SUEZ, Vodafone aim to implement over 2 million NB-IoT smart water meters by 2030

SUEZ and Vodafone have entered a partnership to accelerate the delivery into service of smart water meters globally.

The partnership provides the key elements of a smart water meter delivery with SUEZ a global provider of solutions for water and waste services and Vodafone a major provider of communications technologies and services.

The remote reading of water meters is a key tool for managing water supplies on both the supply and demand sides, with the potential to enable early leak detection and consumption monitoring by consumers.

NB-IoT is a recognised technology for water metering, with its low energy demands and ability to penetrate underground or insulated locations where water meters are commonly located.

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Patricia Villoslada, SVP SUEZ Digital Solutions, says the partnership improves its offering, allowing it to provide customers worldwide with a comprehensive and agile service that adds a great deal of value in both technical and economic terms.

“Our SUEZ-Vodafone solution makes full use of NB-IoT’s potential in terms of meeting network performance requirements and reducing water consumption.”

Giorgio Migliarina, Interim CEO of Vodafone Business, comments that Vodafone is a pioneer in connecting IoT-enabled sensors for use cases such as monitoring water quality and consumption and warning citizens of impending events such as earthquakes and wildfires.

“Our global partnership with SUEZ strengthens our position in this growing and important market.”

The new SUEZ-Vodafone service is being launched in the UK at a time when all the water companies are at some stage of a smart water rollout.

The plan is for it to subsequently be rolled out gradually for SUEZ customers in France, Italy, Spain and New Zealand.