Emerging Technology Solutions

1
AMR/AMI Comes of Age

• Emerging Technology Solutions

2
Outline

• Wireless Comes of Age
• Long Range two-way Tower Gateway Base-stations
  (TGBs)
• TGB Options
• Emerging Technology
• Communications Options QoS

3
Coming of Age

• Human meter readers were relatively cheap
  quick and easy to install rugged and extremely
  reliable over long periods of use
• Multiple types of AMR techniques and technologies
  
• Wireless emerged- new problems including range
  limitations, spectrum interference and
  reliability issues
• Financial concerns about future operational and
  support costs
• Advanced AMR networks would provide the best
  solution to the cash flow delay typically
  30-90 days
• 25 of water meters in the United States are now
  equipped with AMR

4
Long Range two-way Tower Gateway Base-stations
(TGBs)

• AMR fixed base networks typically need hundreds
  (sometimes thousands) of cellular pole-top, or
  meter-based data concentrators, collectors or
  repeaters
• High infrastructure cost mostly from limited
  range of devices
• TGB system delivers superior performance, lower
  infrastructure costs, minimizes maintenance
  overhead and reduce long-term deployment risks
• Designed specifically to minimize infrastructure
  while maximizing range and signal reliability

5
TGB Range Criteria

• Use the tallest existing radio towers and
  efficient high-gain antennas capable of receiving
  very weak signals
• Acquire clear nationwide primary use licensed
  radio spectrum with a low noise floor
• Design high power endpoints (2 Watts) with
  state-of-the-art, all digital modulation
  techniques
• Design highly sensitive (-120 dBm to -130 dBm)
  all DSP based receiver base stations
• Develop meter-to-meter Buddy relay mode for
  hard to reach meters (those in basements, behind
  line-of-sight barriers, mountainous regions,
  etc.)

6
Existing Tower Infrastructure

• Over 4,000 existing tower sites covering over 90
  of the population
• Integrate seamlessly with existing paging
  equipment, which allows the sharing of power,
  antennae and data back-haul channels
• Critical service real-time TGB tower monitoring
  and maintenance
• Patented technology, long-range radio
  communications, low infrastructure cost, high
  reliability and existing tall towers provide a
  scalable fixed based network with high level of
  availability
• Mature and proven technology

7
Illustration of a Long Range Radio Network
Backhaul Connectivity
Backhaul connectivity
WiMax Mesh Topology
8
Option-Licensed/Private Frequency

• Licensed for a section of the radio spectrum
• Tower based radio infrastructure placed 5-15
  miles apart
• Towers placed at a much lower density than data
  concentrators
• Each tower will have a modem to provide the
  backhaul connectivity
• Speed of data transmission will depend on the
  frequency used
• Sensus FlexNet solution is widely used in North
  America, particularly for one-way gas and water
  AMR services
• Britain uses this type of communication mainly by
  National Grid as part of their SCADA systems
• Sensus FlexNet solution provides 2 watts of
  broadcast power from the meters and 20 year
  battery life for gas and water AMR meters for
  daily updates
• Municipal utilities in the US are utilizing
  existing metropolitan WiFi infrastructures for
  multi-utility metering services in cities such as
  Lafayette, Burbank and Corpus Christi
• Anything wrong with this idea?

9
Sensus Flexnet Infrastructure Illustration
TGB Tower Gateway Base-station RNI Regional
Network Interface
10
Option-WiMax

• Also known as 4G, WiMAX is a last mile wireless
  solutuion
• Based upon a cellular antenna infrastructure
• Where Wi-Fi is viewed as a local technology,
  WiMAX is a neighborhood/metropolitan technology
• Meter Hardware requires WiMAX chipset
• Requires the installation of antennas in a cell
• Structure with typical spacing of 3 to 10km, cost
  is falling
• Data speeds vary by distance of the endpoint from
  the antenna, and the number of endpoints using
  the connection from that antenna
• IEEE 802.16(x) defines the WiMAX standard
• Power consumption of WiMAX hardware is high

11
Emerging Wired/Wireless Options

• Femtocells are networks where low power wireless
  access points operating in licensed radio
  spectrums connect standard mobile devices to a
  mobile operators network using broadband
  connections
• Could be applicable in the future of Metering
  Systems

12
Emerging Wired/Wireless Options, contd

• Active Line Access (ALA) is a model whereby a
  gateway within premises is provided to support a
  range of services
• Customer Premises Equipment is then installed
• ALA discussions are still at a relatively early
  stage
• Could an emerging Service Provider with service
  strategies similar to Akamai have a place in
  AMR/AMI systems to prevent DDoS attacks, provide
  alternate routing, remote availability, security?

13
Emerging Wired/Wireless Technologies, contd

• Previously discussed topics
• PLC - generally used for utility applications,
  distribution and transmission operator SCADA
  systems, AMR, smart grid
• Fixed Line PSTN, xDSL broadband, Cable
• Wireless Solutions cellular, low power radio
  (Zigbee, Mbus, Zwave),
• Presentation Focus on Long Range Radio

14
Communications QoS

• Varieties of individual types of physical media
  can be used together to deliver connectivity
• Any number of communications options could
  co-exist at any level of geographic granularity
• Consideration on the effects of lawnmowers and
  power tools on Power Line Carrier services
• Consideration of microwaves or Digital Enhanced
  Cordless Technology DECT telephones on wireless
  solutions real world experience dirtbike
• Consideration on the effects on Wi-Fi and ZigBee
  operating at 2.4GHz
• There are many discussions dismissing these
  issues as there are with those raising them

15
Conclusion

• TGBs have lowered operational and maintenance
  costs while providing
• Operational improvements
• Supply side savings
• New revenue opportunities
• Customer Service Improvements
• Emerging solutions take advantage of existing
  infrastructures, Service Providers, municipal
  Wifis, etc.
• Not all ideas and solutions have a place in
  AMR/AMI
• Consideration of QoS must be investigated on
  emerging technology since normal home activities
  may affect some solutions (such as mowing the
  lawn, tuning up a dirt bike, etc.)
• Questions?

16
References

• http//www.nextgenpe.com/article/Issue-1/AMI-AND-S
  mart-Grid/Taking-AMRAMI-to-New-Heights/
• http//www.energy-retail.org.uk/documents/BERRWANC
  ommunicationsOptionsDefinition.pdf
• http//www.akamai.com/
• http//www.wateramrresearch.com/