5G and Smart Road Signage Strategies

1. Do you have a 5G strategy?

No, Devon County Council (DCC) does not have a 5G strategy and has not been approached by any 5G provider regarding future strategy or the use of our assets in any area of Devon.  Therefore, we do not hold this information.

1.1 If yes, I request to see the complete strategy, its ambitions and its objectives in PPTX, Word, PDF or picture format.

1.2 If yes, has the public had the opportunity to read and understand [Council’s] 5G strategy? Where was this information published?

1.3 I also request a supplementary document that includes the highest level of detail on all 5G technology that’s planned to be used and current in use in public spaces within [Council]:

(a) Companies and entities involved and the names of the company/entity officers.

(b) Specification sheets of 5G technology.

(c) What technology e.g. units and arrays are not currently 5G, but can be 5G enabled e.g. with current software, future software, hardware upgrades or retrofitting?

(d) What UK, EU and International safety standards is [Council] complying with for the 5G strategy and existing 5G technology. 

(e) I request proof e.g. a certificate from [Council] that confirms that UK, EU and International safety standards for workers and the public have been meet.

1.4 If no, I request to know when you will be chairing a 5G strategy?

2. I request the name/s of the Officer/s in charge of the 5G strategy and roll out for 5G and Smart Cities; and who their subject area expert or consultancy is, their CV and qualifications on 5G and Smart Cities.

Please see our response to (1) above.

3. Are you in talks with any experts, companies or entities about autonomous vehicles (AV) for public transport and/or private use on Public Highways?

No.

3.1 If yes, I request to see the complete strategy, its ambitions and its objectives in PPTX, Word, PDF or picture format.

3.2 I also request a supplementary document that includes all levels of detail on: 

(a) Companies and entities involved and the names of the company/entity officers?

(b) Specification sheets of all technology.

(c) What type of communication system will [Council] be utilising to control the vehicles? 

(d) What UK, EU and International safety standards does your AV strategy and rollout comply with?

(e) I request proof e.g. a certificate from [Council] that confirms that UK, EU and International safety standards for workers and the public have been meet. 

4. Do you have a strategy for smart roads and smart signage on Public Highways and Public spaces?

No.

4.1 If yes, I request to see the complete strategy, its ambitions and its objectives in PPTX, Word, PDF or picture format.

4.2 I also request a supplementary document that includes all levels of detail on: 

(a) Companies and entities involved and the names of the company/entity officers?

(b) Specification sheets of all technology.

(c) What technology e.g. units and arrays will not be 5G, but can be 5G enabled e.g. with current software, future software, hardware upgrades or retrofitting etc (you must be specific on anything here)?

(d) What UK, EU and International safety standards does your 5G strategy and rollout comply with?

(e) I request proof e.g. a certificate from [Council] that confirms that UK, EU and International safety standards for workers and the public have been meet. 

5. Are you planning to rollout or have rolled out Light Emitting Diode (LED) street lighting? 

Yes. 

5.1 If yes, please answer these questions:

(a) What is the CMS and specification of the software and hardware of the LED street light system? – Exeter has an existing CMS system in place, formerly supplied by Harvard Engineering, now owned by Lucy Zodion, this uses the WIMAC technology. The luminaires themselves are for the most part supplied by Urbis, that come with LED’s and a Dali enabled driver with a photo-cell.

(b) What type of waveform is the LED? e.g. Square wave?  DCC uses LED drivers with constant current, the DC output is flat with no wave. The drivers do not have or need Pulse Width Modulation control as an output to the LEDs, we use LED drivers that are flicker free.

(c) Can you control the Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) of the streetlight system using the CMS? No. 

(d) Can you control the PWM of each streetlight that’s connected to the system? No.

(e) What restrictions do you have in place for the control of the PWM? None.

(f) What is the UK, EU and International safety limit (low and high) for the amount of ‘flicker’ (Hz) the Human Body and eyes can be exposed to and for how long?  We do not hold this information.

(g) I request to see the training manual and safety operation manual for the CMS and the LED streetlight system.

We don’t hold training guides as such for the LED street lighting, we refer to the information held on the Urbis Schreder website  for this information.

We hold the safety operation manual for the CMS but consider this to be exempt under Section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  This manual is the commercial property of Lucy Zodion (previously the property of Harvard Engineering) and has commercial value.  As such, we believe that release of this document could directly harm the commercial interests of Lucy Zodion.  We appreciate that this exemption is subject to the public interest test and are satisfied that the public interest lies in favour of withholding this document at this time.

(h) Who is the company who is or has installed the CMS LED streetlight system? Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE)

(i) What company maintains and repairs the CMS and LED streetlight system? Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE)

(j) What entity and Officer is responsible for the safety standards for the CMS and LED streetlight system? Devon County Council, through procurement and the Street Lighting Team specified that equipment is CE marked to conform with all relevant EU legislation; the key suppliers being Lucy Zodion and Urbis Schreder Ltd (UK)

(k) I request proof e.g. a certificate from [Council] that confirms that UK, EU and International safety standards for workers and the public have been meet.  All luminaires & Content Management Systems (CMS) are European Conformity (CE) marked.

(l) What is the amount of Blue Light leakage that’s safe for the public and workers during the LED streetlights operation? We do not hold this information.

(m) What level of LED streetlight exposure is safe for the public at daytime and night time? We do not hold this information.

(n) Is there a legal requirement for diffusers to be fitted to LED streetlights?  No

(o) How have you have addressed the amount of Oxidative Stress on Human and Animal cells that’s produced from LED?   All our LED products are CE marked and therefore conform to applicable British Standards and EU Regulations at the time of manufacture.

5.2 If no, then I request a declaration from [Council] that you will not be installing LED streetlights in the future. If you cannot provide a declaration, I would like the following answered in the future tense:

(a) What is the CMS and specification of the software and hardware of the LED street light system?

(b) What type of waveform is the LED? e.g. Square wave? 

(c) Can you control the Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) of the streetlight system using the CMS?

(d) Can you control the PWM of each streetlight that’s connected to the system?

(e) What restrictions do you have in place for the control of the PWM?

(f) What is the UK, EU and International safety limit (low and high) for the amount of ‘flicker’ (Hz) the Human Body and eyes can be exposed to and for how long? 

(g) I request to see the training manual and safety operation manual for the CMS and the LED streetlight system.

(h) Who is the company who is or has installed the CMS LED streetlight system?

(i) What company maintains and repairs the CMS and LED streetlight system?

(j) What entity and Officer is responsible for the safety standards for the CMS and LED streetlight system?

(k) I request proof e.g. a certificate from [Council] that confirms that UK, EU and International safety standards for workers and the public have been meet. 

(l) What is the amount of Blue Light leakage that’s safe for the public and workers during the LED streetlights operation?

(m) What level of LED streetlight exposure is safe for the public at daytime and night time?

(n) Is there a legal requirement for diffusers to be fitted to LED streetlights? 

(o) How have you have addressed the amount of Oxidative Stress on Human and Animal cells that’s produced from LED? 

6. Where do you have 3G and 4G systems in public spaces and public roads?

We do not hold any information relating to 3G and 4G systems in public spaces and public roads. This information would be held by the telecom companies.