Brazilian water and sanitation company Sabesp has deployed what it claims is the world’s largest IoT connectivity project for smart water management.

The initiative is being implemented in partnership with mobile operator Telefonica Vivo and payment and connectivity specialist Idemia Secure Transactions.

Through this 14-year partnership, 4.4 million smart water meters will be securely connected in São Paulo city and São José dos Campos. The goal is to help protect natural resources and enhance an essential public service by enabling Sabesp to optimise its water distribution network and detect leaks.

By uniting Vivo’s extensive connectivity expertise with French firm Idemia’s secure and scalable eSIM IoT technology, the project ensures robust, energy-efficient and resilient connectivity, even in remote areas. The connectivity relies on Idemia’s eSIMs and eSIM IoT platform, compliant with the GSMA SGP.32 standard, embarking cryptographic agility to ensure postquantum future-proof readiness.

“Smart metering allows Sabesp and its customers greater visibility into hourly water consumption and the rapid identification of anomalies and leaks,” said Denis Maia, executive director at Sabesp. “And with more frequent and accurate water balances, there will be greater efficiency in the management of distribution networks, essential factors in a scenario where Brazil still registers very high rates of water loss. This transformation reinforces Sabesp’s commitment to the conscious use of water and the modernisation of basic sanitation services.”

Beyond operational efficiency, the initiative underscores how digital innovation can address environmental difficulties and customer relationships. Smarter water management and monitoring should help reduce waste, preserve resources and strengthen São Paulo’s sustainability agenda by directly contributing to better quality of life for millions of residents.

“This project reflects how Vivo’s role goes far beyond connectivity,” said Adriano Pereira, director of IoT at Vivo (www.telefonica.com.br), “by combining network scale and reach with end-to-end integration capabilities. From data ingestion and IoT infrastructure to design and operational execution, we enable smarter, more sustainable essential services. Our contribution to more efficient utilities management is a direct expression of this: technology that generates real environmental impact and touches people’s lives, delivered by a partner with the depth to make it work.”

At its core, this project represents a concrete example of technology serving sustainability and customer empowerment. By enabling precise consumption monitoring and early detection of leaks, the connected infrastructure helps promote conscious consumption of water. The digitalisation of water metering services also improves transparency for consumers to take part in more responsible resource management, demonstrating how IoT innovation can create environmental and social value.

“Our goal is to transform our customers into effective managers of their water consumption,” said Luiz Renato Fraga Rios, revenue protection director at Sabesp (sabesp.com.br). “It’s a transformation in our relationship with customers that IoT technology brings, and one that will save billions of litres of water from post-meter leaks repaired more quickly.”

Building on years of joint work, Idemia and Vivo are demonstrating how shared innovation and trust can accelerate progress towards more secure, sustainable and connected ecosystems, not only in Brazil, but as a model for global utilities and cities aiming to modernise their infrastructure.

“We are proud to partner with Sabesp and Vivo in Brazil on one of the most significant IoT initiatives ever launched in the world,” said Diego Cecchinato, senior vice president at Idemia (www.idemia.com). “This collaboration shows how innovation and sustainability can work hand in hand to create real impact and protect natural resources, while strengthening critical infrastructure for the future.”