Singtel and global smart metering solutions provider EDMI have partnered to deploy a smart electricity metering infrastructure across Singapore.
Both companies successfully tested smart electric meters using Singtel’s nationwide LTE Cat‑M1 cellular IoT network. This setup enables wireless transmission of near real‑time meter readings directly to the power grid, improving data availability and operational responsiveness.
The collaboration is designed to deliver IoT‑enabled metering solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial customers as part of the Energy Market Authority’s planned rollout of smart meters in the city scheduled for the second half of 2018. In parallel, Singtel already provides machine‑to‑machine (M2M) connectivity for EDMI’s digital electric meters deployed in Singapore.
Andrew Lim, Business Group Managing Director for Singtel Group Enterprise, commented:
“Giving electricity suppliers real‑time data on consumption allows them to optimise electricity distribution by area and time of day, particularly during peak demand. Pairing smart meters with our IoT network delivers more accurate readings to consumers and can generate cost savings.”
In addition to the EDMI partnership, Singtel is collaborating with Ericsson in a joint IoT innovation lab that is running Cat‑M1 trials with more than 20 potential partners. The Cat‑M1 service was launched in September and is positioned to support low‑power, wide‑area IoT use cases such as smart metering.
The combined solution—smart meters, Cat‑M1 connectivity and cloud‑ready data collection—supports several practical benefits:
- Near real‑time consumption visibility for utilities, enabling faster detection of outages and more targeted load management.
- Remote meter reading and diagnostics, reducing the need for manual meter checks and lowering operational costs.
- Improved billing accuracy and faster dispute resolution through timely, granular usage data.
- Scalability to serve diverse customer segments—from single‑family homes to large industrial sites—supported by cellular IoT coverage across the island.
- Potential energy savings for consumers and more efficient grid planning for utilities, particularly during peak periods.
By leveraging a carrier‑grade Cat‑M1 network, the deployment addresses practical deployment challenges for smart metering: extended device battery life, reliable wide‑area coverage, secure data transmission, and simplified device provisioning and management. These features can accelerate large‑scale meter rollouts while keeping total cost of ownership manageable.
As Singapore moves toward a broader smart meter rollout, the Singtel‑EDMI partnership demonstrates how telecommunications and metering technology providers can work together to deliver integrated IoT services that benefit utilities and end users alike. The collaboration highlights the role of cellular IoT in enabling secure, dependable connectivity for critical infrastructure and offers a practical pathway for other cities pursuing smart energy initiatives.
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