CableFree a partner in GRID‑5G: Accelerating Private 5G for UK Energy Networks:
Oxford, UK — 8 October 2026 — Wireless Excellence Ltd (CableFree), the UK manufacturer of carrier‑grade 4G/5G radio systems, today announced its participation in GRID‑5G, an 18‑month, £4.01 million Innovate UK project led by PNDC to validate assured private 5G on a live electricity distribution network.
Britain’s electricity networks are evolving rapidly as distributed generation, electric vehicles, heat pumps and automation are connected to the grid, placing growing demands on secure, resilient communications between substations, field assets and control centres. At the same time, digital substation and automation applications governed by standards such as IEC 61850 impose stringent requirements on performance, reliability and operational resilience.
Private 5G offers a dedicated, utility‑controlled communications platform that can complement existing infrastructures while supporting future automation, monitoring and operational applications. GRID‑5G addresses the remaining questions around interoperability, independent assurance, security, operational performance and deployment readiness in critical infrastructure environments.
“GRID‑5G moves private 5G for utilities from concept to proven, procurement‑ready reality. Validating our 450MHz and 700MHz O‑RAN radios on PNDC’s live network, alongside top UK partners, gives DNOs the confidence to specify and deploy with assurance.”
— Stephen Patrick, CEO, Wireless Excellence Ltd (CableFree)
Live‑network validation, not simulation
The project will be validated on PNDC’s 11kV to LV smart grid network using real IEDs, RTUs and SCADA gateways, with a 5G standalone non‑public network (SNPN) already deployed and operational on site. Validation activities include IEC 61850 communications, SCADA integration, fault location, isolation and service restoration (FLISR), digital substation applications, and communications support for restoration and resilience use cases — the conditions that determine whether a technology is truly network‑ready.
PNDC leads three of the seven work packages: requirements, system architecture and standards alignment; testbed integration and OT validation; and programme management, dissemination and market readiness.
Consortium covering the full technology stack
GRID‑5G brings together seven organisations with complementary roles and expertise:
- PNDC / University of Strathclyde — project lead, testbed operations and validation
- AWTG Ltd — mandated systems integrator, leading multi‑vendor 5G core and RAN integration, use case implementation and testing
- Novomorphic Ltd — FPGA‑based Secure Edge AI hardware platform for deterministic IEC 61850 processing
- Ekiva Ltd — orchestration and closed‑loop network intelligence
- Neutral Wireless Ltd — OpenRAN radio units at 3.8GHz, with additional 700MHz and/or 450MHz support as project needs determine
- CableFree (Wireless Excellence Ltd) — UK‑manufactured 450MHz and 700MHz O‑RAN radios
- Energy Connect Ltd — spectrum, regulation and utility deployment advice, with engagement across all UK DNOs
Independent security and resilience assurance will be provided by Digital Catapult through its SONIC Lab, complementing the Assured 5G Technical Authority (A5GTA) programme that Innovate UK has funded the Catapult to deliver for the wider private network ecosystem.
CableFree’s role in GRID‑5G
As the UK manufacturing partner for low‑band O‑RAN radios, CableFree is supplying 450MHz and 700MHz radio units into the GRID‑5G testbed to support deep indoor and wide‑area coverage across substations and associated sites. These bands are well suited to utility environments where penetration, reliability and robust link budgets are critical, and where existing spectrum allocations and licensing frameworks favour sub‑1GHz operation.
CableFree’s participation reinforces its position as a trusted supplier of private 5G infrastructure for critical national infrastructure, building on deployments in transport, industrial and public‑safety applications.
Outputs designed for immediate use
The project’s central public‑good output is a Technical Reference Architecture that DNOs and other critical national infrastructure operators can use directly in design and procurement, published alongside interoperability evidence, performance results and a security assurance summary. The timing is deliberate: the first framework renewals aligned with mature SNPN capability fall in the 2027–2029 window, immediately after GRID‑5G concludes in early 2028.
A dedicated project page will follow, with findings, workshops and demonstration events shared as the project progresses.
About CableFree (Wireless Excellence Ltd) Founded in 1996 and based at Oxford Science Park, Wireless Excellence manufactures the CableFree range of carrier‑grade 4G/5G, microwave, millimetre‑wave and free‑space optical systems for service providers, enterprises and critical infrastructure.
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