Protect Resources and Assets with IoT-Enabled Remote Monitoring
By Marco Stracuzzi
August 30, 2022
Connectivity
When people think of remote monitoring, cameras are likely the first things that come to mind. However, other security and monitoring aspects can reduce operating costs.
As water scarcity increases, government and private buildings have begun to benchmark and evaluate baseline water as a priority. For effective monitoring, information must be readily available and gathered (e.g., 12 to 24 months of water bills).
To determine the facility’s major water uses, building managers can:
- Calculate the annual water usage for metered and unmetered water sources
- Estimate the water and sewer costs
- Quickly spot anomalies
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Cellular vs. Wi-Fi: Choosing the Best IoT Connectivity Option for Reliable Remote Monitoring
In the U.S., there are over two million cooling towers. They use millions of gallons of water a year to help cool buildings across the country. Most have a remote monitoring system, crucial to preventing water waste. Some rely solely on Wi-Fi; others use cellular connectivity.
Imagine that an operations team receives an alert on a Saturday. A meter with a cellular remote monitoring solution is registering usage at 28,000 gallons ($350) per hour — beyond normal.
In contrast, another operations team with a Wi-Fi remote monitoring solution never gets the call. Weather or another unforeseen incident caused a Wi-Fi network outage.
In the first case, the source — a leak — is quickly detected and remediated. In the second, the Wi-Fi interruption delays detection, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars and gallons of water lost.
For any Internet of Things (IoT) security or remote monitoring solution, choosing cellular, Wi-Fi or a combination is critical. Wi-Fi depends on its associated premises-dependent network. Cellular is organically maintained and ensures connectivity for its customers without a premises-supplied power source or internet access. It provides a more dependable connection and allows a device to communicate in locations away from buildings with Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi dependability can be boosted to match cellular more closely at a cost. Wi-Fi can sometimes be a better option for security monitors deep underground or inside massive structures that prevent cellular coverage.
Additional Considerations to Ensure a Reliable Connection for Remote Monitoring Solutions
A reliable connection must also account for the following;
Battery Life
Depending on the application, the cellular remote monitoring device may need to rely on Power Saving Mode (PSM) or extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX). When supported by mobile networks, these cellular LPWA features in LTE and 5G are ideal for extending power and battery life.
Coexistence in a Crowded IoT Environment
It can be challenging to accommodate high device density over wireless when you have mission-critical systems operating in close quarters, such as:
- Point-of-sale terminals
- Security and remote monitoring
- Industrial sensors
- Asset management
- Smart meters
- Smart home
These systems are comfortably accommodated by cellular. Although unlicensed spectrum is inexpensive to use across a few swaths of popular spectrum, it’s a limited resource.
Compliance with Global and Operator-Specific Standards and Regulations
The global cellular regulatory environment is complex. Many operational details across mobile networks may put the remote monitoring device’s coverage or economic viability at risk with poorly selected IoT cellular connectivity plans.
Telit Cinterion, Your Trusted IoT Enablement Advisor
Finding the IoT connectivity solution that can do the above and more is an involved process. Telit Cinterion has the expertise to review your project and specific use case. We can be a trusted advisor to help you make the best choices for your IoT application.
Speak with our IoT connectivity experts for your smart remote monitoring solution.
