Neoenergia Group, a Brazilian subsidiary of energy giant Iberdrola, has announced the expansion of its smart metering network with Cat-M1, an Internet of Things (IoT) platform to better manage communication across its smart meter devices.

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Cat-M1, an IoT-based communications technology, will be used by the company in measurement projects for data communication with smart meters.

The tech is hoped to improve information collection with a higher level of detail regarding energy consumption and quality levels across their consumers.

The cellular technology will be used to connect millions of lower value-added devices with better coverage networks and lower connection costs.

And because it’s a licensed frequency range, states Neoenergia, the Cat-M1 will add an extra layer of security to the business.

Ricardo Leite, superintendent of smart grids at Neoenergia, explained: “We have managed to reach our last mile of communication to the final consumer and [have improved] the monitoring and management of our entire distribution network.

“For example, we can instantly identify a power outage, monitor the flow of charge consumed and generated by microgeneration systems, improve energy quality, identify possible thefts of electricity and even make more information available to our customers.”

The expansion covers all Neoenergia companies and has thus far seen 1,600 smart meters connected with 4,500 expected to be installed over the coming years.

Installations from 2021 to 2022 are estimated R$6 million ($1.2 million).