New G3 certification: Multi-utility metering over a single communication network

Utilities worldwide are expanding smart grid infrastructures beyond electricity metering. Gas meters, water meters, customer interface units, sensors and other connected devices are increasingly becoming part of the same ecosystem. 

A big challenge is how to manage millions of devices with a battery lifetime of 10–20 years, without increasing operational complexity, operational costs and vendor lock-in.

The launch of the new G3 certification release on 1st June 2026 marks a major milestone for the G3-Alliance. Following the publication of the updated 2025 G3 specification on 1 June 2025, the certification programme now includes certification of battery-powered RF devices that can be seamlessly integrated in G3-Hybrid networks. 

The new ‘RF-BAT’ certification profile extends the robust and successful G3 certification programme by including dedicated conformance, interoperability and performance test cases for battery-powered devices. 

This evolution was developed specifically to enable integrated multi-utility metering using a single communication infrastructure. Connectivity to battery-powered devices, also seen as leaf nodes (no routing), is ensured using an RF-only link via any capable G3-Hybrid device (i.e. embedding leaf node parenting capabilities) present in the network.

Today, utilities typically have three possible architectures for multi-utility metering, as depicted in the figure below. The first two approaches rely on third-party networks or gateway-based integration, increasing operational costs and complexity.

G3 introduces a different approach. Instead of operating separate communication networks for electricity, gas and water metering, utilities can now integrate battery-powered devices directly into the same G3-Hybrid infrastructure benefiting from identical authentication, addressing and security mechanisms as in the G3 network. The result is a unified communication network for multi-utility services with lower complexity and lower total cost of ownership. 

Battery-powered leaf nodes operate in RF-only mode with ultra-low power consumption and deep sleep capability. The specification targets battery lifetimes of up to 20 years and enables end-to-end IPv6 connectivity.

Beyond multi-utility metering, this support of battery-powered devices also enables other smart grid and IoT applications. Customer interface units for prepayment and customer interaction can reuse the RF connectivity readily available in smart meters, drastically reducing deployment costs and eliminating the need for additional communications infrastructure. The same unified architecture scales naturally to incorporate sensors and other RF-only field devices integrated into the existing G3-Hybrid network.

Furthermore, the new certification release covers boosted performance in FCC band (FCC sub banding), reinforced ciphering (support of AES-256) and other enhancements when compared to the 2022 G3 specification. 

More than 100 million G3 devices have already been deployed in more than 30 countries. The new certification release extends this proven technology to include battery-powered devices and multi-utility metering, while preserving the interoperability and backwards compatibility that utilities require for future-proof smart grid investments. 

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