Over time and the development of technology, people's needs have also changed. One example, in the past telecommunications was only limited to telephone networks but now telecommunications needs include fast and easily accessible internet. 

In today's technological field, the Internet of Things or IoT is the main focus. Internet of Things or better known as IoT refers to technology that allows devices to connect and communicate using the internet. Simply put, the Internet of Things allows any object, even everyday objects to be integrated into the internet so that it can be controlled from anywhere and at any time. This technology has a lot of potential that can be developed according to the needs or problems faced. 

The development of technology has also caused the cost of integrating objects into the internet to become increasingly affordable. This has led to more and more industries being interested in using and leveraging IoT to carry out digital transformation or bring solutions to customers. Telkom Indonesia, of course, immediately took part by offering many services that utilize Internet of Things technology. One of them is the Smart Water Meter service. 

Get to know the Smart Water Meter

One of the main problems faced by water management companies is the measurement of water use by consumers. Currently, the process for measuring water is still carried out conventionally where readings are carried out once a month. 

This is a problem because still conventional measurements are still very dependent on human resources in this case the officers who take the measurements. In addition, conventional measurements also have other non-technical obstacles, namely that they often cannot be done because the water meter is blocked, the fence of the house is locked, and other reasons. Of course this makes it difficult for companies to get valid data. 

Another reason why this is the main problem is because conventional calculations that are only checked once a month often make consumers surprised by the value of bills that are too high. This will make consumers complain to the company. If consumers make complaints in large quantities, it will certainly affect the company's image and cause a decrease in the level of consumer trust in the public. 

Smart Water Meter service from Telkom Indonesia is the best solution to deal with this problem. Smart Water Meter is a service that combines Internet of Things technology and several technologies owned by Telkom Indonesia which makes it possible to monitor water meters in real time with a higher accuracy value than conventional technology. 

Not only installing, the Smart Water Meter from Telkom Indonesia also provides a dashboard to facilitate the monitoring process. In addition, Telkom Indonesia also ensures knowledge sharing for mutual progress. 

This service also has the potential to be developed into a mobile application so that not only companies can monitor water usage or bills but consumers can also do it in a fairly easy way, namely simply by going through a mobile application. 

Technology Used in Smart Water Meters

Smart Water Meter is a water meter that has applied IoT technology. The service runs by collecting water consumption data used by customers in real time. The data will be sent using the LoRaWAN network which will hopefully reach the Antares IoT Platform which has been integrated with the existing dashboard used by the company. Through this dashboard the company can carry out supervision. This process can run smoothly because it involves several technologies owned by Telkom Indonesia. Such technologies are: 

Internet of Things (IoT)

As mentioned earlier, the Internet of Things is a technology that allows devices to connect and communicate using an internet connection. This allows this to happen by adding sensors, ships or modules that can connect with the internet to become a path to transmit the information needed. 

Telkom Indonesia uses Cyble communication modules designed to meet the requirements of all water management utilities. This communication module will collect water usage consumption data and send it to the LoRaWAN network which will eventually be accessible through the company's monitoring dashboard . 

LoRaWAN

LoRaWAN stands for Long Range Wide Area Network which is a long-distance wireless communication system for devices connected to the Internet of Things (IoT). This technology is commonly used for various IoT applications such as Smart City. This is because LoRa supports sensors from each device to interact directly. 

Telkom Indonesia chose this technology because it has several advantages such as power saving, two-way communication, end-to-end security and location determination services. Currently, LoRaWan owned by Telkom Indonesia has spread throughout the country with gateways installed at more than 592 points from Sabang to Merauke.

Antares IoT Platform

This technology is still related to LoRaWAN. Antares IoT Platform is a platform developed by Telkom Indonesia with international certification from OneM2M which means that this platform can accommodate international protocols and technical standards to ensure interoperability and seamless connectivity for each device to be integrated with IoT devices. 

Antares IoT platform has several features ranging from device management to data storage. With these various features, Antares can be said to be zero infrastructure management where users do not need to take care of the server because the API has been provided by Antares. Another advantage of technology is the data center which is located in the country but with international standards and is independent of network and connectivity. 

Dashboard Monitoring

To facilitate data processing and the supervision process, this service is equipped with a monitoring dashboard. Here the whole data will be presented in real time. Not only that, when an anomaly occurs, for example the use of water discharge is beyond reasonableness, the dashboard will provide a warning so that the company can move quickly to carry out inspections to ensure that it does not become a leak or other cause.

Advantages of Smart Water Meters for Water Management Companies and Their Consumers

According to pre-COVID data, 10% of consumers did not pay their bills and this number increased significantly due to the pandemic. The inability of water management companies to collect payments on time leads to a situation where 10% of this annual income is accumulated as "uncollectible debt" on the balance sheet.

Another study showed that only 1 in 5 visits managed to obtain water consumption data. Due to this and other inefficiencies, spending on sales and operations increased by an average of 15% each year.

By using Smart Water Meters, water management companies can collect data on water use by consumers in real-time and do not require manual loggers by meter officers. In addition, of course, the same Smart Water Meter offers several other advantages. These include:

Improving Company Efficiency

This technology allows water management companies to obtain all data related to water use by consumers online. This will certainly increase the efficiency of the company because it can reduce operational costs related to conventional supervision and recording.

Building a Better Image

Using Smart Water Meters not only do companies get data related to water use by consumers but more than that. Companies can better know the habits and needs of consumers. This can be one of the ways to build a company's image by offering personalized services or with flexible payment plans according to the payment habits made by consumers. Although it seems trivial, this can build the company's image and make consumers more loyal. 

Reducing Non-Revenue Water (NRW) 

Conventional recording systems lead to undetected water loss caused by leaks, disturbances and theft. By using a Smart Water Meter, this can be avoided. The company will get data in real time including data regarding pressure and water flow so that if there is a leak or other disturbance, the company can handle it as quickly as possible.

Telkom Indonesia's Network Infrastructure Reaches All Over the Country

Telkom Indonesia not only has the best technology but also has an infrastructure network spread throughout Indonesia. This allows the use of Smart Water Meters anywhere and even to remote parts of the country. In addition, water management companies also do not need to provide tower infrastructure for LoRaWAN because Telkom Indonesia already has 592 gateway points that reach all over Indonesia. 

Assistance and Maintenance Services on Call 24/7

Not only ensuring that all devices are installed and can work properly, Telkom Indonesia also assists in the implementation of this Smart Water Meter service so that water management companies can maximize all the potential and benefits possessed by this technology. To complete it, Telkom Indonesia also provides corrective maintenance call services 24/7 which means that companies can directly contact if there are problems or disturbances in the Smart Water Meter system.

One of the companies that has benefited from the use of Smart Water Meters is PDAM Tirtawening Bandung City. After using the Smart Water Meter with pressure sensor, PDAM Tirtawening can better regulate the pressure on the water distribution pipe so that complaints related to the strength and discharge of water from consumers decrease drastically. In addition, other benefits felt by companies that have implemented Smart Water Meters, such as PDAM Tirta Asasta Depok City, PDAM Tirta Benteng Kota Tangerang, and PDAM Padang City, the process of measuring water use that is carried out automatically and in real-time has also received positive reactions from consumers. 

Smart Water Meter is one of the proofs of Telkom Indonesia's commitment to continue to provide the best for this country. Telkom Indonesia will not stop innovating so that every service and product presented is in accordance with the needs and demands of the Indonesian people. Telkom Indonesia also promises to be the best digital transformation partner for all companies in the country.