Energy & Utilities

Broadband Connection Points are a core part of the National Broadband Plan, giving rural communities free high speed Wi-Fi at public buildings, community centres, libraries and sports clubs ahead of the fibre rollout. VEI Global was engaged to design, deliver and deploy the community Wi-Fi infrastructure at more than 300 of those locations for National Broadband Ireland’s programme, in partnership with the appointed network operator. Work ran from early 2021 through 2022, delivered in phases over 18 months, with each site typically going from survey to live in one to two weeks. Every site followed the same sequence:

1. A site survey to assess the building, layout and connectivity available.
2. Installation of a secure Wi-Fi system with an optimised internet backhaul.
3. Wireless access points placed for the environment, from a sports hall to a library reading room.
4. Full equipment configuration, performance validation and handover documentation.

VEI also provided ongoing expert services support to the network operator’s field team during and after the deployment. The full account is on the Broadband Connection Point Deployment case study.

Smart meters, intercoms and monitoring equipment increasingly communicate over the mobile network. In basements, plant rooms and steel framed buildings that signal is often absent, so the devices never report. VEI designs and installs GSM boosting systems that bring every Irish mobile carrier into those spaces:

• All carriers, all floors. External donor antennas capture each network and internal antennas distribute it, so a meter on any provider gets signal.
• Designed from a survey. An RF survey establishes where signal is lost before any equipment is specified.
• Proven on residential developments. At McGrath Group’s 250 unit Palmers Gate development and on a South Dublin County Council scheme, VEI’s GSM boosting was installed specifically so residents’ power meters and intercoms could communicate.

In the last year VEI has delivered 25 GSM boosting sites. The full service is described on Mobile Connectivity.

Substations, pumping stations, treatment works and depots are often beyond fixed broadband or served by a single line. VEI installs Ericsson Cradlepoint 4G and 5G routers to give these sites secure connectivity, either as the primary link or as automatic failover when the fixed line drops. The same equipment gives suppliers remote access to plant without a route through the corporate data network. Where a site needs Wi-Fi as well, the design starts with an Ekahau survey and a bill of materials.

Customer service in a utility runs on the phone. VEI migrates legacy voice systems to Microsoft Teams and deploys Luware contact centres that integrate with Teams, with a reception console, call recording, intelligent routing and reporting. For South Dublin County Council, serving nearly 280,000 residents, the phased migration completed with zero disruption to public services. VEI has delivered 15 Microsoft Teams Luware contact centres and more than 20,000 VoIP telephone extension licences. The full service is described on Microsoft Teams Integration and UC. Field teams and depots take LAN, Wi-Fi and managed support under an SLA, described on Managed Services and SLA Support.

• Broadband Connection Point Deployment. Community Wi-Fi at more than 300 rural locations for the National Broadband Plan.
• McGrath Group. GSM boosting so that power meters and intercoms across a 250 unit development can communicate.
• South Dublin County Council. GSM signal for power meters and intercoms in a large new development, with Wi-Fi in all common areas.

Can VEI deliver a rollout across hundreds of sites?
Yes. The Broadband Connection Point programme covered more than 300 locations across Ireland over 18 months, each with its own survey, install, validation and handover documentation, and each typically live within one to two weeks of survey. VEI delivers across all 26 counties with in country field engineers.

Will smart meters work in a basement or plant room?
Only if there is mobile signal. VEI installs GSM boosting that carries every Irish carrier into those spaces, designed from an RF survey. It has been installed on residential developments specifically so power meters and intercoms could report.

What happens to a remote site when its broadband fails?
With a 4G or 5G router installed as failover, the site switches to the mobile network automatically and switches back when the fixed line returns.

Does VEI provide the contact centre as well as the network?
Yes. VEI deploys Luware contact centres that integrate with Microsoft Teams, with a reception console, recording, routing and reporting, and has delivered 15 of them alongside the voice migration.

Is VEI ISO certified?
VEI Global holds ISO 9001 certification for quality management.

Talk to VEI Global about network, mobile signal and contact centre infrastructure for your utility.