Vehicle breakdown service The AA has a 4G/5G router from network equipment vendor Ericsson onto its entire fleet of vans in the UK. It has tripled its “roadside connectivity target” as a result, apparently. The R1900 router, made by the Swedish firm’s US-based Cradlepoint division, now formally integrated in its enterprise wireless solutions business, was initially installed in 350 vans; following a period of testing, it is not on all in 2,700 of its patrol vehicles.
To clarify the above “three-fold” improvement, The AA’s target for roadside connectivity was to improve roadside connectivity by three percent, to bring it in line with UK regulator Ofcom’s ‘connected countries standard’ of 93.1 percent for national service operators. The addition of the Ericsson router has seen it outrun the target “three-fold”, raising roadside connectivity by 9.5 percent to stand at 98.5 percent – said a press statement from Ericsson.
As a consequence, The AA has resolved breakdowns faster and attended more vehicles, it said. “This important work has contributed to a meaningful increase in both employee and customer satisfaction survey scores.” Recovery patrols are often called to remote areas and difficult terrains with limited connectivity. Patrol vehicles had relied previously on 3G/4G router connectivity; the addition of 5G brings higher signal reliability, it said.
The AA also required connectivity 25 metres from its vehicles. The new solution includes both primary and backup SIMs to tap into wider frequencies on any spectrum of coverage. Ericsson said: “This meant they were achieving 98.5 percent high-value connectivity – split across both 5G and 4G networks, 60 percent and 40 percent respectively. [This is] the equivalent of improving connectivity by one bar.”
It added: “Upon the end of the summer where peak demand is experienced, data revealed that every patrol experienced a minimum increase of 10 percent in connectivity.” Patrols have “real-time access” to sundry mapping and service tools to identify and locate call-outs, access and query data and parts, and improve emergency response and repair times.
The AA is also taking Ericsson’s NetCloud Manager platform to manage its wireless wide-area network (WAN) connectivity. Ericsson worked with Panasonic, Gamma, and Westbase on testing and rollouts.
Antony Hausdoerfer, group chief information officer at The AA, said: “Fast and secure connectivity is just as important as the spark plugs they carry. The rollout… has seen considerable improvements in both customer satisfaction scores and patrol feedback… Ericsson’s technical team has been exemplary and the visibility and control have exceeded our expectations.”
Paul McHugh, area director for Ericsson in the UK, said: “The unpredictable nature of emergency response means speed and attention to detail is critical to satisfying customers and technicians. Strong, if not exceptional, coverage country-wide needs to be guaranteed for mobile devices… The AA exemplifies the positive outcomes that can be achieved… by extending the core toolbox and tapping into next-generation connectivity.”
