Heliot Europe, a UK and European Sigfox operator and independent IoT network operator and solution provider, has partnered with B4T to provide it with Sigfox-0G network connectivity for its smart water meters.
Known by the industry as B4T’s Jellyfish smart water meter range, these IoT devices allow utility companies, organisations and consumers to track water consumption so that leaks within systems can be better managed, and for accurate billing.
B4T’s latest Jellyfish BRIDGE patent technology upcycles water meters that are usually read annually, providing meters and users with the capability to more accurately record information hourly and remotely instead. This enables water companies and end users to gain a more comprehensive understanding about acquired water consumption and leakage information.
The Jellyfish works by recording the data and compressing it so that it can be effectively transmitted, which helps maintain a long battery life in the field for these devices, for over fifteen years. The data transmission and connectivity is handled with Sigfox’s low-powered wide-area network (LPWAN) technology, which overcomes underground connectivity challenges posed by traditional 4G, 5G and WiFi connectivity options. By exploiting weak, short range “drive by” radio and converting it into a reliable, long-range Sigfox radio, data is transmitted more accurately and shares the necessary insights required by management and billing teams to make meaningful decisions about water consumption, leaks or any other kinds of operational tasks that relate to their water systems. For instance, if there is a leak in a particular area, an alert can be set up to inform a field service team to address the issue – or, the data can be used to support billing.
Alex Barter, Managing Director, B4T said:
“The UK has a water problem and 3 billion litres of water – over a fifth of the total supply – are lost to leakage every single day. This is not just a waste of a vital resource. When 3% of the UK’s energy consumption is need to shift water around the country, the complete environmental impact of leakage is even more impactful and noteworthy. Therefore, using smart water meters enables water companies, and the like, to identify the sources of leaks in real time. They allow for a more rapid response to problems, reducing the volume of wasted water; and support better targeted investment. For consumers, a stronger understanding water usage habits will become increasingly beneficial too, as people strive to adapt their behaviour and reduce daily consumption.”
“However, these devices cannot function and provide the insights that organisations and consumers need without being connected to the cloud and IoT. We considered various forms of connectivity and concluded that low power networks, such as SigFox, offer a transformative cost/benefit model for smart water metering. Our sensors can collect water usage in real-time. Data can then be transmitted and transformed using machine learning to provide unprecedented insights – all of which can be used to support leak detection and prevention, and offer predictive maintenance, among other things.”
Gareth Mitchell, UK Partner Manager, Heliot Europe said:
“IoT sensors and connectivity solutions are transforming industries and solving problems globally. They’re improving operations and making businesses and consumers’ lives easier. B4T’s Jellyfish smart water meter provides a prime example of how IoT, powered by Sigfox connectivity, is able to transform an industry. The UK has over 260,000 miles of water mains – many ancient – and so we continue to look forward to working together with B4T as they scale their operations and provide their technology to water companies and consumers.”
Heliot Europe is the exclusive operator of the global Sigfox 0G™ network in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, the UK, Denmark and Liechtenstein. This makes Heliot Europe the largest 0G™ network operator in Europe. With Sigfox 0G™ technology, Heliot Europe offers a cross-border, seamless, user-friendly, cost-effective and energy-efficient network and helps companies to further transform their business model towards digital services in areas such as asset tracking, asset monitoring and supply chain management. What is more, low-frequency radio technology is also a cost-effective alternative to the existing Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT and CAT-M).
Heliot Europe also offers customers and partners access to its global Sigfox 0G™ ecosystem with almost 1000 sensors and analysis tools for collecting and evaluating their data. It is also a founding member of the 0G™ United Nations Association, the international association of 0G™ network operators with currently over 55 network operators worldwide.
