Smart City
Customer testimonial
Ending the PSTN: how Synox is supporting Vichy Community
With an installed base of more than 280 SIM cards, the equipment connected to the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) has had to cope with a major change. The operator Orange, which maintained this historic analog network, has announced that it will be phased out between 2023 and 2030.
José Morais, Technical Manager of Vichy Community’s Information Systems, recalls the need to explain the reasons for this transition, as well as to provide staff with perspectives in terms of organization and skills development.
To ensure data security and quality service, specific constraints must be managed. This includes the reliability of network coverage, affected by the location of equipment, often underground, and the geographical challenges of wastewater treatment, with lift stations in isolated areas.
Equipment connected to the PSTN has entered a major transition. Synox is helping Vichy Community migrate to solutions based on the cellular network and M2M lines to ensure effective communication of data linked to sanitation and drinking water.
Why stop PSTN?
This obsolete technology, which is costly for Orange to maintain, no longer supports new communication modes, so it is gradually being phased out and replaced by the M2M (Machine to Machine) cellular network.
M2M is coming into its own, especially with the evolution of IoT use cases. For Vichy Community, it is becoming very complex to repair analog lines, so it makes sense to continue consolidating its stock of SIM cards to connect the communes’ water management systems.
Water management: how to replace the RTC?
Following a consultation process, Vichy Community selected three companies (including Synox) to implement the digital transition.
“We were able to test the Synox solution before the contract was signed, and we were able to get rapid feedback from the sanitation department, which was very positive.
In 2020, Vichy Community’s Information Systems Technical Manager was aiming to pool data across several sites. By 2023, this objective has been achieved, since we have been able to set up pools of available data according to consumption. This action balances consumption between the various connection points. And, with data consumption alerts :
For us, it’s peace and quiet,
we can really concentrate on other things.José MORAIS
Identity card
Activity: Water and Sanitation of the agglomeration community
Creation date: 2017
Geographic scope
39 municipalities in the agglomeration
85,700 inhabitants
Scope
- + 280 SIM cards to enable communication between water and wastewater management equipment.
Goals
- Adapting to the discontinuation of the RTC by accommodating the constraints of a community
- Increase the quality of service provided
- Easily and securely access information to prevent potential risks
- Implement the digital transition quickly, easily and securely
Results
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Significant financial savings per line and per month compared with analog.
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Improved service quality and simplified access to information.
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Daily, independent use by agents.
The result observed by our customer
Today, the service is up and running, and equipment communication has been switched over to the GSM cellular network.
Vichy Community was looking for a specific service with security guarantees which led to the implementation of a private APN. Synox has deployed its expertise not only in cellular connectivity, but also in infrastructure security. The flexibility provided by our multi-operator offering is the perfect answer to the challenges of the sanitation business.
A significant financial impact:
Compared with the cost of an analog line, our customer has seen a significant price differential per line and per month since switching to cellular connectivity. Sometimes this means upgrading the modems that host M2M-type cards, or changing the PLCs, but in the end it all evens out, especially with the gain in quality of service.
Impact in use :
Vichy Community operators can order their SIM cards autonomously using the SoM2M#IoT platform, a feature that may seem obvious, but is a real plus for the organizational management of public structures. Especially since the director claims to be little in demand, which is a testament to the level of accessibility. He adds that :
“Each automaton has its own properties, and when I have a question about the SIM card format, for example,
Synox technical support is very responsive.
Speed
reactivity in case of overconsumption
Anticipation
of malfunctions thanks to the alert system
Savings
thanks to the low cost of a SIM card call
On a day-to-day basis, the tools’ responsiveness means that incident notifications can be received, saving time for operators and providing a macro view for management.
“Because we’re kept up to date with the latest exchanges, we can adapt,
be more attentive and activate a ‘degraded mode’ procedure.”
The RTC transition highlighted the need to update the fleet of vending machines. So we deployed a private APN to secure SIM cards, and Vichy Community supported its agents to raise awareness and help them update their processes.
The functionalities provided by the SoM2M#IoT management interface also represent strong points in the implementation of the solution:
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- Quick response in the event of overconsumption
- Anticipation of malfunctions thanks to alert system
- Savings thanks to the low cost of a SIM card call
The alert system, for example, allows you to act quickly in case of overconsumption. The manager is indeed warned in real time in case of abnormal consumption or even exceeding.
Another type of notification alerts the user to network malfunctions, allowing them to be informed quickly and transparently. As soon as an incident is identified, information is disseminated to assess the risks and impacts. This makes it possible to anticipate malfunctions rather than suffer them.
Finally, the economic benefits are clearly identified, since the cost of a SIM card call is much lower than that of a subscription to the telephone network. The gain is estimated at about ten euros per month per line. And that’s not even taking into account the quality of the service provided, which is much better than before.
The next step of the project is the mutualization of the volume on several sites. Vichy Community continues to place its trust in us for the supply of SIM cards and the installation of APNs.
“The responsiveness of Synox support in the event of a problem is much appreciated.
It encourages us to work together in an environment of trust.
For the third department concerned by the PSTN transition: general administration, this has facilitated the management of payment terminals, and the flexibility with Synox enables us to respond to these 3 entities.
Multi-operator M2M SIM cards: why choose Synox?
During the consultation, several criteria were decisive.
According to Vichy Community’s Information Systems Technical Manager, Synox stood out for its ability to meet expectations in a relevant and appropriate way. At Synox, we strive to offer flexible solutions, tailored to different needs in terms of volume and type of data and feedback (data, voice, SMS), and we are committed to providing responsive, attentive customer service.
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Synox is a French IoT solutions designer.
An IoT pioneer for more than 15 years, we make business easier for our 700 customers by
France, Europe (and around the world), by imagining high value-added IoT ecosystems: powerful and invisible, sustainable and responsible, tailored to their needs, tailored to their uses.
Guided by its spirit of adventure and its crew, Synox puts people and planet first, innovation at the forefront and service to the French.
Vichy Community is a community of 39 municipalities and 85,700 inhabitants. It is part of the second largest region in France, both in terms of population and GDP.
A region connected to all transport infrastructures open to Europe.