Deutsche Telekom and meter operator VOLTARIS have entered into a five-year, million-euro deal to connect up to 100,000 homes and businesses in southwest Germany to a smart grid.

Under the terms of the contract, which is worth between €500,000 and a two-digit million euro amount, Deutsche Telekom will install a communications box and an electronic meter, if desired, in households and premises in Rhineland Palatinate and Saarland.

The meter and communications system will relay consumption data every 15 minutes to VOLTARIS, which will operate the reading service.

“We are expecting a significant increase in demand for electronic meters,” says Peter Zayer, managing director of VOLTARIS. “Our customers will benefit from the framework agreement – it will enable us to quickly and efficiently support more than 90 power providers.”

Deutsche Telekom will join O2, which recently announced a venture into the UK market, as the latest communications giant to move into the smart meter sector. BT is also bidding to participate in the UK’s plan to rollout smart meters to all households by 2020.

For further information:
www.telekom.com/dtag/cms/content/dt/en/6908
www.voltaris.de/

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