Smart metering is defined by the set of remote reading and remote management systems connected to the use of smart and IoT (Internet of Things) systems. These systems use the most advanced LPWAN (Low-Power Wide-Area Network) communication technologies enabling long-range and low-power connectivity, designed to reduce costs and increase efficiency compared to traditional short-range radio reading systems.
In the new era of the Internet of Things and smart cities, where things communicate with the surrounding environment, smart metering systems represent the last and key frontier in terms of reading and management for water consumption perspective focusing on saving energy and money.
The new LPWAN solutions are divided between capillary (for example LoRaWANTM and Sigfox) and cellular (NB-IoT) solutions designed to improve the performance of traditional remote reading technologies, in particular regarding fixed reading.
Traditional radio technologies, excellent in a context of mobile reading, do not completely meet the needs of the aqueduct and utility sector in the context of wide-area network reading, due to the high costs of the required infrastructures. The LPWAN systems respond by lowering the cost of the necessary structures and maintenance increasing the range of the signal reading range.
For several years, the revolution of metering with introduction of remote reading systems that interface with data collection and analysis software, transformed into numerous economic and functional advantages for users and the world of utility.
Technological development, innovation and the use of meters for data transmission provided field of expertise and experiments for Maddalena made an essential contribution in design and production of increasingly advanced meters enabling modern reading without any need of direct access to the end-point.
In addition to optimization of the network, this evolution speeds up and simplifies the operator’s work in charge of reading and ensuring end user’s awareness of consumption.
Facing this new technological challenge, Maddalena responded in a manner and with passion looking forward to innovation and adopting this vision in water metering. The ARROWWAN range of radio modules is compatible with the wM-Bus standard, providing additional opportunities of supporting the new LPWAN long distance technologies.
In these new contexts, more and more specialized operators will be dealing with network connectivity as well as with communication management between end-points, gateways and servers collecting data.
