Embedded Connectivity for Sustainable Water Use

Hidroconta, headquartered in Murcia in the southeast of Spain, is specialized in manufacturing water meters and irrigation systems. Its customers include facility management companies and agricultural enterprises in southern and northern Europe and, in future, the Americas. To measure water consumption in buildings Hidroconta employees used to have to read the meters on-site, while agricultural companies lacked the transparency needed to optimize the water supply to their plantations and to organize it more sustainably. That is why Hidroconta developed smart meters connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) to solve these problems. For connectivity the company relies on Deutsche Telekom expertise.

The new smart meters and irrigation systems send water consumption data via NarrowBand IoT (NB-IoT) to the connected cloud platform – automatically, encrypted and at regular intervals. Hidroconta customers can view data via the platform at any time from anywhere. Agricultural enterprises can also specify individual irrigation times remotely and thereby regulate water supply efficiently. This functionality is based on Deutsche Telekom's embedded SIMs. The manufacturer solders the tiny MFF2 SIM cards to its hardware’s circuit boards during its water meters’ and irrigation systems’ production process. The principle is known as embedded connectivity. Deutsche Telekom, a global front runner in this sector, recommended the solution to Hidroconta because it offers the company and its customers many advantages:
 

• The product design is more consistent because no slot is required for a standard SIM card.
• Products are more secure because the SIM cannot slip or drop out.
• The logistics is simpler because Hidroconta does not need to ship SIM cards and hardware separately.
• The manufacturer can manage its products better because each SIM is assigned to a specific device.
• Products are easier to use for the customer because he doesn’t have to insert the SIM himself.

Deutsche Telekom’s connectivity offering includes a SIM management platform that enables Hidroconta to monitor SIMs globally on the Internet, to activate or deactivate individual SIM cards and to set up regional tariffs for different territories. That was another reason why the manufacturer opted for Deutsche Telekom. Deutsche Telekom’s strong global presence enables Hidroconta to expand in a targeted manner and to extend its offering internationally. In the U.S., for example, it has the T-Mobile US network at its disposal. And in countries where Hidroconta has to or would like to use other providers’ networks, comprehensive roaming agreements enable Deutsche Telekom to provide optimal connectivity. So Hidroconta has a strong partner in all of the countries that are important for it now or will be important in the future.

Hidroconta and Deutsche Telekom demonstrate with their solutions how the Internet of Things and embedded connectivity can help utilize valuable resources more efficiently and sustainably. Modern technologies and smart products not only contribute to improving ease of use for consumers and optimizing processes. They can also help to conserve the environment.