Communicatietechnologie

Wireless M-Bus is a widespread and standardised communications protocol for wireless meter communication and remote reading of heat, cooling, electricity, and water meters. It is designed specifically to match the utility sector’s need for quality of service and data frequency without compromising on battery lifetime.

Wireless M-Bus can be used to establish remote reading of smart water meters via a drive-by set-up or through a fixed network – and it is possible to combine the two methods of collecting data. A network is typically built and maintained by the utility by installing several data collection units across a supply area. Wireless M-Bus communicates on unlicensed bands with different frequencies being prevalent in different parts of the world.

All our heat/cooling meters and smart devices for utilities can be set-up to transmit data via the Wireless M-Bus standard, supporting a wide range for frequencies.

1. Long battery lifetime
Being optimised to support large quantities of data without compromising on battery lifetime, Wireless M-Bus is suited for utilities who are looking to go beyond billing and use the data to optimise operations and maximise their data-utilisation through near real time analysis of water loss and pressure in the distribution network. Wireless M-Bus supports daily or hourly values in a smart meter with an expected lifetime of up to 16 years.

2. Network ownership
Wireless M-bus is also the right choice if you want control of your own network and do not want to depend on third party suppliers to ensure the right meter reading performance and quality of service. The initial investment in establishing a network is higher than other technologies but the cost per meter will often be lower with integrated Wireless M-Bus communication than with other technologies.

3. Flexible solution
Wireless M-Bus networks are best suited to urban areas where it is easier to optimise the balance between meters read per data-collection units. If your supply area covers both rural and urban areas, it is possible to establish a Wireless M-bus network in the densely populated areas and combine that with drive-by meter reading in the sparsely populated areas to ensure a high cost-benefit.

1. Ownership responsibility
With a network based on the Wireless M-bus protocol, you own the infrastructure and must build and maintain the network to match your required meter reading performance and quality of service. Your business case for investing in a Wireless M-Bus network will be affected by several circumstances such as the size and geographical layout of your supply area.

2. Rural coverage
Because of its reach, a Wireless M-Bus-based network will require more infrastructure to cover rural or sparsely populated areas. In such areas, a drive-by solution with Wireless M-Bus or a network based on a different technology can be alternatives unless you require large quantities of frequent data for advanced analytics.

You build a network based on Wireless M-Bus by installing several data collection units across your supply area. A large-scale data collection unit consists of one or two antennas that pick up the signals from the meters via Wireless M-Bus. An antenna is connected via cables to a concentrator unit which sends data back to your Meter Data Management system via a secure mobile connection. It is also possible to use smaller data collection units to collect data from a limited number of meters.

Normally, a data collection unit can read meters within a radius of 500-1000m. It is, however, possible to achieve ranges of more than 3 km when special antennas are placed, for instance, on chimneys, lattice towers, or flagpoles. The antennas should be installed as high as possible to pick up the signals from the meters in the surrounding area.

You can either build the network on your own or work with your solution provider to set-up the network and ensure the required performance.

Wireless M-Bus can also be used in a drive-by set-up where you drive around your distribution network reading the meters on the go with a small converter unit and an app on your Android smartphone or tablet.

The LoRaWAN® specification is a Low Power, Wide Area (LPWA) networking protocol designed to wirelessly connect battery operated ‘things’ to the internet in regional, national or global networks, and targets key Internet of Things (IoT) requirements such as bi-directional communication, end-to-end security, mobility, and localisation services.

LoRaWAN® network architecture is deployed in a star-of-stars topology in which gateways relay messages between end-devices and a central network server. The gateways are connected to the network server via standard IP connections and act as a transparent bridge, simply converting RF packets to IP packets and vice versa. The wireless communication takes advantage of the long range characteristics of the LoRa physical layer, allowing a single-hop link between the end-device and one or many gateways. All modes are capable of bi-directional communication, and there is support for multicast addressing groups to make efficient use of spectrum during tasks such as Firmware Over-The-Air (FOTA) upgrades or other mass distribution messages.

LoRaWAN® is a newcomer and strongly promoted by the LoRaWAN Alliance®, and many vendors have LoRa products making to it easy to build cloud-based solutions to remotely read sensors and devices. Software for the application server is also available for those who wants to have a complete solution.

1. Long range and high coverage with few components
The LoRaWAN® is worldwide. It is possible to use existing LoRaWAN® network providers, or alternatively you can build your own network starting with a single LoRaWAN® gateway to cover large areas with thousands of end-node devices.

2. Reduced risk of interference
LoRa is a patented spread spectrum technology using the unlicensed sub-GHZ frequencies. The modulation ensures high performance, resilience to interference, and high building penetration.

Quality of service depends on the network provider. If the radio coverage fails, the customer may face difficulties in getting them solved.

The communication speed varies. The long range is achieved by slowing down communication which in turn reduces battery lifetime.

Multiple fees may be involved. Subscriptions to cloud solutions, networks operator fees, and key and certificate fees for example. This makes it hard to compare.

One way to start to build a LoRaWAN application would be to team up with a LoRaWAN network provider. In this instance, you will subscribe to a cloud service where your data is stored. All your sensors and devices must be set-up to send data to that provider using several LoRa defined keys.

Building your own network is also possible and will, like any radio-based system, require knowledge on how to place the gateways and antennas to get full coverage for all sensors and devices in the network. For the data reading system, you need to have internet connected servers to run your own cloud solution.

NB-IoT is point-to-point communication technology, developed as a cornerstone in telco 5G strategies, employing the existing infrastructure of telco-owned antenna sites for mobile communication (LTE). Optimised for excellent coverage and very small data amounts, NB-IoT is a good choice for remote reading of smart meters that are located underground and in other hard-to-reach places where other types of communication technology may fall short. NB-IoT can be used for two-way communication, which is necessary for some smart metering use cases such as firmware updates.

Although still a newcomer in smart metering, the technology is now past its infancy and fully rolled out in several countries. Telecommunication providers worldwide are currently expanding coverage and the number of vendors supporting the technology is also increasing by the minute.

1. Excellent coverage
NB-IoT is interesting in a smart metering context because the coverage it provides makes it suitable for remote reading of heat meters in remote and hard-to-reach locations (e.g., basements). Based on the LTE network, NB-IoT use licensed frequency bands to ensure minimal interference from other devices.

2. Supports high-res data needs for analytics purposes
NB-IoT can carry large amounts of data and transmit it as frequently as you need. For Kamstrup heat/cooling meters, this means detailed data down to 60-minute intervals (up to 32 registers), depending on power supply and choice of data package. The data is transmitted automatically every hour or once per day (daily transfer of hourly values).

3. No infrastructure responsibilities or investments for the utility
NB-IoT is the right choice for utilities that do not want to invest in and own communication infrastructure as it offers data collection entirely without infrastructure responsibilities.

Compared to a solution based on a traditional fixed network, NB-IoT requires no initial investment in the communication infrastructure. In many cases this will make the start-up of remote reading cheaper.

If you want to know the cost of communication in the long run, look for suppliers who offer this at a fixed cost as part of the package.

4. Easier smart meter rollouts
NB-IoT meters communicate directly with your smart metering system via your local telco’s NB-IoT network. This makes meter installation a lot simpler as you can simply deploy the meters when and where you like without extensive planning. It’s virtually plug and play.

5. Future-proof P2P technology
A very wide range of companies are working to promote the technology, and NB-IoT is a cornerstone in the mobile operators 5G strategies. As a result, NB-IoT is likely to have a wide range of supported devices, platforms, and systems, which will benefit your utility.

1. Power consumption
The power consumption of NB-IoT is significantly lower than the previous cellular communication technologies such as 2G/3G or 4G. This makes it more suitable for battery-powered devices. However, compared to traditional fixed network solutions for smart metering, the power consumption of NB-IoT is still higher. This makes it a challenge to build a viable solution for meters with an expected lifetime of 16 years with the same battery. Therefore, the datagram size from a battery-powered device will be smaller than a datagram from a mains-powered device. But it is possible to obtain a battery lifetime of 16 years.

2. 3rd party infrastructure
If you invest in a NB-IoT based solution, you do not own the infrastructure. This means you are wholly dependent on your telecommunication partner to ensure that your requirements for the meter reading performance are met. In case of problems, you will have no options for improving the coverage, making it important to find the right partners when committing to an NB-IoT solution.

3. Different ITU regions
The different telecommunication providers use different frequency bands for their LTE communication in different parts of the world. Supporting NB-IoT worldwide requires a wide portfolio of modems to be fitted in the water meters according to which region they will be installed in.

2G/4G is a well-known and well-proven point-to-point communication technology, using the existing mobile infrastructure of telco-owned antenna sites for mobile communication. Optimised for excellent coverage and very large data amounts, the 2G/4G is a good choice for remote reading of smart heat/cooling meters that are in rural and other hard-to-reach places where other types of communication technology may fall short.

2G/4G can be used for two-way communication which is necessary for some smart metering use case, such as firmware updates.

Although 2G/4G communication has been around for a long time, it is still valued in the smart metering industry and fully rolled out in most countries.

1. Excellent coverage
2G/4G is interesting in a smart metering context because the coverage it provides makes it suitable for remote reading of heat/cooling meters. It uses licensed frequency bands – owned by the mobile operators – to ensure minimal interference from other devices.

2. Supports high-res data needs
2G/4G can carry very large amounts of data and transmit it as frequently as you need. For Kamstrup heat meters, this means detailed data down to 5-minute intervals (up to 32 registers).

The data is transmitted automatically every 5/15/60 minutes directly to the Meter Data Management system.

3. No infrastructure responsibilities or investments for the utility
2G/4G is the right choice for utilities that do not want to invest in or own communication infrastructure as it offers data collection entirely without infrastructure responsibilities.

Compared to a solution based on a traditional fixed network, 2G/4G requires no initial investment in the communication infrastructure. In many cases this will make a start-up of remote reading cheaper. 
If you want to know the cost of communication in the long run, look for suppliers who offer this at a fixed cost as part of the package.

4. Easier smart meter rollouts
Meters with 2G/4G communicate directly with your smart metering system via your local mobile operators’ network. This makes meter installation a lot simpler, as you can simply deploy the meters when and where you like without extensive planning. It’s virtually plug and play.

5. Future-proof P2P technology
Even if the 2G communication has been around for many years and is facing end of life within the near future, the combination with 4G still makes it a futureproofed technology, as 4G is part of the overall 5G strategy.

1. Power consumption
The power consumption of 2G/4G is significantly higher than the NB-IoT communication technology,  meaning it is not suitable for battery-powered devices and designed for mains supplied devices instead.

However, many utilities have main supplied meters, or a combination of main- and battery-supplied meters. 2G/4G is suitable for meters where a lot of data is required frequently.

2. 3rd party infrastructure
If you invest in a 2G/4G based solution you do not own the infrastructure. Therefore, you are dependent on your telecommunication partner to ensure that your requirements for the meter reading performance are met. In case of problems, you will have no options for improving the coverage. This means it is important to find the right partners when committing to a 2G/4G solution.

3. Different ITU regions
The different telecommunication providers use different frequency bands for their LTE communication in different parts of the world. Supporting 2G/4G worldwide requires a wide portfolio of modems to be fitted in the heat/cooling meters according to which region they will be installed in.