Modest little heroes

Speaking to Brian Back, the founder of Radio Data Networks – a radio telemetry/mission-critical IoT provider – and vice chairman of the Low Power Radio Association, gives you a new appreciation for the extent of our industry’s invisible influence and the tireless work it performs in some of the most unpleasant environments. He explains that PMR-type licensed radio technology and lean data protocols are being used beneath our feet to prevent our ageing sewage system from discharging effluent in an uncontrolled manner.

“Prior to [its introduction], there had been lots of incidents when sewers have been completely overwhelmed, spilling sewage into the street and into people’s properties. Anglian Water (one of Radio Data Networks’ customers) has reduced that incident rate by about 60 per cent.”

One of Back’s biggest frustrations is the tendency for regulators to use historic data for enforcement. The Environment Agency “hasn’t moved into the 21st century where it mandates monitoring, reporting and mitigation all in one. The emphasis should be not on the Internet of Things per say, but on real-time control and mitigation.