1. Introduction

Automated Meter Reading (AMR) for water meters has become a priority for municipalities wishing to optimise their water management, reduce losses and improve operational efficiency. Several technologies exist to meet this need, including LoRaWAN, LTE-M, NB-IoT and Wize. However, not all are equally suited to this use.

The objective of this article is to provide an objective and documented comparison of the main technologies, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each, based on recent sources and field experience.

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2. Comparison criteria

LoRaWAN

Bandwidth: 0.3 to 50 kbps

Signal range: Excellent (10-15 km outdoors, good penetration in basements)

Energy consumption: Low (10+ year battery life)

Battery life of 2000mAh: 18 months (~ 1.5 years)

Operating cost: Low (can operate on private or public network)

Independence from operators: YES

Global adoption: Very widespread (France, Europe, North America)

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LTE-M

Bandwidth: 200 kbps to 1 Mbps

Signal range: Average (better than NB-IoT but less suitable for basements)

Energy consumption: High (3-5 year battery life)

Battery life of 2000mAh: 105 months (~ 9 years)

Operating cost: High (similar to NB-IoT)

Independence from operators: NO (mobile operators)

Global adoption: Very widespread (Used mainly for high-speed IoT cases)

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NB-IoT

Bandwidth: 20 to 250 kbps

Signal range: Medium (shorter range than LoRaWAN, depends on the operator)

Energy consumption: Medium (7-9 year battery life)

Battery life of 2000mAh: 90 months (~ 7.5 years)

Operating cost: High (subscription to a mobile operator required)

Independence from operators: NO (mobile operators)

Global adoption: Declining (discontinued by AT&T in North America, only Rogers in Canada)

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3. Market analysis and trends

3.1. The abandonment of NB-IoT in North America

Operators like AT&T have announced the shutdown of their NB-IoT network by 2025, preferring to focus their efforts on LTE-M (Mobile World Live). However, LTE-M is not ideal for remote water meter reading due to its higher energy consumption, reducing the lifespan of the sensors.

The obsolescence of

3.2. LoRaWAN and Wize dominate the European market

According to a white paper published in 2023, in France, the majority of remote water meter reading deployments are based on LoRaWAN and Wize, with NB-IoT being little used. LoRaWAN offers very good range and efficient energy management, making it more suitable for meters located in basements or dense urban areas.

1 Cloud Integrated with LoRa Watermeter Network: A Water Expense Repository

In the United Kingdom, the largest water meter remote reading contract in history was awarded in 2024 to Connexin, for one million meters connected via LoRaWAN.

3.3. Key factors to consider

● LoRaWAN is the only technology that allows for a private or public network, thus offering greater flexibility.

● LTE-M and NB-IoT require reliance on mobile operators, increasing operating costs.

● Energy consumption is a determining factor in ensuring the lifespan of sensors (LoRaWAN and Wize are the most efficient).

4. Comparison of energy consumption between LoRaWAN and LTE-M

Energy consumption is an essential criterion when choosing a communication technology for battery-powered IoT devices, such as connected water meters. Two of the main technologies used in North America are LoRaWAN and LTE-M. Here is a comparative analysis of their energy consumption, supported by references.

Energy consumption of LoRaWAN

LoRaWAN is known for its very low energy consumption, which allows sensors to operate for more than 10 years on a single battery. The LoRaWAN technology uses spread spectrum modulation, specifically Chirp Spread Spectrum (CSS), combined with a ALOHA type channel access protocol. This combination has several advantages:

• Low energy consumption: CSS modulation is known for its low energy consumption, which extends the lifespan of battery-powered IoT devices. (source)

• Protocol simplicity: The ALOHA protocol, used in the MAC layer of LoRaWAN, is simple to implement, which reduces the complexity of devices and contributes to lower energy consumption. (source)

Energy consumption of LTE-M

LTE-M, although a lightweight version of traditional cellular technologies, has a higher energy consumption than LoRaWAN. According to an independent study published in 2021 by a group of renowned universities, including the University of California at Berkeley, LoRaWAN is six times less energy-intensive than LTE-M. This means that, for

to achieve an equivalent battery life, an LTE-M device would require a battery with six times the capacity.

This difference is partly due to the higher bandwidth offered by LTE-M (200 kbps to 1 Mbps) compared to LoRaWAN (290 bps to 50 kbps), which results in increased energy consumption. (download the full document to see the detailed explanations)

5. The high risk of technological obsolescence

The 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) is the international standards organisation that defines the standards for mobile communication technologies, from 2G (GSM) to 5G (NR) and future generations such as 6G.

3GPP launches a new generation of cellular technology approximately every 10 years. Here is a summary of the launches of the main mobile generations:

• 1G: Deployed in the 1980s

• 2G (GSM): Introduced in 1991

• 3G (UMTS): Deployed in 2001

• 4G (LTE): Deployed in 2009

• 5G (NR): Deployed in 2019

• 6G (planned): Expected around 2030

This cycle of approximately 10 years allows operators and hardware manufacturers to prepare for the transition to new standards while ensuring gradual adoption by consumers and industries. This poses a challenge for applications with a long lifespan, such as remote water meter reading, which may be affected by the obsolescence of previous cellular generations.

For example, in 2024, American mobile operators shut down their 3G networks. Canadian operators have announced the end of theirs in 2025. Wireless cellular interfaces sold today in Canada are generally 4G (LTE-M) technology. For such an interface to last as long as a new water meter (20 years+), 4G cellular technology would need to be supported by Canadian mobile operators until at least 2045. As 3GPP has already announced the release of 6G for around 2030, it is expected that 4G (LTE-M) networks will cease to exist in Canada well before 2045.

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