LPWA: The future of smart metering
Utilities around the world are installing smart meters that can monitor customers’ usage of energy or water in near real-time, cutting costs and helping to balance supply and demand. But it can be expensive and difficult to connect meters that are deep inside buildings, in basements or under manhole covers. Mobile operator Vodafone and water group Aguas de Valencia are exploring how new low power wide area (LPWA) technologies could address this challenge.
The results of a trial in the Spanish town of Moncada suggest that LPWA networks could bring connectivity to utility meters beyond the reach of existing wireless solutions, enabling energy and water grids to become smarter and more efficient.