End-to-end interoperability demonstrates a practical path to 100% network coverage for water utilities
Netmore Group, the leading network operator and platform provider for Massive IoT, announced validation of the LoRaWAN® Relay feature across a complete smart water metering stack. Conducted in collaboration with Itron and Abeeway, a Netmore Group company, the integration confirms end-to-end interoperability between Itron’s Cyble® 5 RF module, the Abeeway LoRaWAN Relay, and Netmore’s LoRaWAN network — establishing a fully tested, production-ready relay solution to address coverage challenges in large-scale AMI deployments.
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For water utilities, achieving near-100% read rates is often both a regulatory and commercial requirement. When planning for a public network roll-out, coverage for the last 10% of devices easily adds 30% or more to the overall network CAPEX with the classic network densification approach. The LoRaWAN Relay, standardised under the LoRa Alliance TS011 specification, provides a cost-effective approach to this challenge, with battery-powered relay devices bridging the signal gap between hard-to-reach meters and the existing LoRaWAN network, eliminating the need for additional gateway infrastructure.
The integration brings together three components across the AMI stack:
Itron Cyble® 5: Itron’s next-generation communication module is designed to cost-effectively transform Itron’s extensive range of mechanical water meters into smart, connected assets without disrupting operations. Combining a 15-year design life, simultaneous Automated Meter Reading (AMR) and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) connectivity and LoRaWAN compatibility, it helps utilities operate their network more efficiently, detect leaks faster and accelerate digital transformation.
Abeeway LoRaWAN Relay: a battery-powered relay, developed by Abeeway, a Netmore Group company, fully compliant with LoRa Alliance TS011 1.0.0. Capable of managing up to 15 devices in isolated locations, the relay extends network reach without modification to the end devices it serves.
Netmore LoRaWAN network: native relay management built into Netmore’s ThingPark® platform enables remote relay configuration via standard MAC commands.
Significance for Water Utility AMI
With large-scale AMI programs accelerating globally, the ability to achieve complete meter coverage without disproportionate network infrastructure investment is increasingly critical. This validation demonstrates that a fully standards-compliant relay solution, deployable within an existing LoRaWAN network and managed remotely through the Netmore platform, is now a proven option for utilities.
“Near-100% read rates across a utility’s entire meter population, including the hardest-to-reach devices, is the standard our customers require. This validation proves that LoRaWAN Relay delivers on that requirement within the open standard and on the Netmore platform,” said Vadim Lyu, Global Practice Lead, Water Utilities of Netmore.
“The ability to pair the Itron Cyble® 5 with a LoRaWAN Relay and maintain full connectivity is a meaningful step forward for utilities seeking complete AMI coverage. Open standards make this kind of interoperability possible, and this validation puts it into practice,” said Justin Patrick, senior vice president of Device Solutions at Itron.
“The Abeeway Relay was built to eliminate coverage dead spots cost-effectively, without the infrastructure overhead of network densification. Validated interoperability with Itron’s Cyble 5 and Netmore gives utilities a complete, tested relay solution from a single open-standard ecosystem,” said Andreas Eriksson, Executive Director of Abeeway.
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