4G Leading the Way to a Smarter Grid

By TMCnet Special Guest
Eedo Lifshitz, Director, Business Development, Enterprise Line of Business, Alvarion Ltd.

Today’s smart grid driven by WiMAX (News - Alert) for tomorrow’s utility growth

Smart grids represent a paradigm shift in electrical power distribution and management, incorporating advanced two-way communications and distributed computing capabilities for improved control, efficiency, reliability and safety. The smart grid offers a range of benefits for both consumers and utilities including real-time communication, monitoring and management of power delivery to homes and businesses, providing actionable information for reducing the consumers’ electricity costs and improving the management and control of the grid.

The smart grid optimizes power production, improves operational efficiency, service reliability and the integration of clean technology. The implementation of the smart grid requires a reliable and secure communications infrastructure and WiMAX addresses this need today.

In a recent survey of smart grid industry leaders by Pacific Crest, 55 percent of the respondents said communications was most important need for utilities in ensuring a reliable grid. The survey was conducted to gain insights into the drivers, barriers and timing for adoption of new technologies and upgrades to the electric grid.

4G WiMAX – The Technology of Choice

Broadband wireless solutions are becoming the de-facto standard for smart grid connectivity, as they provide a wide range of benefits that address power utilities’ business objectives and technical requirements.

Smart grids include a host of applications ranging from mission critical distribution automation devices that require real-time connectivity with high quality of service, or 'QoS,' video surveillance to protect utility assets and monitor grid operation, and mobile applications empowering utility line trucks.

4G WiMAX provides a holistic network infrastructure solution, which is mature, market proven and standards based. WiMAX brings real-time, secure QoS broadband that supports fixed and mobile services in rural and urban environments, meeting the current and future requirements for smart grid applications.

The Global Perspective on WiMAX and Smart Grids

As global adoption of WiMAX for smart grid networks expands in 2010, utilities in three large countries have already seen a great deal of interest for making WiMAX the standard in smart grid connectivity. United States, Canada and Australia are areas that greatly benefit from the flexibility and reliability WiMAX offers.

Each of the country’s expansive size of utility service territories dictate that a wireless network infrastructure is more efficient over fiber deployments. The availability of spectrum for WiMAX (3.65, 2.5 and 2.3 GHz in U.S.; 1.8 GHz in Canada; 2.3 GHz in Australia), maturity of the wireless market and appreciation of the benefits that WiMAX brings to smart grid networks are also reasons for rapid adoption of the available 4G technology.

In the U.S., there is an increasing interest in WiMAX connectivity to the meters. This is mainly experienced in rural America where the typical Wi-Fi mesh network is not economically sound.

WiMAX in Action

Utilities are typically interested in building a private WiMAX network based on licensed frequency that can provide them the level of comfort they need to manage and control their mission critical infrastructure. Many utilities worldwide are currently using WiMAX . In the United States, National Grid, CenterPoint Energy and San Diego Gas & Electric have been testing and looking into deploying WiMAX smart grid networks at the 3.65 GHz frequency.

Texas’s CenterPoint Energy was one of the first utility companies to publicly state they would use WiMAX in their smart grid plans. The idea is to build a communications network for their smart meters that could also manage distribution grid controls, switches and other smart grid functions that require faster, more reliable and data-rich communications than simply reading meters every 15 minutes.

Australian, Danish and Canadian utility companies are also testing WiMAX for their grids. SP AusNet spearheaded a project to bring an industry-first WiMAX-based smart grid program to Australia, and is the first smart grid network based on WiMAX. WiMAX’s open standards and interoperability with a wide range of technologies was the driving factor of this adoption.

Adoption of WiMAX for Smart Grid Networks

The adoption of WiMAX infrastructure for smart grid use is gaining traction, and large growth is expected in 2010.

In the U.S., separate WiMAX spectrum has not been allocated to utilities yet and therefore the main WiMAX deployments and pilots are in 3.65 GHz, a quasi-licensed spectrum that can be acquired at a very low cost but presents exclusion zones, or areas within the utility service territory where 3.65 GHz cannot be used due to earth stations.

Another option can be the utilization of Alvarion’s (News - Alert) WiMAX 802.16e product in the 5 GHz licensed-exempt frequency bands, allowing utility companies to deploy a full WiMAX solution using 3.65 GHz across their service territory and 5 GHz within the exclusion zones.

Due to the dedicated allocation of the 1.8 GHz spectrum to utilities, it is anticipated that Canada will fully adopt WiMAX for smart grid networks. WiMAX adoption is increasing as a solution for smart grid connectivity with some utilities in Europe at the 3.5 GHz frequency band.

WiMAX as the Answer for Tomorrow’s Smart Grid

As the first 4G technology commercially available in the market, WiMAX provides the smart broadband infrastructure that smart grids need to prepare for tomorrow’s demand. Utilities see WiMAX as the solution for parts of their network where there is a demand for applications such as collecting large amounts of data on voltage, current, frequency and two-way communications in real time.

The future of the smart grid network rests in today’s planning; WiMAX guarantees a future-proof infrastructure that grows with the demand. Utility usage is only expected to grow exponentially year by year and utility companies need to be sure they can provide a reliable service. Coverage and capacity is key while ensuring QoS – and WiMAX’s rapid ROI and expansive infrastructure provides a good fit.

For distribution automation devices, WiMAX supports mobility and bandwidth hungry applications such as video surveillance. A future proof choice, WiMAX ensures communications for the smart grid of today and tomorrow.

Pacific Crest Mosaic Smart Grid survey, August 2009

(source: http://smart-grid.tmcnet.com/topics/smart-grid-fa/articles/80668-4g-leading-way-a-smarter-grid.htm)