BT Group’s incubation hub Etc. has announced a series of pilots, starting
in Northern Ireland, to assess the technical and commercial viability of converting decommissioned street cabinets (previously used to provide copper-based broadband and phone services) into electric vehicle charging points. Early projections by Etc. suggest that two thirds of BT Group’s 90,000 cabinets could be converted into EV charging points as a dedicated BT Group venture or in partnership with other organisations.
Tom Guy, Managing Director of Etc. at BT Group, said: “With only around 45,000 public charge points today, the UK needs a massive upgrade to meet the needs of the EV revolution. We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to connect for good by innovating around our cabinet infrastructure. The pilots are critical to establish effective technical, commercial and operational routes to market over the next two years.”
