Key Takeaways

• Netmore Group validates a LoRaWAN Relay feature for smart water metering, ensuring end-to-end interoperability.
• The integration addresses coverage challenges in large-scale Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) deployments cost-effectively.
• The validated solution allows utilities to achieve nearly complete meter coverage without significant network investment.

Validation of LoRaWAN Relay Feature

Netmore Group, a provider of Massive IoT solutions, has successfully validated its LoRaWAN Relay feature in collaboration with Itron and Abeeway, a subsidiary of Netmore. This initiative confirms interoperability across Itron’s Cyble 5 RF module, Abeeway’s LoRaWAN Relay, and Netmore’s LoRaWAN network. The developed relay solution addresses the common issue of signal coverage in vast Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) deployments.

For water utilities, maintaining nearly complete read rates is mandated both for regulatory compliance and commercial necessity. Traditional approaches to enhance network coverage often involve significant capital expenditures. The LoRaWAN Relay, standardized under the LoRa Alliance TS011 specification, presents a budget-friendly alternative. Battery-powered relay devices can effectively bridge the connectivity gap between difficult-to-reach water meters and the existing LoRaWAN network, thereby eliminating the need for additional gateways.

This integration encompasses three vital components in the AMI ecosystem:

• Itron Cyble 5: This state-of-the-art communication module is engineered to transform conventional mechanical water meters into smart, connected units without disrupting existing operations. Its 15-year design life, combined with simultaneous Automated Meter Reading (AMR) and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) connectivity, empowers utilities to bolster network efficiency, expedite leak detection, and promote digital transformation.

• Abeeway LoRaWAN Relay: A battery-driven solution fully compliant with the latest LoRa Alliance standard (TS011 1.0.0), designed to manage up to 15 devices in remote locations, effectively extending network reach without altering the end devices.

• Netmore LoRaWAN Network: Features integrated relay management through Netmore’s ThingPark platform, enabling remote configuration via standard MAC commands.

As large AMI programs grow worldwide, the need for complete meter coverage without excessive infrastructure investment becomes crucial. This validation validates that deploying a standards-compliant relay solution, integrated within an existing LoRaWAN network and managed remotely, is a viable option for utilities.

Vadim Lyu, global practice lead for water utilities at Netmore, emphasized the importance of achieving nearly complete read rates, stating, “This validation proves that LoRaWAN Relay delivers on that requirement within the open standard and on the Netmore platform.”

Justin Patrick, senior vice president at Itron, highlighted that pairing the Itron Cyble 5 with a LoRaWAN Relay allows utilities to maintain full connectivity, underscoring the power of open standards for interoperability.

Andreas Eriksson, executive director of Abeeway, noted that the Abeeway Relay is designed to overcome coverage blind spots economically, validating that the tested relay solution benefits from a single, open-standard ecosystem.

Both the Abeeway LoRaWAN Relay and the Itron Cyble 5 module are currently available. The LoRaWAN Relay is supported on Netmore’s ThingPark™ platforms and can be purchased through the ThingPark Market.

For further details, water utilities, system integrators, and technology partners can reach out to Netmore or Itron through their respective contact pages.

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