A repeater endpoint (110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120) in a network of endpoints having metering functionality, the repeater endpoint comprising: a processor; a memory in communication with the processor; a transceiver configured to send and receive communications between the processor and a central network facility; and a battery configured to supply power to the processor and the transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to: evaluate a repeater availability of the repeater endpoint, wherein the repeater availability comprises communication reliability and battery capacity, wherein the communication reliability includes determining having a sufficient quality of service connection from the repeater endpoint to unheard endpoints or the central network facility, wherein unheard endpoints are endpoints that require a repeater to be heard at the central network facility, and wherein the battery capacity of the repeater endpoint includes determining having a capacity above a predetermined level; transmit signals via the transceiver, the signals intended for the unheard endpoints and configured with headers having a discovery bit to indicate to the unheard endpoints availability of repeater functionality at the repeater endpoint sufficient to support repeating messages from the unheard endpoints based on the evaluating of the repeater availability of the repeater endpoint; receive one or more messages at the repeater endpoint from unheard endpoints that require the repeater functionality to be heard at the central network facility; and relay the one or more received messages, wherein the relaying is performed by the repeater endpoint and other repeater endpoints having repeater availability in a shared manner, wherein the shared manner distributes workload over at least two repeater endpoints having repeater availability. a processor; a memory in communication with the processor; a transceiver configured to send and receive communications between the processor and a central network facility; and a battery configured to supply power to the processor and the transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to: evaluate a repeater availability of the repeater endpoint, wherein the repeater availability comprises communication reliability and battery capacity, wherein the communication reliability includes determining having a sufficient quality of service connection from the repeater endpoint to unheard endpoints or the central network facility, wherein unheard endpoints are endpoints that require a repeater to be heard at the central network facility, and wherein the battery capacity of the repeater endpoint includes determining having a capacity above a predetermined level; transmit signals via the transceiver, the signals intended for the unheard endpoints and configured with headers having a discovery bit to indicate to the unheard endpoints availability of repeater functionality at the repeater endpoint sufficient to support repeating messages from the unheard endpoints based on the evaluating of the repeater availability of the repeater endpoint; receive one or more messages at the repeater endpoint from unheard endpoints that require the repeater functionality to be heard at the central network facility; and relay the one or more received messages, wherein the relaying is performed by the repeater endpoint and other repeater endpoints having repeater availability in a shared manner, wherein the shared manner distributes workload over at least two repeater endpoints having repeater availability. evaluate a repeater availability of the repeater endpoint, wherein the repeater availability comprises communication reliability and battery capacity, wherein the communication reliability includes determining having a sufficient quality of service connection from the repeater endpoint to unheard endpoints or the central network facility, wherein unheard endpoints are endpoints that require a repeater to be heard at the central network facility, and wherein the battery capacity of the repeater endpoint includes determining having a capacity above a predetermined level; transmit signals via the transceiver, the signals intended for the unheard endpoints and configured with headers having a discovery bit to indicate to the unheard endpoints availability of repeater functionality at the repeater endpoint sufficient to support repeating messages from the unheard endpoints based on the evaluating of the repeater availability of the repeater endpoint; receive one or more messages at the repeater endpoint from unheard endpoints that require the repeater functionality to be heard at the central network facility; and relay the one or more received messages, wherein the relaying is performed by the repeater endpoint and other repeater endpoints having repeater availability in a shared manner, wherein the shared manner distributes workload over at least two repeater endpoints having repeater availability.