Netmore & the future of connectivity

Digital solutions like smart metering are key to the green transition, and the supporting infrastructure can be used for much more, both now and in the future

Ove Anebygd understands that people get confused by the phrase “Internet of Things” or its acronym (IoT). As CEO of the Netmore Group, which — besides being a Polar Structure subsidiary — is an IoT company, he’s used to it.

“There’s something vague about the expression,” Anebygd admits. “It makes it hard to present and discuss the concept — you need to be fairly tech-savvy in order to fully grasp it.” That’s why, as someone with a career of more than two decades in telecommunications and digital transformation discussing what’s next for the technologies and networks that digitally link devices, he prefers to talk about “connectivity.”

And connectivity is what customers essentially come to Netmore for. The Stockholm-based company provides the platforms and networks that allow utilities to track water or gas consumption, property owners to monitor energy usage, logistical operations to keep tabs on assets, and more.

“Back in the day, we used to say, ‘Whatever benefits from being connected will be connected,’” Anebygd recalls. “Today, we’re connected by our smartphones and other personal devices. A lot of the appliances in our homes are also connected, and — I think — eventually, everything will be connected. It makes life easier, but it’s also a tool that can be good for society and the environment — whatever it’s called.”

Sustainability through sensors and smart meters

Netmore focuses on a specialized branch of connectivity — massive IoT — engineering a vast cluster of small wireless devices, such as sensors and smart meters. Together, millions of these devices collect the crucial data points needed for critical insights that enable sustainability.

A public utility company — like Yorkshire Water in Northern England, which recently tapped Netmore to lead the installation of more than a million smart meters — could use a massive IoT system to monitor and optimize its operation — like preventing water loss through leakage and conserving resources. The need to collect such analytics is rising alongside the need to be more efficient and more sustainable.

“We realized that wireless connected sensor technology and smart metering was something there was quite a big demand for,” says Anebygd. “So we’ve steered more and more into that segment of connectivity. Today, it’s the full focus of the company, and we aim to be the global leader in the space.”

And while massive IoT applications like what Netmore is building for Yorkshire Water have become central to Polar Structure’s platform of digital solutions for a greener society, such a project can continue to enable additional solutions after completion and beyond its original purpose.

One wireless network, lots of opportunities

A massive IoT network established to connect smart meters can connect other devices. The very nature of the network means they can’t be complex, but there can be a lot of them.

“Once the wireless network is built and covers the area, we can start offering connectivity for whatever use could be beneficial to the environment, society, and people that live there,” says Anebygd, who sees the future of connectivity in such networks.

Like how building out the 4G networks led to the societal shift towards smartphones and the embrace of smartphone apps, the spread of massive IoT networks could fuel a similar wave of innovation and widespread adoption of massive IoT-connected devices.

“The first inflection point is when the water utilities start to digitize with smart meters. Once the digital and wireless networks are available, there’s a second inflection point when all the other new use cases start to add on,” he says.

Made to communicate a minute amount of data that’s often transmitted intermittently, the signal for a massive IoT network can connect across large distances and penetrate most materials with little energy. A device can be placed almost anywhere for years before needing to recharge or replace its batteries. What’s more, the networks can be large-scale and publicly open, highly localized with restricted access, and everything in between. So, potential applications are practically endless.

Cities could monitor community infrastructure like sewers and drainage systems. Building management companies could track and optimize energy consumption to lower expenses. Global logistics teams could review transport data to reduce carbon emissions across supply chains.

“Once the connectivity is available, it will be by itself nurturing an ecosystem of innovative ideas,” says Anebygd. “There is no limit to the possibilities.”