Telefónica Tech, the digital business unit of Spanish telco Telefónica and Contazara, a manufacturer of electronic meters, announced they will deploy 130,000 smart meters for Spanish public utility firm Canal de Isabel II.
This first phase of the initiative is the start of Canal de Isabel II’s planned total mass roll-out plan, which will see it install approximately 650,000 water meters with integrated NB-IoT communication over the next three years.
This type of meter allows remote reading of user consumption data, collecting them remotely and automatically. Once the data reaches the management platforms, analytical models are created through Artificial Intelligence that enable predictive maintenance, which leads to improved efficiency in water supply, early detection of leaks in networks, control of unauthorized consumption or identification of low consumption in at-risk groups to alert social services of possible critical situations.
Telefónica Tech and Contazara are technological partners that collaborate and develop NB-IoT technology for the control and correct management of water, as well as being in charge of the supply and communications service for Canal de Isabel II.
Pascual Fernández, CEO of Canal de Isabel II, said: “Canal de Isabel II’s Smart Region Plan strengthens the leadership of our public company and allows us to advance in two essential lines of our company: proximity to users, offering them more and better services and information, and sustainability, helping us to increase efficiency in the management and exploitation of our most important resource: water”.
Gonzalo Martín-Villa, CEO of IoT & Big Data at Telefónica Tech, said: “With this agreement we consolidate our position as leaders in providing NBIoT connectivity solutions, guaranteeing an open, comprehensive, scalable and secure solution with devices that make it possible and that have been fully tested in our TheThinx laboratory”.
According to data provided by Telefónica Tech, the application of IoT technology in water telemetry could reduce water leaks by 40% with smart metering systems, reduce operation and maintenance costs by 20% and improve customer satisfaction rates by up to 60%.
Telefónica Tech had recently announced a contract for the acquisition of Geprom, a technology-based engineering company headquartered in Spain specializing in industrial automation and the digital transformation of existing factory production processes. With this transaction, Telefónica Tech said it will strengthen the capabilities of its Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data division.
“The acquisition of Geprom will allow us to enhance and increase our capabilities and offer a more complete and innovative service for the digital transformation of the industrial sector. At Telefónica Tech we have a portfolio of services focused on the digitalisation and security of Industry, which will undoubtedly be boosted by the increased deployment of 5G,” said Gonzalo Martín-Villa, CEO of IoT and Big Data at Telefónica Tech.
