Emitel S.A., the broadcasting infrastructure operator in Poland, is undertaking additional projects to support the digital transformation of Polish municipalities and water utilities. In Bytom, work is underway on a remote water consumption reading system for over 6,000 water meters. Meanwhile, in the towns of Cieszanów, Narol, Horyniec-Zdrój, and Lesko, the company is implementing advanced solutions co-financed under the regional European Funds for Podkarpacie 2021–2027 program. These new systems are designed to streamline water utility operations, improve water management efficiency, and provide residents with more convenient access to services.
Emitel is expanding its Smart City and Internet of Things (IoT) business line, supporting the modernization of public services. The company’s portfolio includes systems for remote monitoring of vacant buildings, electricity management, groundwater level control, and parking space supervision. Solutions enabling the management of remote water supply networks are gaining increasing importance. In Bytom, a stationary water meter reading network is being developed, covering over 6,000 meters equipped with radio modules, allowing for fully remote water consumption monitoring and failure detection. Emitel is responsible for network planning and construction, creating a backup database, and comprehensive system maintenance under a Service Level Agreement (SLA). The project uses LoRaWAN technology – a low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) radio standard. Emitel is a member of the LoRa Alliance, which supports the development of this technology. The project is being implemented in four phases and is scheduled for completion in 2028.
In the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, hybrid remote water meter reading systems are being implemented. In areas with high pedestrian traffic, water meter readings will be collected remotely (to reduce congestion and minimize the time required for data collection). In lower-traffic zones, a drive-by method will be used (a technician approaches the meter and collects the data via a specialized radio receiver). Emitel is responsible for radio planning, and integration of network gateway devices for data processing, as well as the monitoring and maintenance of these solutions. The projects are being carried out as part of the European Funds for the Podkarpackie Region (Measure 1.02 – “Digitization”) in the municipalities of Cieszanów, Narol, Horyniec-Zdrój, and Lesko.
– „Local governments are increasingly turning to solutions that enable better management of natural resources and more efficient delivery of public services. Smart City projects bring tangible improvements to residents’ quality of life and enhance the operational efficiency of municipal companies and local government units. Emitel’s IoT solutions combine strong business performance with a social mission. The company plans to expand the offer in this area. Thank you for your trust.” – says Jarosław Helman, Member of the Management Board of Emitel and Chief Sales Officer (CSO).
Emitel’s key technology partner in all of these projects is HSB Stella, one of Poland’s distributors of Itron devices — a leading manufacturer of water meters and radio modules. Following a series of successful tests and joint implementations, Emitel and HSB Stella entered into a strategic partnership and are now deploying further investments in a consortium model under which Emitel is responsible for the network infrastructure and service maintenance. HSB Stella provides the hardware and software components.
– „We chose to partner with Emitel because the company offers state-of-the-art radio planning software, has extensive experience in the field, and is a reliable partner. Projects carried out jointly with Emitel stand out for their exceptionally high data delivery success rate compared to the competition. That’s why we recommend every client entrust LoRa network deployment to professionals — professionals like Emitel. A quality product from Itron combined with a competent network operator is a guaranteed recipe for the success of any water utility.” – concludes Asenata Sacha, Chief Operating Officer at HSB Stella Sp. z o.o.
Polish cities are increasing their level of digitization year by year. According to the latest IMD Smart City Index, Warsaw ranks 38th out of 141 cities worldwide — ahead of Paris, Washington, and Hanover. Emitel is actively contributing to this transformation by implementing, among other projects, a system for reading 70,000 water meters in Wrocław, a remote parking space detection network in Piaseczno, and solutions supporting logistics at Katowice International Airport in Pyrzowice.
