3 ms·
Considering the alternative is employing a person who has to go around and read every meter versus the very low cost of a GSM radio I think it very clearly make
by gh02t 9y ago
Considering the alternative is employing a person who has to go around and read every meter versus the very low cost of a GSM radio I think it very clearly makes sense cost wise.
- SergeAx 9y agoThe alternative is to use more appropriate tech for once-a-day/once-an-hour tiny data transfer, like LPWAN. Maybe NFC-like tech, when the host device is installed in a car, which drives around the block once a day/week.
- gh02t 9y agoI agree, LPWAN is a better solution and this is almost exactly its raison d'etre, but the cost isn't really that much more. They're basically using GSM as an LPWAN substitute. GSM radios cost peanuts and the data costs would be pretty low since they don't need to transmit a lot. Plus, low power isn't that important since these devices are connected to mains. > Maybe NFC-like tech, when the host device is installed in a car, which drives around the block once a day/week. This is how my meter works (in the US) and is the same as described in the article. The meter broadcasts on the ISM band every few seconds and somebody in a car drives by while a scanning device records. Still faster than having somebody on foot walking around but I can't help but think a hub system like LoRaWAN might work better, so that no person has to go out on patrol.