BT Gives their UK Telecoms Engineers a Speed Boost

Telecoms operator BT has begun to roll-out a new solution that aims to reduce the distance that its engineers need to travel in order to collect equipment, which they claim should help to “speed up the delivery of broadband and phone services.”

The new approach follows BT’s recent acquisition of Pelipod Ltd, which is a connected parcel delivery solution business. One of Pelipod’s solutions involved internet connected, centrally monitored, secure delivery lockers and this is what the operator intends to harness.

Essentially they intend to position these secure delivery lockers inside and within the grounds of 500 “strategic sites” across the United Kingdom, allowing engineers to access and collect essential supplies more quickly and efficiently.

The roll-out of this new approach, which means that engineers will no longer have to travel all the way to Openreach’s forward stock locations or distribution centres, will start in the Midlands and could eventually spread to include “a few thousand Pelipods across the country.”

Nicholas Hale, MD of BT Wholesale and Ventures, said:

“We currently provide supply chain services to BT Group businesses and a number of external customers. Pelipod will boost our existing supply chain offerings and provide us with a competitive edge through an innovative technology which takes advantage of the Internet of Things.

The move also supports BT’s continuing efforts to improve customer service. By spending less time on the road travelling to forward stock locations, engineers will be able to pick up equipment more easily and spend additional time working on the network and delivering broadband and phone services to customers.”

Apparently the Pelipods will be securely fastened to the wall or ground using industrial strength cables or bolts, so stealing them would be a challenge. The storage can then only be accessed via unique codes, which are associated with specific users, drivers and parcels.