AMI and Beyond: How Wireless Broadband Enables the Smart Grid Today and Tomorrow

As they plan to take their first step towards their Smart Grid vision, most utilities are beginning their journey with the implementation of an AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) system. More and more of these utilities are also realizing that to truly harness the power of the Smart Grid, they must also have a separate wireless broadband infrastructure capable of delivering 24/7 high-speed communication to enable a variety of additional Smart Grid benefits. These include more cost-effective backhaul of AMI data, delivery of sophisticated energy management/control programs and real-time connectivity within the utility to help improve service delivery, outage management and overall productivity. In essence, the deployment of a wireless broadband communications network for Smart Grid applications enables the utility to become a truly "Connected Utility".