The problem
A co-located operator may draw power from the site's existing supply, and installing a new connection point (in New Zealand an ICP; in Australia a new NMI) can be cost-prohibitive, making shared power the only practical option. Without accurate measurement: remote or high-security sites make manual reads impractical, operators are invoiced using estimates rather than actual consumption, site owners carry financial risk and often subsidise usage, operator finance teams lose hours reconciling and correcting charges, and usage cannot be trusted or audited effectively.
What we did
Smart Metering developed a purpose-built power sub-metering and billing system for co-located radio equipment: indoor and outdoor smart metering cabinets, certified single-phase and three-phase power meters, NB-IoT communication devices, secure daily data transfers to the cloud platform, automated monthly invoicing based on actual consumption, and automated monthly rebates to the site owner. A dedicated certified connected check meter is installed on the co-located operator's equipment feed, daily consumption data is measured and transmitted remotely, the platform generates monthly invoices to the operator, a matching rebate is paid to the site owner, and both parties can view usage, history and billing online at any time. Smart Metering also designed a bespoke electrical interface box that automatically switches from mains to generator backup and provides remote power metering.
The outcome
The solution is deployed across hundreds of cellular sites throughout New Zealand, supporting major tower owners and co-location operators including One NZ (a New Zealand mobile carrier), RCG (New Zealand's Rural Connectivity Group), New Zealand Police and private and commercial tower landlords. It is one of the largest remote power-metering programs in New Zealand's telecommunications sector. Benefits: accurate metering and transparent billing with no estimates, no back-billing and no disputes; zero overhead for site owners; lower deployment costs for co-location partners; NB-IoT comms supporting rural, remote and off-grid sites without internet access; audit-ready timestamped data available online 24/7; and a predictable commercial model where operators pay only for what they consume and site owners receive automatic monthly rebates.