Unlike analog meters, smart meters are digital devices that automatically measure and transmit consumption data to utilities. They’re widely used for gas, water, and electricity. What sets smart meters apart is their ability to communicate data in almost real time, which relies on different types of communication technologies.
Smart water meters utilize a wireless network to transfer communication from the meter to the utility’s server, where data is analyzed for billing services, water conservation, and leak detection functions. Recording data from the meter, for example an ultrasonic smart water meter equipped with ultrasound technology and sending it remotely to the server via a network is what makes a meter smart.
The first network-supported smart meter was Sigfox, which emerged in 2010. Prior to Sigfox, there existed the Ardis Network and GPRS; however, Sigfox was the first Low Power Wide Area (LPWAN) technology-based network suitable for IoT device communication.
The main features of LPWAN’s include the ability to transmit small amounts of data over long distances while utilizing low power consumption and maintaining low latency.
Today, LPWAN technology is widely used for smart metering (including smart gas and water metering), smart buildings, smart grids, agriculture, asset tracking, smart lighting, and other markets. LPWAN can be likened to transportation that can take you wherever you need to be. Whether you choose a plane, a car, a bus, a train, or a boat, you will reach your destination. However, as with any mode of transportation, there are pros and cons to consider when selecting the right method for your meter data transmission. Let’s delve deeper into each LPWAN technology.
Smart meters can transmit data using either wired or wireless communication. Each approach has its own set of advantages and limitations, and the choice often depends on the physical environment, infrastructure availability, and project scale.
At the most basic level, wired communication uses physical cabling (such as power lines or dedicated communication cables) to transmit data and Wireless communication transmits data using radio frequencies – no cables required.Neither approach is inherently better. The choice depends on site-specific requirements, including distance, density, interference, and infrastructure availability. Below is a comparison of each:
| Advantage | Disadvantage | |
| Wired | Stable connection No radio interference No need for antennas or radio modules | Needs physical installation of cables or existing infrastructure Difficult to implement where meters are spread out or hard to access |
| Wireless | Easy to deploy over large, remote, or hard-to-access areas Flexible, with no trenching, cable management, or installation Scales well when utilizing many meters | Can be affected by interference, walls, distance, terrain issues May need repeaters or gateways Some options require cellular subscriptions |
In wireless smart metering, most modern systems use a point-to-point (also called one-to-one or star topology) communication model. In this setup, each meter sends data directly to a nearby gateway, base station, or cellular network, which then forwards it to the central server or utility.
This architecture is widely used in technologies like LoRaWAN, NB-IoT, and cellular metering. Unlike mesh networks, meters do not communicate with each other — each meter communicates independently, which reduces complexity and improves system reliability. It also enables two-way communication, allowing for remote configuration, firmware updates, and diagnostics without needing physical access to the meter.
Point-to-point communication can be implemented with both wired and wireless systems, but in smart water metering, it is most commonly wireless.
Smart meters communicate by sending consumption and status data from the meter to a utility or data collection system using either wired or wireless communication technologies. The communication layer is essential for transmission of meter readings automatically without manual intervention, but exactly how this is achieved varies depending on the specific device. Smart meters may use existing power lines, short-range radio, low-power wide-area networks or cellular networks.
Each approach balances the unique advantages and disadvantages of its chosen technology to meet its chosen compromises between cost, reliability, range, bandwidth, and power use.
NB-IoT is a low-power, wide-area network (LPWAN) technology that enables meters to send data directly to cellular networks. It’s optimized for very low power consumption and deep indoor or underground coverage and is specifically designed to enable an Internet of Things ecosystem. It can send packets of data over large distances, making it a practical choice for smart metering.
Advantages:
Limitations:
LoRaWAN is a low-power, wide-area network technology designed for long-range communication between low-power devices like smart meters. It operates on unlicensed radio frequencies, allowing cost-effective and scalable deployments over large geographical areas. Networks can be public, private, or a hybrid.
Advantages:
Limitations:
Mioty is LWPAN specifically designed to address the problem of large-scale IoT deployments using a patented telegram-splitting approach over the sub-GHz spectrum. The Mioty ecosystem is still evolving; despite its potential, it has some disadvantages that limit its adoption compared with mature and open LoRa systems like LoRaWAN.
Advantages:
Limitations:
Sigfox was an early pioneer in LPWAN technology. Meters transmitted directly to Sigfox base stations on licensed-by-operator or shared radio frequencies, and the provider’s cloud platform delivered data to the utility. Despite its promise, competition from other LPWAN technologies, limited scalability, and financial difficulties led to Sigfox’s bankruptcy. Sigfox demonstrated the importance of considering long-term implications, sustainability, and viability of IoT connectivity methods. Today, Sigfox is regarded as a dead technology: the company filed for bankruptcy in 2022.
Advantages:
Limitations:
Wireless M-Bus is a radio-based communication standard used for remote, wireless communications. It is a lower-power protocol that uses radio frequencies to send data from meters to a central gateway or collector. wM-Bus is based on the European standard EN 13757-4 and typically operates on the 868 MHz ISM band in Europe, and the 169 MHz band in some others.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
| Technology | Range | Cost | Data Rate | Reliability | Scalability |
| PLC | Depends on existing power lines and electrical topology | Low if existing infrastructure is available | Tens of kb/s up to several hundred kb/s | Sensitive to line noise and transformers | Good in dense, wired areas |
| RF Mesh Networks | Practical coverage depends on node density; nodes can hop to 1+km | Low when utility owns the network | Tens to hundreds of kb/s per link | High redundancy, self-healing in dense networks | Scales well in dense deployments |
| NB-IoT | City-wide or regional coverage | Subscriptions per device (SIM/plan), moderate device cost | From 66kbps to 159kbps in newer releases | High reliability for deep coverage/indoor | Highly scalable for many devices |
| LTE-M | Several km, good urban coverage | Operator subscriptions required. Relatively low cost. | 100 kb/s up to 1000 kb/s | Reliable for higher payloads | Scales well under operator control |
| 4G/5G | Several km | High SIM/data costs, moderate module costs | Very high: Mbps to hundreds of Mbps | Very reliable where coverage is good, unsuitable for battery-powered meters | Highly scalable, but not optimized for low-power, long-battery devices |
| LoRaWAN | Range varies, up to 25+km | Flexible costs with private/public/hybrid models available. Overall low cost for private deployments | 0.3kb/s to 50kb/s | Robust, but resilience depends on gateway density | Scales well with flexible deployment options |
| Mioty | Several km | Tend to be high due to specialized software/hardware | Theoretically, more than 7mb/s | Highly resistant to interference | Designed for very high device density for base station |
| Sigfox | Up to 40km rural depending on base station placement | Recurring subscriptions per device | 100bps | Long-range, but Sigfox network availability and business continuity represent risks | Operated scaled networks support many devices (subject to message/day limits and small payloads) |
| Zigbee | 10 to 100m | Low device cost | 250kb/s | Reliable at short range | Scales for local clusters, not ideal for city-wide deployment |
| Wi-fi | 20 to 50m | Low per-device module cost, but high power requirements | Very high: 11 to 600+ Mbps | Robust in local scenarios, but can suffer from interference and high power demands | Scales for high-bandwidth, local networks. Unsuitable for others. |
Choosing the right network communication technology for smart metering is an important decision for utility companies, as it directly impacts the efficiency, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of their operations. Several factors should be carefully considered before making a decision:
Coverage and Range: Utilities must assess the coverage and range capabilities of different communication technologies to ensure that smart meters can reliably transmit data from various locations, including remote or challenging environments. Technologies like cellular 4G or LTE-M offer wide coverage, making them suitable for urban and suburban deployments, whereas LoRaWAN or NB-IoT, are more suitable for rural areas, could also offer advantages in indoor environments. These technologies often exhibit better penetration through walls and obstacles, potentially making them suitable for basement deployments.
Power Consumption: The power consumption of communication technology is critical, especially for battery-operated smart meters. Low-power technologies like NB-IoT or LoRaWAN are preferred for applications requiring extended battery life, as they minimize energy consumption while maintaining reliable connectivity.
Data Transmission Speed: The required data transmission speed depends on the frequency and volume of data generated by smart meters. Utilities should evaluate the need for real-time or near-real-time data transmission for monitoring purposes and then pick the right technology.
Scalability and Capacity: As the number of connected devices increases, scalability becomes a key consideration. Utilities should choose a communication technology that can support large-scale deployments without compromising performance or network congestion.
Interference Resilience: Utilities operating in densely populated areas or industrial environments must assess the interference resilience of communication technologies to ensure reliable connectivity.
Cost: The cost of deploying and maintaining communication infrastructure is a significant factor in the decision-making process. Utilities should consider upfront costs, ongoing subscription fees, and maintenance expenses when evaluating different communication technologies to ensure that the chosen solution aligns with their budgetary constraints.
Security and Compliance: Data security and regulatory compliance are paramount in smart metering deployments, particularly concerning sensitive customer information. Utilities should select communication technologies with robust security features, such as encryption and authentication protocols, to safeguard data privacy and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
By carefully evaluating these factors and considering their specific requirements and constraints, utility companies can make informed decisions when choosing the right network communication technology for their smart metering business.
Smart metering utilizes many different communication technologies, but the most popular are LoRaWAN, NB-IoT.These technologies ensure two-way remote communication between IoT devices and utility servers. Each network has its own advantages and disadvantages, so before choosing the right communication technology for your business, evaluate factors such as coverage, range, scalability, security, compliance, power consumption, data transmission speed, and cost.
One important consideration is that you don’t need to use only a single communications technology. It’s possible and sometimes more practical to utilize multiple technologies that best suit your unique business needs.
If you want to learn more about smart meter deployment and how to best utilize communications technologies in your business, don’t hesitate to contact us for a consultation.
If you’re interested in learning more about smart meters, our article on smart water meters and how they work is the perfect place to start.