Smart Territory
They trust us
The challenges of a connected, sustainable city
Did you know?
20% of drinking water is lost in France due to leaks in the water network.
20% of RRP* collection costs could be saved on average, simply by better monitoring.
16% of French motorists have already parked in a PMR** space.
*Point d’Apport Volontaire.
**People with reduced mobility.
The Metropole of Montpellier is a forerunner in its public approach to digital technology. As early as 2013, the city began implementing IoT (Internet Of Things) projects.
Today, these solutions are considered “off-the-shelf” and not very “business” oriented, but they are being revived in line with Montpellier’s political agenda, which has seen this approach evolve through the prism of use cases. Notably, with the start of the collaboration with Synox, in 2016.
A shared network to serve all uses :
When the project was launched in 2012, the prerequisite was the transfer of responsibility for digital development, making the metropolis the operator of its own network. In particular, to make it available to various local players such as the Régie des Eaux, the Régie des transports (TAM), social landlords (ACM and Hérault Logement) and the private sector.
Scaling up water management means positioning antennas wherever there is human activity. We have therefore created a complete network across the country, with 40 antennas deployed and 7,000 sensors supervised by 2024, out of a potential total of 84,000.
Manu REYNAUD, Deputy Mayor of Montpellier
The benefits include: decision-making support for public policies, behavioral change for users (thanks to the monitoring of indicators on the applications), but also the monitoring of open data with a macro vision for citizens, private and public players, who can derive valuable information from it.
Three different points of view are involved: data ownership, interoperability and sovereignty.
The aim is to go further in the exploitation of data and its appropriation by agents and users, and thus bring the digital public space into the citizen debate, by deploying an incentive strategy.
From experimentation to use
Let’s not forget the importance of iterating and starting with small volumes. In this case, we were able to experiment with 20 use cases involving water management, waste management, risk prevention, mobility, etc.
To get the local players on board, we have placed support at the heart of the project. From the joint definition of the criteria for scaling up (the department concerned awards its own contract, but uploads the data to the platform), to the management of the POC (“Proof Of Concept”).
The aim of these experiments was to go beyond return on investment with :
- agent safety on remote meter reading,
- better communication between the water company and its main customers,
- Accessibility of PRM spaces (by improving the rotation rate in red zones, for example).
Political and civic ownership
Setting up sensors is just one prerequisite for implementing social and environmental policies, with :
- the first 15 cubic meters of water are free for families,
- resource conservation,
- incentive-based pricing for waste,
- preventing offences from being reported on PMR spaces.
Another important aspect of data is its return to the user.
In fact, the open data policy for applications used by the public ensures greater transparency in the use and exploitation of data by those primarily concerned.
The next question on the project’s agenda is the transformation of citizen uses thanks to this data.
For example: Would making users aware of how full a RRP is help reduce littering?
Montpellier’s expectations
On the technical side, the project is based on the Metropole’s desire to control its data, and its sovereignty over its network infrastructure. An essential element for Manu Reynaud, who reminds us that Montpellier was one of the first local authorities to deploy a public LoRa network to connect several areas of the Metropole.
“The IoT is a new world, which affects our personal and professional environment. But it’s also a space that needs to be understood by citizens, companies and associations. It’s something we all have to define and accept. So we’ve tried to open up this palette with all the tools we have in place.”
Manu REYNAUD, Deputy Mayor of Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole.
Use cases deployed with Synox
Today, 6,500 water meters are connected with Synox M2M SIM cards, and their data is processed by our Data Management platforms. Eventually, 87,000 water meters will be connected in the same way. (A policy that will also be applied to gas and electricity meters).
According to Pierre Brice, IS Strategy and Security Manager at Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, this initiative has already enabled the Metropole to save on subscriptions to LoRa connectivity (nearly €240,000).
By pooling the Metropole’s private LoRa network, 100% of the water cycle is connected for better management and easier exchanges between the water company and its customers, thanks to shared indicators.
Water is a strategic resource that is becoming increasingly scarce, and it is essential to optimize consumption monitoring. In particular, because the Metropole has set up a scheme to donate the first 15 m3 to private individuals.
Montpellier is the first city in Europe to introduce free public transport!
On-street parking is often a “headache” for both users and the local authority.
With Synox, the Metropole of Montpellier has automated paid parking via LAPI* and connected delivery and PRM spaces, to improve the rotation rate of parked vehicles.
* LAPI (automatic license plate reader). It’s a car equipped with cameras that recognize the license plates of parked cars to check the validity of their payment.
This initiative has already shown that connected parking spaces are four times more available to users, who can view free parking around them directly on the M-Ticket application.
“This use case has proved to be very effective, particularly in facilitating the control of ASVP officers and municipal police, who see a significant time saving.
Manu REYNAUD mentions several use cases to take things a step further:
energy consumption monitoring, waste management RRP filling measurement, bicycle geolocation and much more!
Identity card
Activity:
French metropolis and 7th largest city in France
465,950 inhabitants
+10,000 objects deployed
Source of testimonial:
Webinar of January 23, 2024: 7 years of IoT feedback on a metropolitan scale
With Manu REYNAUD, Deputy Mayor of Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole
And Pierre BRICE, IS Strategy and Security Manager, Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole
Scope
Goals
- Optimize mobility tracking,
- Optimize fluid management,
- Optimize waste management,
- Measuring environmental impact.
- Improving public services through IoT.
Synox is a French designer of IoT solutions.
An IoT pioneer for over 15 years, we help our 700 customers (including 200 local authorities) in France, Europe and around the world to do their jobs more easily, by designing IoT ecosystems with high added value: powerful and invisible, sustainable and responsible, tailored to their needs and tailored to their uses.
Guided by its spirit of adventure and its crew, Synox puts people and the planet first, innovation at the forefront and service to the French.

Situated on the Mediterranean arc between Barcelona and Marseille, Montpellier is a territory irrigated by infrastructure (freeways, international airport, coastal port, one of France’s largest tramway networks, etc.) and ambitious projects.
Montpellier is also a bold, innovative metropolis, recognized for its excellence in the fields of digital technology, healthcare, sport and contemporary culture.