Telit Wireless Solutions, a provider of machine-to-machine (M2M) technology, announced the launch of a new smart meter module featuring Wireless M-Bus transfer technology.

The new ME50-169 modules are compliant to the latest Wireless M-Bus Standard and are desgined for metering in the 169 MHz band. They are suitable for smart gas, water, heating or electricity meters. They automatically transmit consumption data to the utility companies, which increases the accuracy and transparency of bills, offers better customer service and helps improve energy efficiency.

Company officials say 169 MHz provides a much higher performance in terms of range than 868 or even 433 MHz whereas the Wireless M-Bus provides a standardized transfer technology for radio for the remote reading of meters inside buildings. It allows the data from the individual meters to be transferred to a concentrator on site, which collates and transfers it via GSM/GPRS to the supply companies.

The M-Bus modules with Land Grid Array (LGA) mounting technology are the first product releases in the market with 25 mW output power, offering extreme low power consumption and ideally meeting smart metering power consumption requirements. The ME50-169 is equipped with an embedded low power ATMEL ATX microcontroller. Therefore, the modules can be easily integrated into various systems, reducing time to market and project costs.

“The combination of Short Range and cellular capabilities is the key technology for future M2M applications: Companies using Short Range can use the free data transmission via radio frequencies and don’t have to buy expensive SIM-cards”, said Dominikus Hierl, CMO at Telit Wireless Solutions, in a statement.

“Companies now using Telit’s gateway solution with the new ME50-169 to combine their Short Range with cellular data transmission can fully overcome the Short Range limitations,” Hierl added. “Such integration provides companies a crucial solution at low costs and energy efficiency to meet all customer requirements.”

The ME50-169 modules are also compatible with Telit’s gateway solution, the GG863-SR, which integrates Short Range and GSM/GPRS capabilities. With this ready-to-use device, utility companies can deploy large Wireless M-Bus solutions easily.

 “The new ME50-169 is another proof of Telit’s commitment to the smart metering market, providing a ready-to-use solution for a matchless time to market and complementary offerings,” said Tony Spizzichino, CEO Telit RF Technologies, in a statement. “This enables customers to cover all the requirements of a Wireless M-Bus smart metering projects easily.”

Telit recently conducted the Telit DevCon 2011, a one-day forum that provided a platform for M2M application engineers to interact with industry experts. The event also discussed the challenges prevalent in the developing M2M market and educated how to leverage technology for connected applications.