Rostelecom, Tele2 and Nokia have completed testing IoT utility solutions for households, based on Russian network infrastructure

Moscow, Russia – April 15, 2019 – Rostelecom PJSC (MOEX: RTKM, RTKMP; OTCQX: ROSYY), the largest digital service provider in Russia, today announces that together with Tele2 and Nokia, it has successfully completed testing of IoT (Internet of Things) utility management solutions for households in Moscow. During the testing, information was automatically collected from the clients’ electricity meters and transmitted to the power supply company, using the equipment produced by Russian developers. The testing was part of the strategic cooperation between Nokia and Rostelecom, including on the projects within the Digital Economy programme.

The test network was based on the infrastructure of the mobile operator Tele2, using technical solutions by Nokia. Data was transferred via modems with built-in Rostelecom’s SIM cards. The infrastructure allowed marrying Nokia's virtualized cloud core, as part of the Rostelecom’s MVNO infrastructure, with the resources of Tele2 radio access networks and Rostelecom’s transport network, and the user equipment produced by Russian suppliers.

The NPB-IoT, used in the pilot zone, is able to connect a large number of IoT devices through one base station, allowing for optimized energy consumption and therefore, longer autonomous operation.

The testing has confirmed that it is economically efficient to connect electricity meters via radio access, availablewithin the licensed areas. It has also clarified the requirements and parameters of IoT utility solutions, which will help ensure higher quality and reliability of operations in dense urban areas.

The testing results proved efficiency of automated data transfer, which will translate in savings for power supply companies and a more convenient way of electricity bill calculations for clients.

In this joint testing effort, all parties considered the most efficient ways of IoT solutions application on Rostelecom’s and Tele2 existing infrastructure. The companies also considered further service optimization along the signal transfer and processing chain, in light of the new legislation around smart tracking systems and the ecosystem availability to wide range of developers.

Alexey Telkov, Tele2 technical director:

“We have set up the best LTE networks which allow very fast deployment of NB-IoT. Digital technologies are transforming the electricity sector, and such pilot testing exercises will increase its further digitalisation. Going forward, IoT devices will form large ecosystems, hence why our future joint projects will explore and target their application in various areas”.

Demetrio Russo, Vice President of Nokia in Eastern Europe:

“We are pleased to partner with Rostelecom within a project, which creates new business scenarios based on the opportunities that IoT provides, in particular, for the utilities space. Nokia has a comprehensive portfolio of software solutions for IoT, including those for analytics, which allows us to successfully develop IoT applications and services for a wide range of sectors and market segments.”

Roman Shulginov, Vice President for Industry Solutions at Rostelecom:

“We are delivering on Rostelecom’s new strategy to become a digital partner to people, business and the state. The IoT project is a strong proof of this ambition, as it brings with it positive economic outcome for suppliers and creates friendly conditions for end users. Our openness to innovation and cooperation with our partners from various sectors, coupled with our solid infrastructure for data transfer and storage, allow us to offer the most efficient, convenient and reliable solutions. We are hoping to build on the positive results of this testing stage, to be able to integrate verified solutions on a larger scale in future”.