Texas-based licensing company Avanci has launched a programme for 4G smart meters, with Osaki subsidiary EDMI its first licensee.

Since 2016, Avanci has been transforming how patent licensing is done, through efficient, independent platforms that offer a convenient option to reduce transaction costs, enhance licensing efficiency and improve predictability for all parties.

This latest Avanci programme builds on the success of Avanci 4G Vehicle, which now has more than 145 million connected vehicles from over 95 automotive brands covered by an Avanci 4G Vehicle licence.

“As a leader in the global smart metering market, EDMI is unwavering in its commitment to customers to provide reliable and seamless smart metering,” said Roy Kirsopp, CEO of EDMI. “We joined the Avanci 4G Smart Meter patent licensing programme to assure our valued customers and partners that EDMI takes its licensing obligations seriously. An Avanci licence is extremely valuable as it gives us authorised, licensed access to a broad range of 4G technology patent owners in a simple and efficient manner.”

Avanci 4G Smart Meter is Avanci’s first IoT programme beyond the automotive sector. It simplifies the process of licensing essential cellular technologies for the growing global 4G smart meter market. Analyst firm Transforma Insights forecasts that more than 15 million 4G smart meters in the scope of the programme will be sold in 2023, with over 160 million to be sold during the next ten years.

“We are delighted to launch our latest IoT programme and to welcome EDMI, a leader in smart metering, as our first 4G Smart Meter licensee,” said Marianne Frydenlund, vice president at Avanci (www.avanci.com). “Our thanks to EDMI and all our partners for giving us their trust and confidence to deliver another efficient IoT licensing solution.”

An Avanci 4G Smart Meter licence covers meters enabling 4G connected meters. It offers a single licence covering the 4G, 3G and 2G essential patents of the 39 licensors in the programme today, together with those of any licensors that join in future, at a fixed rate of $3 per meter, paid once for the lifetime of the meter.

Smart meters that communicate solely using the NB-IoT and/or LTE-M subsets of the 4G standard are not covered by the programme.

Singapore-based EDMI (www.edmi-meters.com) is owned by Osaki Electric, a Japanese metering provider.