Summary As power generation is shifting from centralised towards distributed, the function of the distribution network is changing. With the introduction of active loads and controllable inverters, new possibilities for controlling the distribution network arise. By providing network support services, the hosting capacity of the low voltage‐network can, for instance, be increased. To be able to provide these services, coordination and control of these smart devices is vital, however, challenges with the communication architecture still exist. Therefore, a new architecture has to be defined which can handle many different kinds of smart devices and is capable of meeting the communication requirements of legacy devices and different actors. To this extent, a three‐layer‐control architecture is proposed. This architecture separates the physical assets from the communication infrastructure and the services offered by smart devices. To demonstrate the applicability as well as the benefits of such an architecture in real life, a field trial has been performed. Through the separation of the three layers, limitations of the physical devices are addressed by algorithmic changes in the communication layer. The field trial shows the possibility of unlocking the new control options in the distribution network with legacy systems.