5G smart metering to launch in Belgium’s Wavre

5G smart metering is to be installed in public buildings in the central Belgian city of Wavre over the next 36 months.

The Réseau d’Énergies de Wavre (REW) project, part of the CONNECTOW initiative, is expected to bring significant improvement to energy management and enable a peer-to-peer distribution model.

The development of a ‘smart grid’ through means of monitoring, predictive modelling and dashboarding will also ensure that less fuel energy is used, a statement says.

The CONNECTOW initiative is being developed by a consortium formed by the City of Wavre and B2B connectivity solution provider Citymesh, with the support of a €3.9 million (US$4.3 million) grant from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility Digital Fund.

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Its aim is to put in place a 5G communication network and activate a range of use cases and applications to achieve Wavre’s 2030 strategic development vision of a more innovative, energy-efficient, greener and intelligent city.

“Our world at large is in need of a different approach and we firmly believe that close collaboration with all those involved will help achieve the sustainable development goals,” says Mitch De Geest, CEO of Citymesh.

“Together with the city of Wavre, its citizens and all of the stakeholders, CONNECTOW will actively seek out projects and use cases for the betterment of all. Since its conception, Citymesh has committed to the use of wireless communication technologies as a means of improving existing models. Thanks to the EU grant and the CONNECTOW project, the demonstration and realisation of certain aspects of that vision are within grasp.”

Some of the other elements of CONNECTOW alongside the smart metering include providing those in need of support and facilities including schools and libraries with affordable or free internet access, an autonomous drone equipped with thermal and high-end cameras for situational awareness for fire fighting and live streaming of sports events.

The initiative is also seen as offering an active approach to attract high-tech, biotech and e-gaming companies, flywheeling the local economy.

Anne Masson, Mayor of the city of Wavre, says for the past ten years, the city has been fully committed to the digital transition.

“For us, new technologies are an essential means of meeting the expectations of a rapidly changing world as well as the expectations of the players in the economy, health, tourism and culture located in our territory. We are convinced that by being an actor in this development, we will be able to supervise, develop and also control it in order to remain master of these developments and put them at the service of our needs.”