Smart metering: industrial telemetry with IoT
Short answer
Smart metering is the automatic and remote reading of water, gas, electricity, and heat consumption via connected devices. In Spain, rollout is mandatory in certain segments (electricity near 100%, water and gas in progress). NB-IoT and LoRaWAN are dominant.
Technology per meter type
Electricity: PLC and 4G for large consumers. Water: NB-IoT (buried meters), LoRaWAN on private networks, Wireless M-Bus in residential blocks. Gas: LPWA due to explosion risk (no intensive radio). Heat: M-Bus typical with a gateway.
10-15 year lifecycle
A meter must report without field visits for 10-15 years. That requires MFF2 SIM, industrial certification, lifetime connectivity plan, and OTA-updatable firmware. MDMS and billing platforms must be integrated from design.
Security and compliance
EU MID, local regulation, cybersecurity under CRA and NIS2. Secure design (certificates, signed firmware, private APN) is not optional.
- NB-IoT for buried water/gas
- LoRaWAN on utility-owned networks
- Lifetime SIM and MFF2
- MDMS and billing integration
- CRA/NIS2 from design
8-week smart metering pilot
We design a 100-500-meter NB-IoT pilot in 8 weeks with metrics and 10-year cost.
Frequently asked questions
NB-IoT or LoRaWAN for water?+
NB-IoT if you rely on an operator and nationwide coverage. LoRaWAN if you deploy your own network (autonomous utility) or NB-IoT doesn't reach the meter. Many mix: NB-IoT by default, LoRa in deep chambers.
How long does the battery last?+
10-15 years with one reading every 6-24 h and proper PSM/eDRX. More readings per day drops it to 5-8 years.
Does each meter need type-approval?+
Yes, following MID and local regulation. The connectivity design must accompany type-approval, not be bolted on later.
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