend more time with patients, and residents, and to reduce energy costs. The hospital says that the technology has proved extremely beneficial as pressure on staff has increased during the coronavirus pandemic.

The 240-bed site is a charity-run hospital offering long term care to people with complex neurological disabilities caused by damage to the brain or other parts of the nervous system. Many of the procedural tasks that staff carry out daily are time consuming and require manual recording to ensure compliance. However, thanks to the new technology deployed at the hospital, this is largely now monitored automatically, freeing up staff so that they can focus on caring for patients.The smart technology solution involves IoT sensors being placed in rooms and on equipment to monitor things like room occupancy and temperature, as well as asset tracking of objects like wheelchairs, and temperature monitoring of fridges storing medicine.

Rather than staff having to manually check the temperature of the fridges, they are now equipped with automated alarms which will indicate if there is a problem requiring staff attention. The monitoring of water tanks inside the hospital is also now completely automated. Previously, staff would need to get access to the roof of the building in order to take temperature recordings of one of the water tanks inside the hospital – a task that may have taken an entire day. Now, thanks to the smart network, this is all done remotely and recorded on the system.

Water tanks are monitored primarily for legionella bacteria compliance testing. Thanks to the smart IoT solution the hospital is able to receive more frequent readings providing better monitoring and freeing up staff who no longer have to carry out physical checks. The hospital has four tanks on site which were previously checked every month. Hospital leaders say the room monitoring has provided cost savings as the data has proved that they did not require anther meeting space, which would have brought challenges in re-allocating another location in an older building where space is paramount.

BT is providing the secure wireless network at the hospital which enables the smart IoT sensors to relay information, using LoRaWAN (Low Power, Long Range, Wide Area Network) technology. Devices connected to a LoRaWAN network use very little power, giving them a long battery life and making them a low cost, long range solution for IoT applications. The hospital uses a combination of IoT sensors, LoRaWAN connectivity and data management. BT provided the infrastructure and expertise in deploying the LoRaWAN gateway which has been installed on the roof and the cloud-based network management tools to secure the devices and infrastructure. Microshare sourced the smart IoT sensors, connected them to its Microsoft Azure cloud and quickly integrated them into the RHN’s infrastructure.

Toby Roberts, CIO of the RHN, said: “The new IoT system is part of a major drive towards digital transformation at the hospital. Five years ago, the hospital was mostly a paper based organisation with very little use of computers and networks.

“However, over the past few years we’ve introduced more digital solutions to make tasks simpler and easier. For example, whereas nurses used to take observations and record patient details on a clipboard, this is now done on an iPad and automatically fed into our secure network.

“Thanks to BT and Microshare we are now able to automate many tasks that would have previously taken considerable time or effort to carry out. If a nurse wants to find out where a wheelchair or ECG machine is, they can simply log onto the computer and find out where in the hospital it is located. Something that may have taken an hour or more in the past is now done in seconds.

“This technology has been extremely useful during the current pandemic as it has allowed our staff to perform more efficiently under heightened pressures. Instead of spending time filling out paper forms, they’re able to do it at the click of a button.”

Chris Sims, MD Commercial and Marketing for BT’s Enterprise business, said: “At a time when our healthcare sector has faced unprecedented challenges due to Covid-19, it’s amazing to see how this hospital has embraced the latest technology to make a difference for staff and patients.

“It shows how technology can be a huge enabler and a force for good. We’re helping communities and organisations such as RHN to make the best of the opportunities which these novel technologies can offer.

“The network we have provided at the hospital allows blanket connectivity for hundreds of devices across the building, from the basement to the upper floors. In fact, its range is so impressive, the signal reaches as far as Paddington eight miles away.

“I congratulate the hospital’s team for how they are leading the way in this sector and demonstrating how it’s possible to do things smarter and better while still making cost savings in areas like energy use.”

Charles Paumelle, Co-founder and MD of Microshare, said: “One of the keys to success for us is knowing that the project had positive and measurable impact quickly on patient care and on some of the stresses staff experience in carrying out rote tasks better suited to real-time monitoring.

“A solution like this one can lead to huge productivity and safety gains, and all without ever interacting with the sensitive patient data that may exist in a hospital’s own network. Success in IoT is all about partnerships and this was demonstrated here with RHN, Microshare and BT all working together to make this happen.”

The RHN is a charity, independent from the NHS but working closely with it, to provide the best possible care for people living with neuro-disability. The hospital relies on public donations to provide some of its services. To find out more about RHN visit here

Air quality data is being collected every minute from Internet of Things (IoT) modular sensors which can send data over the InLinks’ ultrafast integrated Wi-Fi. Data is then available via BT’s data hub for analysis by a group of researchers and scientists, led by the University of Birmingham, to help monitor air pollution in the area.

InLinkUK from BT is a state-of-the-art digital “hub” that replaces traditional payphones on the streets of Birmingham and across the UK. The InLink units provide a range of free digital services to the local community including free ultrafast Wi-Fi, free phone calls, free mobile device charging, community news and easy access to the emergency services.

Utilising the InLinks for air quality monitoring avoids the need for additional street clutter, with the Wi-Fi providing a reliable way to transmit the information in real time.

The data provided by the InLinks will complement results from other air quality monitoring equipment used in the WM-Air – West Midlands Air Quality Improvement Programme.

Air pollution in the West Midlands affects around 2.8 million people, reducing life expectancy by up to six months and costing the economy up to £860 million a year, according to recent reports.

Professor William Bloss, of the University of Birmingham, leads the WM-Air project.

He said: “There is a pressing need for more detailed measurements across cities such as Birmingham to deliver clean air science. It’s important for us to understand the levels of air pollution in the city as it can have a huge impact on the health and wellbeing of people who live and work here.

“We are exploring use of the new BT sensors alongside a number of initiatives we already have in place to measure air pollution and improve air quality.”

Neil Scoresby, General Manager Payphones and InLinkUK at BT, said the company was excited to be supporting initiatives to measure air pollution in Birmingham.

“By collecting air quality data at multiple points and more often, it is possible for WM-Air to gain a much better understanding of air pollution in real time via the BT data hub.

“This is a great example of how BT is working with communities in cities like Birmingham to explore how the IoT capability of the InLinks can support a range of smart city initiatives.”

Birmingham, along with Bradford, are the first cities in the UK to use the air quality monitoring via the InLinks. Other cities are set to benefit over the coming months.