Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) networks depend on reliable backhaul to aggregate consumption data from thousands of gas, electricity, water, and heat meters. Data concentrator units (DCUs), gateway routers, and head-end systems require continuous connectivity to maintain billing accuracy, detect tamper events, and support demand-side management programmes.
Utility metering networks handle consumption data subject to GDPR and billing accuracy regulations. Typical capabilities include:
Smart meters (gas, electricity, water, heat) communicate via RF mesh (169 MHz, 868 MHz, or 2.4 GHz) to a local DCU installed in a street cabinet or substation. The DCU aggregates DLMS/COSEM or M-Bus readings and forwards them over Ethernet to an industrial cellular router with external LTE/5G antennas. The router establishes IPsec tunnels to utility head-end systems, segregating meter data traffic from management and monitoring planes using VLANs and firewall rules.
Meter consumption data, interval reads, and alarm events (tamper, low battery, valve closure) are forwarded from the DCU through the router to the meter data management system (MDMS) and billing platform. Remote firmware updates, configuration changes, and diagnostic commands are delivered from the head-end to field devices over the secure tunnel, while out-of-band device management (router health, cellular signal strength, data usage) is handled via a separate monitoring plane with certificate-based authentication.
Billing systems require complete and accurate consumption records. During cellular outages, DCUs buffer timestamped meter reads in local non-volatile storage (typically 7–30 days capacity). Once the tunnel re-establishes, buffered reads are uploaded in chronological order with sequence numbering to prevent duplicate billing entries. Session persistence mechanisms (TCP keepalives, application-layer heartbeats) detect stale tunnels before critical commands (remote disconnect, tariff updates) are issued. Head-end systems perform reconciliation checks to identify missing intervals and trigger re-reads where gaps are detected.
Fixed broadband is unavailable or uneconomic at most DCU deployment locations (street cabinets, pole-mounted enclosures, underground chambers). Fibre or copper installation requires wayleave agreements, civils work, and lead times exceeding six months, with recurring costs of £30–80/month per circuit. Cellular provides sub-£15/month connectivity with same-day deployment and no infrastructure dependencies. Dual-SIM or eSIM configurations provide operator diversity without requiring secondary fixed circuits. While fixed lines offer lower latency in ideal conditions, AMR/AMI systems tolerate latency of 1–10 seconds and rely on local buffering to absorb temporary connectivity loss without impacting billing accuracy.
For related deployment guidance, see our water & wastewater, SCADA & telemetry and antenna optimisation pages.
If you operate AMR/AMI networks, utility metering systems, or DCU infrastructure requiring reliable cellular backhaul, we can help specify the correct industrial router and connectivity approach for your deployment.