4G Communications Hub roll-out hits major milestone

On Saturday 25 October, the 100,000th 4G Communications Hub was installed and connected to Britain’s smart metering network. This is a significant milestone for the roll-out and demonstrates the energy sector’s commitment to delivering a high-performing smart meter network powered by future-ready Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technologies.  

The 100,000th installation was carried out in Cheshire, by EON Next.  

These 4G cellular hubs began being deployed into homes and small businesses following a Smart Energy Code modification and authorisation from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) on 30 May 2025, so the speed with which we and our partners have hit this key figure is something to celebrate.  

Following a successful pilot test in late 2024, early 2025, with the full roll-out of these 4G Communications Hubs we are already seeing strong performance across a range of measures, including ease of installation and message success rates.

Given that our network now carries over 3 billion messages a month for energy suppliers alone, this is a significant uplift in successful message delivery.  

Following work with DESNZ, SEC, and other partners across the energy sector, these 4G Communication Hubs are being installed across all regions of Britain, with 59% of installations so far happening in the north. This is significant, as the technology is already helping to bolster the options the industry has for smart metering, enabling more people than ever before to enjoy the benefits of owning a smart meter. 

Ian Drummond, MD of Operations at DCC, said,

"We are proud to have designed and delivered this new connectivity solution that will play a vital role in Great Britain reducing energy costs for consumers, and achieving the government’s net zero ambitions.”  

We continue to work diligently to connect Britain, so we can all lead smarter, greener lives.