Vivo, Telefónica's commercial brand in Brazil, has signed with the Basic Sanitation Company of the State of São Paulo (Sabesp) what the companies have described as "the largest Internet of Things (IoT) contract in the world."

The approximately 3.8 billion Brazilian reais (about $704 million) deal will entail the replacement of all traditional water meters with smart hydrometers in all properties in São Paulo and São José dos Campos by 2029.

The project foresees investments in equipment, infrastructure, automation, and connectivity solutions, as well as the installation of 4.5 million smart water meters.

Débora Bortolasi, vice president B2B at Vivo, said: "The project represents a concrete advance in the efficiency of water management and the digitization of urban infrastructure. We delivered a complete solution, combining IoT, AI, and systems integration, reinforcing our performance as a reference in digital solutions for the corporate market and as an enabler of the technological transformation of essential services."

The system will enable real-time consumption reading, access via mobile app digital platforms, consumption history consultation, automatic alerts in the face of atypical consumption (such as possible leaks), second-track bill issuance, and service requests or census updates.

"This will be the largest Internet of Things project in the world and the largest smart water metering project on the planet," said Dênis Maia, executive director of customers and technology at Sabesp. "The new system will allow all properties in participating cities to have real-time consumption readings and direct monitoring by cell phone, eliminating the need for in-person visits."

Last month, Vivo reported a net profit of R$1.3 billion (€205 million) in its financial results for the second quarter of the year, a 10 percent increase over the same period last year.

This piece was automatically translated from DCD's Spanish site and edited by a member of DCD staff.