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Sensus and BAI Partner to Bring Digital Infrastructure to Australian Utilities
[July 28, 2015]

Sensus and BAI Partner to Bring Digital Infrastructure to Australian Utilities


(Click-to-Tweet) - The relationship between water and energy utilities and the customers they serve is changing. The exercise of sending a bill in the mail and receiving a payment in return is giving way to a very different style of interaction. It can now be a relationship defined by real-time, two-way communications, powered by innovative technology and measured by an increase in customer satisfaction. What was once transactional is becoming personal.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150728006030/en/

Sensus Australia's director of smart metering, Mary Wilson, and BAI director of critical communicati ...

Sensus Australia's director of smart metering, Mary Wilson, and BAI (News - Alert) director of critical communications, Malcolm Keys, discuss helping local utilities move into age of the Internet of Things. (Photo: Business Wire)

Sensus and BAI have partnered to transform the utility-customer ecosystem. The two companies will design, supply and install a digital infrastructure that will enable utilities to remotely and continuously monitor and diagnose problems and pre-emptively prioritize and manage maintenance issues. Data from smart sensors, including meters, will ensure the reliable, safe and cost-effective delivery of water and energy through improved operational efficiency and customer engagement.

"Australian utilities now have access to proven industry leaders to help meet the increasing demands of a digital world," said Mary Wilson, director of smart metering, Sensus Australia. "In the same way that data analytics give utilities insight into system performance, customers can use real-time usage data that helps them conserve water and energy."

BAI is the owner and operator of extensive digital transmission infrastructure in Australia. "Australia is ahighly complex digital nation and it is BAI's goal to ensure our customers' communications networks are able to take advantage of this. Our partnership with Sensus made perfect sense as both organizations are clear leaders in delivering networks that are built for the future," said Mr. Jim Hassell, Group CEO of BAI.



The Sensus FlexNet® communications system uses dedicated, licensed spectrum in a private, secure network that supports multiple applications and is flexible for future growth. A trusted and proven communications technology, FlexNet is based on open standards and can support capacity and reach requirements. It is interoperable with multiple systems and endpoints for delivering data that helps utilities respond quickly to changing market and customer requirements.

"The Sensus-BAI partnership, in particular, can help water utilities combat the growing demand by supporting data that helps conserve resources," said Wilson. "By offering a bird's-eye view of the system, water utilities can manage their assets through timely maintenance that prevents service disruption and enhances reliability."


Water conservation in Australia is critical. A global water utility report discovered the country currently loses 18 percent of its potable water through leaks. A smart water network, featuring the Sensus FlexNet system, detects leaks and allows utilities to predict and address future issues throughout the water distribution system. With its growing population, the demand for water in Australia is rising, which makes it more important than ever to deploy digital technologies that enable automation, control and insight into system performance and consumption.

Background on BAI: Australian headquartered, BAI has a strong track record constructing and managing statewide mission critical communications networks for the public and private sector. Most recently, it successfully coordinated and managed the spectrum clearance works for all national and commercial television services to clear the 700 MHz band spectrum for the Australian Government's Digital Dividend auction.

Background on Sensus: Sensus has a long history of strong partnerships that benefit global utilities. In 2013, Sensus and its British partner Arqiva (News - Alert), a sister business to BAI through common ownership, were awarded a 15-year contract by The British Government. Together, they will provide automated meter communications services based on Sensus FlexNet Technology to more than 10 million homes in the North of England and Scotland.

About Sensus

Sensus helps a wide range of public service providers-from utilities to cities to industrial complexes and campuses-do more with their infrastructure to improve quality of life in their communities. We enable our customers to reach farther through the application of technology and data-driven insights that deliver efficiency and responsiveness. We partner with them to anticipate and respond to evolving business needs with innovation in sensing and communications technologies, data analytics and services. Learn more at sensus.com and follow @SensusGlobal on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

About BAI

BAI has over 80 years' experience as the owner and operator of one of the most extensive terrestrial transmission networks in the world. BAI's Australian businesses include Broadcast Australia, which, from 600 sites, provides fully managed transmission services for radio and television, site sharing, co-hosting and infrastructure services to the telecommunications, emergency services and broadcasting industries covering 97% of the Australian population and Hostworks, a leading provider of critical application management and hosting services to online, digital media, enterprise and government. The company's businesses in Hong Kong, RFE; Canada, BAI Canada; and the USA, Transit Wireless specialise in the design, installation and operation of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage in mass transit subway venues such as the New York MTA and Hong Kong Metro. BAI also boasts a dedicated critical communications team, which operates nationwide critical communication services for emergency & public safety authorities and private networks - www.baigroup.com


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