Relay is working with the Panalpina Group, one of the world’s leading providers of supply chain solutions, to deliver the hardware, telecoms racks and equipment necessary to upgrade the UK to 4G connectivity. This massive project involves our providing both nationwide mainland deliveries and offshore shipments to the Isle of Man and Guernsey.
This equipment is essential for all telecoms and mobile networks and Relay has been involved in final mile deliveries for Panalpina over the past 15 months. We are particularly excited by the fact that Panalpina has recently awarded us a further 3-year contract to continue on this 4G upgrade project, which is ideally suited to our specialist expertise in handling high value, bulky electronic assets that are vulnerable to damage.
For instance, the racks stand 2 metres high and weigh 300 kilos, a particular challenge when delivering to awkward locations, and there have been plenty of those! The telecoms exchanges requiring 4G upgrade deliveries are situated at both internal and external sites, ranging from upstairs rooms to small sheds in the middle of fields serving nearby telecoms masts. Often, this means that equipment such as hoists and cranes may be required to support the trickier on-site installations.
Rachel Wilton, Panalpina’s Country Head of Logistics, said that Relay provides the expertise and commitment required to make the 4G final mile deliveries run smoothly. She explained: “The reason Relay is our chosen partner is because they deliver excellent customer service, combining flexibility to changing demands and efficient reactivity to high pressure.”
This project with Panalpina involves some 20 to 25 deliveries per month with collections from depots nationwide. Tasks for Relay crews include locating equipment on site for engineers to take over and commission as well as removing all packaging and any equipment needing to be decommissioned.