WPD Telecoms - The New Name for Surf

Surf’s up! The name of our in-house telecommunications arm has changed – from Surf Telecoms to WPD Telecoms - heralding even bigger changes within the company.

For more than 20 years, WPD Telecoms has provided, managed and maintained secure and reliable radio and fibre-based communications services to support our daily operation. These include the use of licensed and unlicensed radio, microwave and fibre networks. A large section of the fibre network relies on our overhead infrastructure, while hill top sites provide a platform for radio and microwave networks. WPD Telecoms’ core network is responsible for office connectivity while the private mobile radio system enables voice communications to vehicles and offices. 

We are one of the few DNOs to have our own in-house telecommunications business.  Ian Smith, WPD’s Logistics Manager, explained how the name change reflects the growing importance of telecoms to the future our role.  “Now is the ideal time to clarify our relationship with WPD to all our stakeholders and to explain how this closer relationship will benefit both WPD and our external customers."

“Telecoms infrastructure will play an increasingly important role as WPD moves to a DSO."

"In the DSO world, there will be increasing amounts of intelligent devices, monitoring systems and smart technology on the electricity network, with more data being transferred to and from its network across all voltages.  All this will be reliant on a secure, reliable telecoms network.  WPD Telecoms’ service allows us to gain unrivalled insight into the needs of the future smart network and the telecoms necessary to meet those needs.”

Additionally, WPD Telecoms markets and sells spare capacity on our masts, sites and fibre network to large private and public sector organisations, including Sky, Virgin Media, mobile network operators, universities and colleges which require secure and reliable connectivity services to run their everyday activities.

Richard Slane, WPD Telecoms Commercial Manager, believes the name change will boost their external business activities.“We already use the WPD brand when marketing and promoting our products and services but a more obvious association with the market-leading DNO will deliver a positive impact, improving our competitiveness and enhancing our plans for further growth in a fast-changing market place.”

Although this name change connects the telecoms business even more closely to WPD, it will remain a separate company within the WPD Group. It aligns WPD Telecoms’ business with the our other companies such as Smart Metering, Contracting Services and the Helicopter Unit which already operate under the WPD name.

WPD Telecoms in numbers: