What’s the Problem?
The UK’s transition from the legacy public switched telephone network (PSTN) to fibre-based telecommunications services such as fibre to the premises (FTTP) and fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) has introduced increased dependency on locally powered communications equipment.
During prolonged power outages or extreme weather, customers can lose access to services when equipment such as optical network terminals (ONTs) lose power.
This loss of capability can prevent customers from contacting their distribution network operator (DNO) to report outages, receive updates or access support in emergencies. A resilient backup power solution is required to maintain communications during network fault events.
Preferred Output
The aim of this opportunity to identify a scalable uninterruptible power supply (UPS) that maintains power to telecommunications equipment during power outages.
The solution should support FTTP customer connections by maintaining the operation of the Optical Network Terminal (ONT), enabling customers to continue making calls and contacting the DNO during a power outage. Compatibility with FTTC-based services is also necessary where appropriate.
The UPS system should provide automatic failover during mains supply interruptions and deliver sufficient runtime to support extended outages, typically experienced during fault restoration activities. In addition to backup power capability, the solution should incorporate intelligent functionality such as battery health monitoring, remote diagnostics, status indication and low-maintenance operation.
The UPS should be:
- Suitable for deployment within domestic customer environments
- Easy to install and operate with low maintenance for the DNO
- Be compact and aesthetically pleasing (weigh less that 16kg)
- Demonstrated in a practical pathway for scalable deployment across the network.
Consideration should also be given to reliability, resilience, cyber security, operational safety and whole-life effectiveness.
Deadline
The deadline for this opportunity is 11.59pm on 17 June 2026. Please submit your proposal above.