BILBAO, SPAIN -- Quectel Wireless Solutions, an end-to-end global IoT solutions provider, has announced it is attending the Enlit 2025 event in Bilbao, Spain on 18-20 November 2025 and will be at Stand 1.G86. Quectel is attending to showcase how its comprehensive range of modules, antennas and services are poised to assist continued massive uptake of smart meters and assist industry moves from first to second-generation devices.

With deployments of smart meters, comprised of electricity, water and gas meters, exceeding 1.06 billion at the end of 2023 and set to continue in all regions, according to IoT Analytics, Quectel is seeing growth across all meter types and expansion of meter-based use cases. Smart electricity meters are being deployed in developing markets for the first time and mature markets are accelerating deployments of second-generation smart meters to help users optimize consumption and manage their own power generation via two-way metering communications.

Growth is being experienced across all meter types. Berg Insight has reported that the installed base of water utility advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) endpoints in Europe and North America is set to double during the 2024-2030 period. In Europe, the firm has also revealed that the installed base of smart gas meters hit 55.9 million units in 2023. That represents 45% penetration.

While the first generation of smart meters were rolled out with the goal of simplifying and making the collection of users’ consumption data more cost effective for utility suppliers, the next generation offers richer functionality. As an example, a modern smart meter could need to communicate not only about usage but also to provide users with insights on more energy efficient behavior.

In the US, second-generation smart meter deployments already account for a growing share of annual smart meter shipment volumes and are projected to make up nearly three-quarters of yearly shipments by 2030, says Berg Insight. Utilities are moving to second-generation solutions to improve customer engagement, support sustainability goals, reduce operational expenditure by requiring fewer truck rolls and ensuring compliance with government mandates.

“Quectel is able to match customers’ specific needs with communications modules, antenna solutions and associated services to create an optimized overall design,” commented Delbert Sun, Vice General Manager, Product Department, Quectel Wireless Solutions. “A power-constrained water meter, for example, can utilise power saving mode (PSM) and extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) technologies to maximize its lifetime, minimizing engineer visits to replace a battery. In these scenarios time and money spent on dedicated designs results in prolonged meter lifetime with almost no maintenance across a fleet of hundreds of thousands of smart meters.”

Quectel is also assisting organizations in their deployments of second-generation smart meters. As the migration occurs, it’s important to work with a modernization partner who can streamline and simplify replacement of first-generation smart meters with second-generation products that connect easily and deliver richer user experiences while helping utility providers achieve compliance and manage the greater complexity in their operations.

Quectel is expanding its leadership in smart metering with a comprehensive portfolio of modules and antennas designed to meet the diverse connectivity needs of electricity, water and gas meters worldwide. For cellular LPWA deployments, Quectel’s BG95 and BG950S-GL modules deliver ultra-low-power NB-IoT and LTE Cat M1 connectivity, while the EG800 and EC200 series provide robust LTE Cat 1 and Cat 1 bis options for richer data and extended feature sets.

For sub-GHz and mesh-based metering networks, Quectel offers dedicated solutions including the KCM0A5S series Wi-SUN module, the KCMCA6S series Wireless M-Bus or Sub-GHz Proprietary module, and the KG200Z LoRa module, enabling long-range, secure and power-efficient communication across urban and rural environments.

Complementing these is the Bluetooth- and Zigbee-capable KCMA32S and KGM133S series module that brings together robust multi-protocol connectivity and advanced security features. In addition, Quectel offers a full range of high-performance embedded and external antennas and together, these products provide utilities and meter OEMs with a scalable, future-ready platform for next-generation AMI deployments.

In addition, from Quectel’s Bluetooth Low Energy module range, the HCM511S is a high-performance MCU Bluetooth module designed for compact connected devices, offering low power consumption, stable wireless communication, and reliable operation—making it well suited for electricity meters as well as battery-powered water and gas meter applications where long life and robust connectivity are essential. The HCM111Z, also a high-performance MCU Bluetooth module, provides similarly strong wireless capability and processing performance for advanced electricity-metering designs that require efficient, secure, and compact communication solutions.

To find out more about how Quectel can simplify and accelerate your smart meter design with our modules, antennas and comprehensive portfolio of services, visit us at Enlit 2025, stand 1.G86.