Project Overview
Long-running smart waste monitoring in a municipal environment
In 2018, AIS deployed 810 Dingtek DF702 NB-IoT waste bin fill-level sensors in Malta for a smart waste monitoring project. The sensors were installed inside public waste bins to monitor fill level remotely and support more efficient collection planning.
After more than eight years of field operation, over 500 devices remain online. Some bins and devices are no longer in use due to normal changes in city infrastructure and service coverage, but the continued operation of hundreds of devices demonstrates the long-term reliability and maintainability of the DF702 in a real municipal environment.
The management platform shows 810 registered DF702 devices, with more than 500 devices still online after years of operation. This long-term operating data provides a direct view of the project scale and field continuity.
Installed inside public waste bins
For this project, DF702 sensors were installed inside public waste bins. The internal top-mounted installation helps protect the device from direct rain exposure, external impact, and vandalism, while allowing the sensor to monitor the fill level inside the bin.
The collected data is transmitted through NB-IoT networks to the management platform, where operators can view device status, online rate, reported messages, and bin-related data for daily operation and maintenance.
Long-term field operation
The Malta deployment has now been running for more than eight years. During the project lifecycle, batteries were replaced for some low-power devices as part of normal field maintenance.
This is important for municipal IoT projects. A waste monitoring system must not only work during a pilot phase; it must remain serviceable after years of outdoor operation, bin replacement, network changes, and routine maintenance.
Why this case matters
Many smart waste monitoring projects stop at pilot scale. The AIS deployment in Malta is different: it is a large-scale, long-running municipal application with hundreds of devices still online after years in the field.
- Large-scale city deployment
- Long-term outdoor operation
- NB-IoT remote connectivity
- Internal installation inside public bins
- Field maintenance and battery replacement
- Continued operation after years of service
Result
More than eight years after installation, over 500 Dingtek DF702 NB-IoT waste bin fill-level sensors are still online in Malta.
For municipal operators, environmental service companies, and smart city solution providers, this case provides practical evidence that Dingtek's waste monitoring solution is suitable for long-term field deployment, not only short-term demonstration projects.