The incubation unit of UK telecommunication group BT, known as Etc, is on course to commence a number of technical and commercial trial projects. The primary goal of these trials is to repurpose idle street cabinets into electric vehicle charging facilities. The cabinets have been providing copper-based phone and broadband services, which are due for decommissioning as BT transitions to a fibre rollout.
Commencing in Northern Ireland this fall, the first set of these initiatives will, in the preliminary stage, provide Openreach and BT Group employees with access to the charging points. There is an expected expansion to the general public later, and more pilot locations will be introduced across the UK by the end of the fiscal year.
Estimations by Etc indicate that up to 60,000 of the 90,000 BT owned cabinets may be eligible for conversion into EV charging points. However, the final scale of the venture will rest upon the performance of the pilots during the two-year evaluation period. Furthermore, Etc has assured that the new EV charging network will not instigate disruptions or changes to the telecommunication services currently being supported by the cabinets.
The urgency of preparing for the EV revolution is highlighted by Tom Guy, the Managing Director at Etc in BT Group. “With the ban on sales of internal combustion engine vehicles coming in 2030, and with only around 45,000 public charge points today, the UK needs a massive upgrade to meet the needs of the EV revolution,” he stated. He further stressed on the unique opportunity it presented to incorporate good practices into a whole new field of utilities utilizing cabinet infrastructure. The pilot projects hold significant importance for the team to properly assess and establish efficient market routes over the next two years.
Echoing Guy’s sentiments, the CEO of New Automotive, Ben Nelmes, articulated his excitement on the increased need for EV charging and lauded the BT group on their innovative strategy. He believes this could serve as a critical factor in expanding the accessible number of charging points, thus, facilitating a more significant push towards EV adaptation.
The government in the UK has ambitions to hike the available charging points from approximately 45,000 to a staggering 300,000 by the end of the decade. To fund this, a sizable £1.6 billion fund has been announced. Yet, it remains unclear whether any portion of this funding will be directed towards these Etc pilots.
In a parallel move, a new regulation has been adopted by the European Union. From the year 2025, fast recharging stations of at least 150kW capacity for vans and cars will be mandated every 60 km along EU’s primary transport corridors. Raquel Sánchez Jiménez, the Spanish Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda has expressed optimism on citizens being able to charge their EVs as easily as they currently fuel up at petrol stations in the foreseeable future.
It appears that the global push for electric vehicles and other initiatives related to sustainability have reached a peak. Most announcements in the telecommunications sector touch on this theme. The ambitious net zero goals cited by the BT Group as the driving force behind its new scheme has sparked intense political debate on whether cost of living crises should instigate a reconsideration of some elements. Interestingly, this candid discussion is ongoing.
