Thales of France Advances Remote Connectivity Management for Millions of Smart Meters

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 26, French technology company Thales presented its large-scale IoT connectivity management technology for the utility sector. The solution adopts the GSMA SGP.32 standard and supports remote configuration and switching of mobile network connections for smart electricity, gas, and water meters. Thales had previously established a partnership with Swiss energy metering equipment company Landis+Gyr to integrate the relevant technology into its smart metering platform, providing remote connectivity management services to utility customers in North America.

Smart meters typically have an operational lifespan of 15 to 20 years in the field, during which mobile network standards, operators, and coverage conditions may change. Thales's SGP.32-compliant eSIM solution allows operator profiles to be downloaded, updated, and switched remotely over the air, enabling electricity, gas, and water utilities to adjust device connectivity without replacing physical SIM cards.

Landis+Gyr plans to incorporate Thales's eSIM technology into its Revelo and Surent smart metering platforms, combined with the unified connectivity management system provided by Simetric, to enable centralized monitoring of devices across different operator networks. The platform supports joint management of traditional SIM and eSIM devices, allowing operators to view connection status, remotely configure network access profiles, and set automated management rules based on coverage areas, communication performance, and operational requirements.

The technology is primarily aimed at long-term utility deployments. In addition to smart meters, it can also be applied to networked assets such as distribution automation equipment, electric vehicle charging facilities, and smart streetlights. The Thales-Landis+Gyr partnership focuses on remote connectivity management and system integration, involving communication capability upgrades to existing smart metering platforms rather than the construction of new communication base stations or power grid lines.