Herrfors Nät-Verkko and Kamstrup pioneers NB-IoT in Finnish smart metering

As a company committed to fueling the development of its local community, Herrfors takes pride in breaking new ground along with its Danish partner, who recently added NB-IoT communication to its portfolio of smart metering solutions.

Aiming to make NB-IoT the new standard
For utilities, NB-IoT eliminates the need for establishing their own communication infrastructure for remote meter reading. Instead, they can use the telco-provided NB-IoT infrastructure. A successful smart metering project based on NB-IoT is expected to have a positive impact on the wider adaptation of the technology in Finland, also within other applications.

“We want to be not only first-movers but play an active role in making NB-IoT the new standard in smart metering, as we firmly believe that it is the communication technology of the future. In Kamstrup we have found a partner with whom we can develop our business and continuously implement cost-effective and truly innovative solutions”, says Herrfors CEO Kristian Finell.

Potential savings of 10%
The new agreement builds on a long-running partnership between Herrfors and Kamstrup and adds another 16,000 smart electricity meters and 800 heat meters to the 16,400 meters already rolled out in a joint effort by the two companies.

The project builds on Kamstrup’s proven RF mesh technology, but allows for integrating NB-IoT as the new standard. A test of NB-IoT enabled meters is planned for 2018 and subsequently a joint decision will be taken on how the two technologies will be deployed in the full-scale roll-out. Fully deploying NB-IoT is expected to generate cost savings of around 10% for Herrfors, based on the new Kamstrup NB-IoT technology and the expected price level of telecommunication.

But in order to meet the NB-IoT ambitions, local telcos will need to get on board. Kristian Finell says: ”We have taken an important first step and now we invite the telcos to join us in honoring our innovative legacy by making Finland one of the first countries in the World to fully roll out NB-IoT and put the technology to use in smart metering.”

For Kamstrup, the agreement follows a series of successful NB-IoT lab tests and trials. Head of Sales Management Uffe Vinther-Schou says: “In Herrfors and Kristian Finell’s team, we have found an innovative partner with the ambition of being NB-IoT first-mover in Finland and this agreement represents an important step forward in the development of our solution.”