PVNO - An innovative mobile M2M communications solution 2015

Since 2007, Enexis has executed pilots and medium-sized roll-out projects for smart metering. At this moment, approximately 350.000 Enexis customers have a smart electricity meter and 300.000 customers have a natural gas meter. Gas meters are connected to E-meters through an MBus interface; either wired or wireless. Currently the main communication technology used to connect smart E-meters with the Enexis back-end system is GPRS; this means that a SIM card is installed in every E-meter.

Since SIM cards are owned by the mobile communications provider, it is not possible to switch to another communication provider without exchanging SIM cards. Enexis wanted to avoid this vendor lock-in; it should be possible to have a normally functioning market situation for mobile M2M communications.

Because of a change in Dutch telecommunications legislation in Q1-2014, it is now possible for other parties than telecommunications operators to obtain a shared 'Mobile Network Code' or MNC. Enexis applied for and obtained its own MNC in September 2014. Anticipating the eventual granting of the MNC, Enexis executed a tender for a 'Private Virtual Network Operator' or PVNO solution. A major Dutch communication provider was awarded the contract; the solution is fully operational since December 2014.

During this masterclass, Enexis will elaborate on:

The reasons why the PVNO solution was chosen as the preferred option;
How it works;
Regulatory issues around having your own MNC;
Usage of the shared MNC by other parties;
How Enexis can switch from the existing mobile operator to another without swapping SIM cards and
How the PVNO solution was realised.