Over the next three years, MTS will install and operate 86.4 thousand smart electricity meters in apartment buildings across the Novosibirsk region, according to the company’s press service. The initiative positions MTS as the data transmission operator for the funding organization Novosibirskenergosbyt, supporting a large-scale modernization of the regional metering infrastructure.
The winner of a 1.5 billion ruble competition, the project centers on a smart metering system delivered through a service model backed by cloud infrastructure. This approach aims to streamline metering, data collection, and billing processes across multiple residential sites in the region.
MTS will handle the supply, installation and maintenance of the new smart meters for both newly constructed buildings in Novosibirsk and surrounding areas and for replacing devices whose calibration cycles have expired. The modernization plan emphasizes the use of Russian-made smart devices as part of a localized, domestically sourced solution.
A key aspect of the rollout is MTS’s implementation of its own IoT system for Novosibirskenergosbyt. The system will provide real-time visibility into the status of electricity meters, enable parameter configuration for surveys, securely receive data from devices, and transfer readings to the billing platform maintained by Novosibirskenergosbyt. This end-to-end integration is designed to create a seamless flow from metering to invoicing.
To connect each IoT device, the project relies on energy-efficient communications optimized for the Internet of Things using the latest NB-IoT standard. MTS, as the largest operator in this space, will ensure robust coverage even in challenging locations such as basements and ground floors where signal quality can be weak. The approach also minimizes data traffic, helping to lower operating costs for the accounting system while preserving reliability.
Oleg Aldoshin, Vice President of New and Corporate Business Development at MTS, highlighted the comprehensive scope of the rollout. The plan includes software, measuring instruments, the data transmission network, data processing centers, and a full suite of installation and ongoing service support. The goal is to deliver a fully automated system that reduces manual intervention and accelerates the billing cycle while maintaining accuracy and transparency.
Smart metering is expected to make bill collection more transparent and provide online monitoring of device performance. This capability will help identify issues promptly, reduce errors in readings, and cut unnecessary costs associated with manual data collection. The overarching aim is to create a dependable, future-ready metering ecosystem that supports efficient energy use and improved customer experience.
Alexander Mikhailishin, technical director of Novosibirskenergosbyt, pointed out that the new metering framework will minimize residents’ need to manually report meter readings. The system is also anticipated to curb unnecessary expenses for general household needs and help prevent illicit connections, contributing to the reliability and fairness of the regional energy supply network.