Digital Inclusion in Rural & Vulnerable Communities Phase 2
Abstract
Digital exclusion remains a significant and persistent challenge across the UK, with approximately 10 million people unable to access online services due to a lack of internet connectivity, digital skills, or confidence. In rural and remote communities this challenge is compounded by poor infrastructure and geographic isolation. For households already identified as vulnerable the inability to receive timely communications from energy networks can have serious consequences.
Energy networks currently rely on a standard set of channels to communicate critical information such as planned outages, safety alerts, and emergency notifications. Letters go unread, door-knocking is costly and slow, SMS messages are widely distrusted, and digital channels by definition exclude the very households that need the most support. No single channel reliably reaches digitally excluded consumers at speed. This gap represents both a safeguarding risk for customers and a significant compliance and reputational challenge for networks operating under Ofgem’s consumer vulnerability obligations.
This project proposes a fundamentally new approach: the Message Beacon is a low-cost, physical, internet-free device distributed to households to alert customers that an important energy network message is available to be read. The notification signal is received via Bluetooth or Near Field Communication (NFC) from a nearby mobile asset (such as a van, field engineer, or bin lorry), and is represented on the Message Beacon using a flashing LED. The customer taps the Message Beacon with an NFC-enabled smart device to display the energy network message. No internet connection is required in the home, and no digital literacy is assumed. The Message Beacon brings the message to the person, rather than expecting the person to come to the channel.
This project aims to take the Message Beacon concept that was established and prototyped in Phase 1 into a real-world pilot. Initial pilot devices will deliberately use household WiFi and mains power in place of the target transmission and power architecture. This isolates the household interaction layer for evaluation, so findings are attributable to human factors rather than transmission reliability.
Phase 2 will deliver the following key outputs:
- Full Message Beacon MVP: hardware scaled to pilot quantity (minimum of 30 units), front-of-house and back-of-house software complete, end-to-end system tested before deployment.
- Real-World Pilot Evaluation Report: reach rates, time-to-tap, and engagement by household type; qualitative findings on comprehension and behaviour change; baseline comparison against existing methods.
- Infrastructure Research Report: a desk-based technical assessment of candidate transmission pathways including DCC and smart meter capability, BLE mesh, LoRa, 2G/3G switch-off implications and mobile assets, with an indicative direction on each and a stated assessment of the development distance to manufacture. Pathway prototypes, where produced, are standalone and not integrated with the live Message Beacon system.
- Standalone Rollout Model and Decision Presentation: final presentation including unit economics, installation process, household targeting, and message governance; infrastructure options paper; decision presentation to all participating networks.
Technology Readiness Level (TRL)
Start TRL: 4 (Technology validated in laboratory environment)
The core system architecture has been designed and validated, experimental hardware has been built and tested, and both the front-of-house and back-of-house interfaces have been prototyped and tested with real users in controlled settings.
End TRL: 6 (Technology demonstrated in a relevant end-to-end environment)
By the end of Phase 2, the full end-to-end prototype system will have been demonstrated in a live pilot with approximately 25 individual households.
