To develop, test-bed and commission advanced electricity meters that can provide remote meter reading that is secure, reliable and cost efficient, by leveraging on NB-IoT and GovTech’s DECADA platform as the NMS

1. What are the desired outcomes and benefits of the proposed solution/product?

Develop, test-bed and commission advanced electricity meters that can provide remote meter reading that is secure, reliable and cost efficient, by leveraging on NB-IoT and GovTech’s DECADA platform as the NMS.

2. What is the end use environment?

The NB-IoT electricity meters shall be installed at consumer premises for the test-bed. The Telcos’ NB-IoT networks shall be made available so that data exchange can occur between the electricity meters and SPPA through DECADA.

3. Any requirements to take note of? (e.g. Weight/size/power source)

Proposers must describe in their proposal how they shall work with Telcos, GovTech and SPPA to integrate their electricity meters into the NB-IoT network and DECADA, and how the test-bed may be operated to fulfil the objectives and key performance indicators of the solution.

The Proposer shall utilise NB-IoT connectivity services from local Telcos for the proposed solution and must support NB-IoT connectivity services from more than one local Telco.

Please refer to Annex F for the list of key performance indicators which shall be used to assess whether the Collaborator’s proposed solution is successful.

4. What are the relevant standards required for the proposed solution/product (if any)?

1. Meter accuracy. The prescribed limits of accuracy must be within ±1.5% for Class 1.0 watt-hour meters and ±1.0% for Class 0.5S static watt-hour meters.
2. Security. Data from meters to the backend system must be secured and protected to meet standards such as IEC 62351 or equivalent.

Please refer to (i) Annex B for the technical specifications of the single--phase AMI electricity meters and (ii) Annex C for the technical specifications of the three-phase AMI electricity meters.

5. What are the requirements for the communication capability of the proposed solution?

The proposed solution shall be able to connect to DECADA through the NB-IoT network for purposes of transmitting meter readings for billing.  Refer to Annex D for the NB-IoT specifications, and Annex E for to DECADA connectivity specifications.

6. What is the desired cost of the proposed solution/product?

Proposers shall indicate their respective least cost solution to achieve the above objectives. Each Proposer may propose additional solutions at higher price points to cater for greater functionalities or higher specifications.

Evaluation Criteria

Please note that the Collaborator is required to sign a Project Collaboration Agreement (“PCA”) with SPPA, on terms to be mutually agreed on between SPPA and the Collaborator, and which terms shall include that the Collaborator agrees to obligations of confidentiality and those relating to intellectual property rights consistent with, and which are no less onerous than that stated in Annex G.

Please note that in no case will any expense incurred by any proposer or Collaborator in the preparation or submission of its proposal, or in the negotiation of a PCA, be borne by EMA, SNDGO, GovTech or SPPA.

Scope of Work/Responsibilities

Each Collaborator shall be required to design, build, procure, test-bed and commission the proposed advanced electricity meters. The Collaborator’s work and responsibilities shall include but is not limited to the following:

1. Enter into a PCA with SPPA which terms shall include that the Collaborator agrees to obligations of confidentiality and those relating to intellectual property rights consistent with, and which are no less onerous than that stated in Annex G.
2. Design, build and procure all the hardware and software required to operationalise the advanced electricity meters.
3. Work with EMA, SPPA, Telcos, GovTech, and their appointed representatives/partners, to implement and integrate the advanced electricity meters with Telcos’ existing NB-IoT network, GovTech’s DECADA system, and other related IT systems.
4. Work with Telcos to ensure that the developed advanced electricity meters is able to perform data exchange through the NB-IoT networks of at least 2 local Telcos’ (i.e. Singtel, M1 or Starhub). The Collaborator must work with their preferred partner Telcos to troubleshoot and resolve NB-IoT connectivity issues of meters that have been deployed on the field during the test-bed phase.
5. Ensure that the advanced electricity meters can directly connect to GovTech’s DECADA system through Device Language Message Specification (“DLMS”) and is able to perform the necessary functions as defined in Annex E.
6. Work with EMA, SPPA, Telcos, GovTech, and their appointed representatives/partners, to test-bed the advanced electricity meters, as well as to collect and analyse the technical performance data in respect of the meters. The test-bed shall involve up to 400 consumer premises for each Collaborator. 
7. Provide a technical solution/proposal and demonstrate the ability to extract meter readings where there is no NB-IoT network coverage, or in the event of consistent connectivity failure of the meters connecting to DECADA. This technical solution/proposal shall also cater for scenarios where there is no-physical access to the meter (i.e. reading can be done wirelessly).
8. Provide technical support to troubleshoot and resolve any technical issues that may arise in respect of the smart electricity meters and their connectivity.

Project Framework and Funding Disbursement

1. Who shall own the physical meters and hardware at the end of the test-bed?

At the end of the test-bed, SPPA shall own the electricity meters and related ancillary hardware (if any). SPPA shall retain ownership of any hardware that it fully funds.

2. How shall the ownership of Intellectual Property (“IP”) rights be determined?

1. All rights, title to, or interest in PCA Foreground IP developed on DECADA shall vest in GovTech.
2. Subject to paragraph 2(a) above and Annex G, all rights, title to, or interest in PCA Foreground IP related to meter design shall vest in and be owned by the Collaborator responsible for creating the PCA Foreground IP.
3. For full details on how IP rights are determined, please refer to Annex G.

The Collaborator will grant to the agencies and their agents and contractors, free of any additional charge, a non-exclusive, non-transferable, irrevocable (save for breach), worldwide licence to use, modify and reproduce the PCA Foreground IP during the term of the CFP for the purpose of using and operating the meters without IP restrictions such as during the test-bed.

The above principle shall be binding on the selected Proposer and will be reflected in the PCA without deviation.

3. How will the project be funded?

Each Proposer shall set out in its proposal (a) its costs; and (b) the amount of cash funding and in-kind contributions requested which will be taken into consideration in the evaluation to select the proposals.

The contributions and reimbursement for each Collaborator will be subject to the terms and conditions under the PCA to be entered into between the Collaborator and SPPA.

Individual Telco Point-of-Contact

M1

Name: Chris Loh 

Email address: [email protected]

Contact Number: 98777802

Singtel

Name: Angeline Ng

Email address: [email protected]

Contact Number:81280188

Starhub

Name: Kalyan

Email: [email protected]

Mobile: 86066163

Deployment Plan if proposed solution/product is proven to be successful

The performance of each solution/product during the test-bed shall be assessed based on the above KPIs. EMA and SPPA shall take into account the relative performance and cost of alternative solutions/products to determine whether to roll-out on a national scale.

Market Potential for proposed solution/product

If advanced electricity meters based on NB-IoT communications technology are assessed to be technically and economically feasible, the meters would be eventually be deployed for all 1.5 million electricity accounts in Singapore.

The Collaborators who successfully developed and commissioned the advanced electricity meters based on NB-IoT communications technology, as part of this CFP, would be granted exclusivity, through a closed tender to awarded parties, to supply the first tranche of NB-IoT electricity meters for nation-wide rollout of up to 200,000 meters.

For avoidance of doubt, nothing in this CFP should be construed as providing or implying that a Collaborator has a right to be the sole supplier, or all Collaborators collectively have a right to be sole suppliers, of NB-IoT electricity meters.