Possible 4G mast or WISP? Curious.

So, I was on holiday at the coast recently, Upon walking down a road toward the Beach, I see this Mast like Pole, small at the bottom, thickening at the top. There seems to be a lot of cabinets surrounding it All looking slightly like the Openreach PCP's.

Here are some photos, What could it be? a Mast? Wireless Internet Provider?

It is fume vent for Trisha's Chippy!

It could also be a smart meter antenna.

Hi guys, so I actually did a little more digging. It's actually whats known as a "Monopole" sometimes know as a "Singe or Double stacked Jupiter" Its use is for non obstruction to urban areas and to Serve telecommunication devices with Coverage. Apparently known mostly to serve Vodafone,O2 and 3.

Mobile mast 100%

In reply to a post by IamFibremad:

What could it be? a Mast? Wireless Internet Provider?

Monopole mobile mast for cellular communications.

Either Vodafone / O2 :
https://pedroc.co.uk/content/vodafone-o2-monopoles

or EE / Three:
https://pedroc.co.uk/content/ee-three-monopoles

3rded - 100% mast. They have them all over.

Smart meters during commissioning connect to the strongest 2G mobile network. A new network will be built, eventually.

Edited by ukhardy07 (Thu 12-Sep-19 19:58:49)

In reply to a post by ukhardy07:

Smart meters during commissioning connect to the strongest 2G mobile network. A new network will be built, eventually.

First generation SMETS 1 used mobile network. I thought the installer came with a set of SIMs and tried them all to get the best signal.

Wasn't one of the design goals of Second generation SMETS 2 meters, the use of the DCC network?

According to https://www.smartdcc.co.uk/ over 2million SMETS 2 meters are on the network now, which would mean no need for cellular.

Edited by jchamier (Thu 12-Sep-19 20:12:49)

In reply to a post by jchamier:

According to https://www.smartdcc.co.uk/ over 2million SMETS 2 meters are on the network now, which would mean no need for cellular.

Apparently not, at least in central & southern areas cellular will still be used:

In reference to www.smartdcc.co.uk/products-services/design-and-assurance/communica...:

In central and southern regions, cellular and wireless mesh technology (provided by Telefonica) will be used to connect to the SM WAN, while in northern regions, Communications Hubs will use long-range radio (provided by Arqiva) for wide area communications.

Somewhat off topic, but ...

Really, what IS the point of smart meters ?

Who has honestly managed any significant usage, or cost savings, by their use ? The only people who benefit from a smart meter is the power companies.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

Somewhat off topic, but ...

Really, what IS the point of smart meters ?

Who has honestly managed any significant usage, or cost savings, by their use ? The only people who benefit from a smart meter is the power companies.

I have refused to have my meter changed to a smart meter several times, the power suppliers say they save you money but that is total rubbish, you turning off lights and devices saves you money not the meters. I have a separate unit that shows me (not the power suppliers) what I use and that is good enough for me.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

Somewhat off topic, but ...

Really, what IS the point of smart meters ?

Nothing for the end user. I assume they are for remote switch off under government control when we have insufficient generating capacity.

They have actually no point for anyone reading their meters regularly.

They might have done before CFL or LED lights and with old CRT televisions etc.

Edited by jchamier (Thu 12-Sep-19 22:16:26)

In reply to a post by Oliver341:

In reply to a post by jchamier:

According to https://www.smartdcc.co.uk/ over 2million SMETS 2 meters are on the network now, which would mean no need for cellular.

Apparently not, at least in central & southern areas cellular will still be used

That looks as if they�ve given up building the low freq network in the south. Wonder why.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

Wonder why.

Who knows, the SM rollout has been an expensive shambles from day 1.

It seems Smart DCC may be over-egging the pudding.

Nearly a third of all energy companies fitting smart meters are still installing old technology

The artlicle only appeared today, not a search result. Though it is talking about the number of companies, not the number of meters.

Edited by RobertoS (Fri 13-Sep-19 02:48:07)

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

Somewhat off topic, but ...

Really, what IS the point of smart meters ?

Who has honestly managed any significant usage, or cost savings, by their use ? The only people who benefit from a smart meter is the power companies.

I�ve always been interested in getting smart meters fitted as it�s a real pain getting to the external gas meter to take readings and my electric meter is installed in an awkward place under the stairs (typical Barratt home!) so reading meters isn�t my favourite chore. However I�ve put off having meters installed until they sorted out the interoperability between suppliers since SMETS1 meters often go into dumb mode when changing suppliers.

SMETS2 has fixed the interoperability issue (more or less) so there was no reason for me not to get them fitted anymore. I�m due to get SMETS2 meters fitted by E.ON in a few weeks purely so that readings can be sent automatically to the supplier regularly - I�ve chosen the monthly readings option rather than half hourly or daily option.

I couldn�t care less about energy usage so the energy display unit (IHD) they supply will be going in the bin . Being in a fairly �new build� our usage is low anyway.

... and yet smart meters are pushed so heavily.

The public should insist the cost savings these devices make for the Energy suppliers are passed directly back to the punters.

Chap on the radio this morning from Energy UK touting their benefits. He claimed his had ssved him £20 this month. How on earth can you know how much energy you have saved, I thought they only told you how much you had used. Still holding out here, I know how to operate switches and they save me absolutely zilch. Just dawned on me they haven't emailed or phoned me recently, maybe they have got the message.

Yeah, wholeheartedly agree.

I moved into a new build a couple of years back, and the installation of a Smart meter was pushed very heavily ... then there was much to ing and fro ing, claims of it not being possible, etc ... all just the result of a �computer says no� ... once finally installed, nearly nine months after moving in ... it made sod all difference, no change in usage, no help reducing costs.

Hi

Power companies don't benefit from smart meters. The power industry (and water) works opposite to any other service or supply industry, where we are actively encouraged to buy less of that service and so pay them less money.

Smart meters will be required when we have a significant number of electric cars plugged in over night, so expect electricity costs to be considerably higher overnight when millions of cars get plugged in to charge, and probably extra taxes as well to recoup what will be lost on petrol revenues. Electric cars are only cheap to run at the moment because they slip through the net of being taxed on the fuel they use.

Smart meters will be needed to spread the load on the grid, so that peak demand can be controlled by charging extra at different times across the UK to encourage people to spread the load out.

Regards

Phil

In reply to a post by PhilipD:

Power companies don't benefit from smart meters.

Not sending anyone out to read it must save them some money.

Edited by deleted (Fri 13-Sep-19 09:25:56)

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

The public should insist the cost savings these devices make for the Energy suppliers are passed directly back to the punters.

I've compared smart meter specific tariffs with the tariff I'm on and it wasn't as good, they are not even rewarding those who have switched which would then encourage others.

In reply to a post by dect:

In reply to a post by PhilipD:

Power companies don't benefit from smart meters.

Not sending anyone out to read it must safe them some money.

It mustn't be underestimated the number of people who fail to provide meter readings regularly and then get a huge bill X years later once the meter has been read by the energy supplier. You only have to look on MSE forums to see that many people fall into this category. So yes, you could argue energy suppliers will save money if they don't have to chase up debts for those in arrears but from the energy supllier's viewpoint, they could choose to reduce prices across the board if everyone was to get accurate bills based on actual usage.

+1

In reply to a post by dect:

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

The public should insist the cost savings these devices make for the Energy suppliers are passed directly back to the punters.

I've compared smart meter specific tariffs with the tariff I'm on and it wasn't as good, they are not even rewarding those who have switched which would then encourage others.

That will be because in the short term they have to recoup the cost of the meters and their installation. The meters are not free. Just like the NHS isn�t. Meters paid for by higher tariffs, NHS by taxes, exhorbitant prescription charges, dental charges and car park charges.

Will tariffs be reduced for each particular customer once the cost of their specific meter and installation has been recouped? No way!

Edited by RobertoS (Fri 13-Sep-19 10:09:16)

That�s strange, the cheapest energy tariffs I�ve seen on energy comparison sites such as uswitch insist that you have a smart meter installed or get one after switching eg BG�s uswitch exclusive tariff.

I thought that as well, but it could explain the post I was replying to and quoted . The millions or billions being spent on smart meters won�t be coming from the shareholders .

Today�s energy news.

In reply to a post by baby_frogmella:

That�s strange, the cheapest energy tariffs I�ve seen on energy comparison sites such as uswitch insist that you have a smart meter installed or get one after switching eg BG�s uswitch exclusive tariff.

I'm not sure on the legality of this. Smart meters are legally optional, so if you sign up to a tariff which mandates the installation of a smart meter, it's questionable whether this is enforceable.

Most likely a soft "threat", but it works since most likely most people won't challenge it.

In reply to a post by baby_frogmella:

That�s strange, the cheapest energy tariffs I�ve seen on energy comparison sites such as uswitch insist that you have a smart meter installed or get one after switching eg BG�s uswitch exclusive tariff.

Fair comment, haven't check for a little while so maybe things are changing.

In reply to a post by dect:

Not sending anyone out to read it must save them some money.

Not in our case they don't, our smart meter has been visited just as many times as when it was a standard meter. I raised this with the meter guy as I thought smart meters did away from having to be read but no, they still visit to confirm nothings been tampered with and it all looks safe and take a confirmed reading, at least that is what he told me.

Besides meters don't tend to get read more than a couple of times a year as most people submit readings online, and until everyone has a smart meter, meter reading staff are still out on the road and visiting the same streets.

Also don't forget the costs of the roll out of smart meters, and there is still on ongoing cost of the infrastructure to collect the data and process it. I bet it's many years before they break even if everyone had a smart meter overnight and they never visited anyone again for a manual reading.

Regards

Phil

Edited by deleted (Fri 13-Sep-19 13:44:22)

Why the entirely more sensible and cheaper approach (apparently used on the continent) of using the dam mains cable for which a connection measured in bits per second would be more than adequate god only knows.

My current house will never have a smart meter as due to some ferrous material in the bricks there is no mobile single inside (femtocell to the rescue though WiFi calling is probably adequate these days) and they can f right off if they think they are drilling a hole through the wall to mount an external antenna.

My mothers house due to an extension has the meter under the stairs in the middle of the house. Smart meter fitter came and left without doing any work ...

In reply to a post by PhilipD:

they still visit to confirm nothings been tampered with

Don't they only have too do that check once every two or four years?

In reply to a post by dect:

In reply to a post by PhilipD:

they still visit to confirm nothings been tampered with

Don't they only have too do that check once every two or four years?

No idea what the rules are, I only know we've had the same number of visits pre and post smart meter which I found surprising. Maybe they are in the area reading non-smart meters and just for completeness do them all. I can't imagine once most people have them they will keep calling to read/check it, but who knows.

In reply to a post by jabuzzard:

Why the entirely more sensible and cheaper approach (apparently used on the continent) of using the dam mains cable for which a connection measured in bits per second would be more than adequate god only knows.

Yes, power-line communication would have made far more sense.