Atea and the mobile operator Com4 have together signed a contract with Validér to deliver mobile data communication for automatic power meters.
The estimated value of the deal is NOK 107 million(€ 11.34 million) and it covers the delivery of around 200,000 SIM cards including associated services, with the potential for up to 1 million SIM cards. The contract span is two years with an option for further six years.
The Norwegian Parliament has decided that all Norwegian households shall be equipped with digital automatic power meters by 2019. This development opens up a market for a number of novel digital services within power supply and mains networks. The digital power meters are linked to the internet in order to report data that so far has been transmitted manually. This includes information on consumption as well as power failures.
Atea and Com4 as suppliers
“It is essential to Validér to have a reliable partner on board who can supply a solution that is sustainable and cost- effective. Know-how and co-operation are decisive to us. By opting for Atea and Com4, we have chosen the suppliers that we believe will provide the best support for us in our production of services,” Thomas Thiis, CEO of Validér, remarked.
“The deal contributes to making us well equipped for expansion within data collection of meter values by mobile broadband both for existing and new customers,” Thiis added. According to the contract with Validér, Atea will handle logistics and administration while Com4 will deliver the communication solutions and the corresponding technology.
Rewritable SIM cards in the automatic power meter will allow changing the mobile provider without having to change the SIM card. As a consequence, considerable additional expenses will be avoided.
Security considerations
As IoT is being introduced to more and more households, security issues must be given the highest priority.
“This is all about Norway’s largest delivery of IoT communication. Therefore it is essential that the solution is designed on the basis of security requirements. The data traffic is routed from the power meter to an isolated closed network with end-to-end security,” Stein André Larner, CEO of Com4 said.
1 000 000 electricity customers
“Along with Com4, Atea is applying new technology to make life easier for up to 1 000 000 electricity customers. This is a great example of how the digital revolution simplifies, renews and improves functions in society. We are proud of contributing applicable technology that is beneficial to so many,” said the CEO of Atea, Michael Jacobs.
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