Alcatel-Lucent and Deutsche Telekom have launched a web-based Smart Metering user interface for the E-Metering field trial, which is running in the German city of Friedrichshafen.

In Friedrichshafen, local utility provider "Technische Werke Friedrichshafen" is piloting an innovative Smart Metering product, named "TWF:CleverZahler" ("clever meter"), based on an end-to-end metering service jointly developed by Alcatel-Lucent and Deutsche Telekom's business customer segment, T-Systems. The service gives consumers and utilities a near-real-time view of energy consumption for each connected household. About 1,000 smart meters for electricity as well as gas are planned to be supplied to 700 households until mid 2009.

Consumers get a view of their energy consumption over a web user interface, - as launched today in Friedrichshafen - which they access over a DSL connection. They can initiate ad-hoc measurements of their energy consumption anytime. Otherwise, the web user interface visualizes the energy consumption curve along defined timelines, for example - per hour, per day or per month.

Utility providers also have a remote view of the smart meters. Since the metering service updates data on energy consumption every 15 minutes, utilities can react quickly and for example, propose incentives to consumers to consume energy at a certain time. This helps them to reduce their peak loads and better utilise their network assets, which potentially reduces network investments.

The T-City partners, Deutsche Telekom and Alcatel-Lucent, provide an end-to-end metering service -- based on the IP-based Open Service Platform of Alcatel-Lucent. Besides providing and operating the metering platform in a managed service centre, Alcatel-Lucent designed the web user interfaces.

Deutsche Telekom not only rolled out the broadband network infrastructure that makes Friedrichshafen and its citizens future-ready. Within the E-Metering trial, Deutsche Telekom provides field service for the installation, is operating the smart meters' communications network, and is handling the data processing, provisioning and visualisation. The metering platform relies on a robust distributed network of meter boxes, interconnecting the various meters to the central data management. This happens via a secure network, which is independent from the consumer's regular Internet access.

The local utility provider is responsible for the installation of the meters and takes care of customer relationship activities, including selling and marketing the smart metering service, and providing end-user service. Software integrator Bittner & Krull, an expert in software solutions for utilities, provides the business logic for the meter data from Friedrichshafen and processes these towards the utility's Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.

The end-to-end smart metering service of Deutsche Telekom and Alcatel-Lucent is based on Alcatel-Lucent's Open Service Platform (OSP), which is widely used in mobile networks to process data in real-time. The OSP has been adapted to the energy market, now offering meter reading, meter management, infrastructure and data management. It is highly scalable up to 30 million subscribers; supports open standards and several ERP systems. In this way, it supports further liberalisation of the energy market. It also gives utility providers the option to introduce pre-paid services in the energy market, which could reduce debt collection issues.

T-City project

Friedrichshafen became Germany's first T-City as the result of a competition, which Deutsche Telekom launched at CeBIT 2006. The objective of the T-City project is to increase the quality of life for the T-City citizens through implementation of IT and telecommunications projects that involve innovative technology and new applications related to all areas of city life. As exclusive premium partner, Alcatel-Lucent provides products and innovative technologies and supports the implementation of project ideas. Furthermore, Alcatel-Lucent will provide its know-how on service development and introduction.