Subeca’s Amazon Sidewalk and LoRaWAN-Enabled Meters Significantly Cut Telemetry Costs

Imagine a world where water utilities can effortlessly monitor and control resources, detect leaks, and enhance sustainability with just a few clicks. Subeca, which offers solutions built on AWS IoT Core that track water consumption, aims to make this a reality. However, balancing the need for affordable access to clean water with the rising costs of infrastructure improvements presented a financial conundrum.

One crucial issue was that the current STMicroelectronics silicon chip used, while offering superior operational performance and supply chain resilience, did not allow for IoT integration with a community network. “This drawback prevented us from providing data to our customers about their water usage, which would allow them to make better decisions about consumption,” said Patrick Keaney, chief executive officer of Subeca. “It would also give them substantial cost savings on cellular connections while allowing for simplified setup and provisioning processes.”

Klika Tech, an AWS Advanced Consulting and IoT Competency Partner and an official development partner of STMicroelectronics, collaborated closely with Subeca and STMicroelectronics to address this challenge. Klika Tech seamlessly integrated Amazon Sidewalk into STMicroelectronics’ chip set before incorporating the solution into Subeca’s device designs. As a systems integrator, Klika Tech leveraged its expertise in Amazon Web Services (AWS) to quickly develop a solution.

“One key benefit that Amazon Sidewalk brought to Subeca's solution is a simplified user experience,” said Keaney. “We can now streamline our device’s setup and provisioning processes, helping customers easily connect and manage their devices through an intuitive and user-friendly interface.” This ease of use ensures that even non-technical users can adopt and use Subeca's technology, enhancing accessibility and increasing its potential reach.

Moreover, water utilities leveraging Subeca’s solution would realize substantial cost savings. “By using the community network connectivity offered by Amazon Sidewalk instead of relying on expensive cellular connections, these utilities stand to save hundreds of thousands of dollars annually,” said Keaney. This financial relief allows them to allocate resources toward other critical areas and investments, ultimately benefiting both the utility providers and their customers.

With its foundation built on Amazon Sidewalk, Subeca’s solution would provide inherent scalability and flexibility. This enables Subeca to cater to water utilities of all sizes, allowing them to seamlessly integrate the solution into their existing infrastructure and support multiple devices.

The solution would enable water utilities to monitor and control various aspects of water usage, such as consumption, pressure networks, and shut-off valves, enhancing operational efficiency and water resource management.

“The integration of Amazon Sidewalk and LoRaWAN into Subeca’s solution has resulted in a staggering increase in business interest,” said Keaney. “Our sales pipeline has grown over 850 percent.” Moreover, the Subeca Explorer Kit, which recently launched, is already boasting impressive results, with over 100,000 devices in its sales pipeline.

This surge in customer demand underscores the industry’s enthusiasm for Subeca’s solution and its potential to revolutionize the way water utilities operate. Subeca is now fully qualified on Amazon Sidewalk and over 20 utilities in the United States are testing Amazon Sidewalk functionality.