SMAC Partners with Laos Electricite du Laos for 'Broadband Wireless Communication-Based Remote Metering Infrastructure Pilot Project'

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] Smac, a specialized company in manufacturing machine tools, industrial robots, and information and communication equipment, announced on the 25th that it has formed a strategic partnership with the Laos state-owned enterprise ‘Electricite du Laos (EDL)’ to promote a pilot project for building a broadband wireless communication-based remote metering infrastructure optimized for the operational environment in Laos.

The signing ceremony was held online, and through this agreement, Smac will supply the ‘Broadband Wireless Communication-Based Remote Metering Infrastructure (SMR, Smart Meter Reading)’ capable of remote metering to the Laos site. The company plans to secure the quality and reliability of smart meters through a demonstration process by March 2022 and supply the products. The expected quantity is a total of 90,000 units, with 30,000 units annually from 2022 to 2024.

The ‘Broadband Wireless Communication-Based Remote Metering Infrastructure’ that Smac is building in Laos can be applied not only to smart electricity meters but also to various fields such as the Distribution Automation System (DAS) and transmission and distribution energy IoT envisioned by EDL. Compared to the existing Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), it has the advantage of lower infrastructure construction and operation costs and can also interoperate with digital meters that have a 485 communication interface compliant with standards.

To secure overseas expansion opportunities, Smac has been conducting technical cooperation with EDL for two years since 2018. By supplying ‘smart electricity meters’ optimized for the unique climate conditions and power operation environment of the Indochina Peninsula, it gained the trust of EDL and succeeded in signing a business agreement for the ‘Broadband Wireless Communication-Based Remote Metering Infrastructure Pilot Project.’

The company explained that many neighboring countries of Laos use electricity from EDL, and through this agreement, it has taken a step closer to establishing a foothold with various countries.

A Smac official said, “Based on the smart grid technology we possess, we conducted a 12-month technical review reflecting the technical requirements of EDL and secured a broadband wireless communication-based remote metering infrastructure solution suitable for the Laos operational environment. Through cooperation with EDL, we will complete the successful pilot project for wireless remote metering infrastructure construction and proceed with the main wireless remote metering infrastructure construction project from the second half of 2022.”

Meanwhile, Smac’s ICT business sector started as a specialized company designing and manufacturing communication equipment for fixed-line telecommunication operators and has supplied products to domestic telecom companies for over 20 years despite fierce competition with foreign manufacturers. In recent years, based on Korea Electric Power Corporation projects, it has steadily cultivated broad capabilities in the power ICT field by organically internalizing broadband wireless communication network technology, smart grid, and AMI technologies.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.