Overview:

Electric power system delivery has often been cited as the greatest and most complex mechanism ever built. It consists of a vast amount of infrastructure including wires, cables, towers, transformers and circuit breakers.  The so-called “Smart Grid” is expected to bring dramatic improvements in everything from general network management to demand response and other demand-side improvements.  Ultimately it will help the supply-side as new technologies are implemented that create efficiencies for utilities.

LTE Support of the Smart Grid Solutions, Applications, and Market Outlook

Published: January 2012

Pages: 142

Pricing:

Single-user License:                       $ 1,995 USD

Company-wide License:               $ 4,995 USD

Team License (Up to 5 Users):    $ 2,865 USD
While there are many potential approaches for communications and signaling, including fixed network broadband and various wireless methods and procedures, Fourth Generation (4G) cellular (specifically LTE) is a viable option for implementation and operation.  This report evaluates current Smart Grid infrastructure and applications and looks into its future. This research analyzes the role of telecommunication in Smart Grid applications and the specific benefits of the LTE. The reader will be able to identify and understand the benefits of the LTE as well as challenges and potential solutions.

Audience:

• Smart Grid infrastructure, services and integration companies
• Telecom operators and other broadband service providers
• LTE application developers and service integrators
• Next Generation application and service providers
• LTE infrastructure and equipment providers
• Infrastructure privacy/security companies
• OSS/BSS vendors and service providers
• Electrical utilities
• Governmental Agencies

Table of Contents:

1.0EXECUTIVE SUMMARY    5
2.0SMART GRID   6
2.1DRIVERS FOR SMART GRID    8
2.2SMART GRID FUNCTIONALITY     11
2.3THE SMART GRID BENEFITS FOR THE CONSUMER AND THE ENTERPRISE   11
2.4SMART GRID ARCHITECTURE 15
2.4.1    GOALS OF THE SMART GRID  15
2.4.2    FUTURE TRENDS OF THE SMART GRID   20
2.4.3    CASE STUDY: USING THE SMART GRID   20
2.4.4    SMART GRID AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES   23
3.0SMART GRID IN LTE    24
3.1TELECOMS AND SMART GRID     25
3.2EVOLUTION OF THE TELECOMMUNICATION INDUSTRY27
3.3FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES FOR A UNIVERSAL RADIO ENVIRONMENT     28
3.4FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES FOR A UNIVERSAL RADIO ENVIRONMENT TDD SYSTEM  29
3.5FEATURES OF FUTURE TDD SYSTEM  30
3.6CHALLENGES OF THE TDD SYSTEM    30
3.7THE UPCOMING TECHNOLOGY OF TDD SYSTEM      31
3.8TDD TOPOLOGY   31
3.9RADIO ACCESS NETWORK (RAN) 32
3.9.1    ENERGY SAVING IN LTE   32
3.10     WORLDWIDE LTE DEPLOYMENT 33
3.10.1  LTE DEPLOYMENT PLANS BY COMPANY 33
3.10.2  LTE DEPLOYMENT PLANS BY REGION     35
3.10.3  THE US MARKET  35
3.10.4  THE MEXICAN MARKET   37
3.10.5  THE CANADIAN MARKET 38
3.10.6  THE PUERTO RICAN MARKET 38
3.10.7  THE COLOMBIAN MARKET     38
3.10.8  CHILE MARKET     38
3.10.9  THE BRAZILIAN MARKET 39
3.10.10     ADVANCED METERING INFRASTRUCTURE (AMI)      39
3.10.11     AMI NETWORK    40
3.10.12     DEPLOYING AMI  41
3.10.13     SMART METERS   41
3.10.14     EVOLUTION OF THE SMART GRID      45
3.11     CASE STUDY: HOW CAN WIRELESS NETWORKS SUPPORTS THE SMART GRID  47
3.11.1  RADIO FREQUENCY MESH NETWORKS   47
3.12     3G NETWORK SUPPORT FOR THE SMART GRID 50
3.12.1  CHARACTERISTICS OF 3G SYSTEMS    51
3.12.2  3G NETWORKS SUPPORT FOR THE SMART GRID      52
3.13     MACHINE-TO-MACHINE (M2M) AND SMART GRID  53
3.13.1  M2M BUILDING BLOCKS 54
3.13.2  M2M EVOLUTION55
3.13.3  WIRELESS TRANSPORT OF M2M DATA TO AND FROM THE MONITORING FACILITY   56
3.13.4  THE BACK-END OPERATIONS AND SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE56
3.13.5  M2M SOLUTION BUILDING BLOCKS: A MORE IN-DEPTH VIEW 58
3.13.6  THE MACHINE THE CUSTOMER INTENDS TO MONITOR AND CONTROL     58
3.13.7  THE IN-FIELD HARDWARE DEVICE CREATED BY THE HARDWARE VENDOR 58
3.13.8  WIRELESS NETWORK  58
3.13.9  THE BACK-END SERVER   59
3.13.10     THE INTERNET     59
3.13.11     THE CUSTOMER FACILITY FOR MONITORING AND CONTROLLING THE MACHINES     59
3.13.13     WIMAX     60
3.13.14     ZIGBEE     60
3.13.15     6LOWPAN60
3.14     LATEST AND UPCOMING TECHNOLOGIES FOR TELECOM IN THE M2M DOMAIN   61
3.14.1  PICOCELL 61
3.14.2  FEMTOCELL    62
3.14.3  MICROCELLS   62
3.14.4  ADVANTAGES AND WORKING PRINCIPLE      63
3.14.5  PROTOTYPE OF ZEPPELIN BASED COMMUNICATION BACKBONE    65
3.14.6  OVERVIEW      68
3.14.7  PRODUCT ANALYSIS    70
3.14.8  MAXIMUM DURATION ALOFT: 18 MONTHS  70
3.14.9  3G 71
3.14.10     4G 72
3.14.11     KNOWN BOTTLENECKS IN 4G 74
3.14.12     LTE      74
3.14.13     INTELLIGENT SENSORS    76
3.15     M2M APPLICATIONS   77
3.15.1  M2M IN AUTOMATION   77
3.15.2  M2M IN TELECOMMUNICATION79
3.15.3  M2M IN ENERGY AND SMART METERING SYSTEM   80
3.16     WIMAX SUPPORT FOR THE SMART GRID      81
3.17     LTE AND 4G SUPPORT FOR THE SMART GRID    81
3.18     LTE IN GENERAL   81
3.18.1  HISTORY OF NGN AND LTE     83
3.18.2  LTE KEY TECHNOLOGIES  83
3.19     LTE ARCHITECTURE    86
3.19.1  SERVICE ARCHITECTURE 87
3.20     MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS 4TH GENERATION AND LTE 87
3.20.1  TARGET OF 4G SYSTEM   88
3.20.2  APPLICATIONS AND SERVICES OF 4G SYSTEM    89
3.20.3  TELE PRESENCE    89
3.20.4  INFORMATION ACCESS    89
3.20.5  INTER-MACHINE COMMUNICATION 89
3.20.6  INTELLIGENT SHOPPING  89
3.20.7  LOCATION-BASED SERVICES   89
3.20.8  LBS IN GENERAL   90
3.20.9  TECHNIQUES   91
3.20.10     CELL ID-BASED LOCATION     92
3.20.11     TERMINAL-BASED LOCATION TECHNIQUES  93
3.20.12     GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS)     94
3.20.13     GPS DISADVANTAGES 94
3.20.14     LOCATION ARCHITECTURE AND INTERFACES     95
3.20.15     PROTOCOLS BASED ON PLAIN-TEXT XML      96
3.20.16     ROAMING LOCATION PROTOCOL (RLP) 97
3.20.17     DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MLP AND RLP    98
3.20.18     ADDING LOCATION VALUE     99
3.20.19     APPLICATIONS AND CONTENT    100
3.20.20     KEY SERVICE ADVANCES  101
3.20.21     DEVICES DEVELOPMENTS      103
3.20.22     NETWORK INTERFACES   103
3.20.23     MOBILE INTERFACES  104
3.20.24     HIGH-PERFORMANCE BROADBAND SYSTEMS STRATEGIES  105
3.20.25     EDGE/HSPA/LTE FEATURES 2011-2014   107
3.20.26     ADOPTION OF TECHNOLOGIES TO 2030108
3.21     MIGRATION FROM THE CURRENT NETWORKS TO LTE STRATEGIES     109
3.21.1  WIMAX WITH LTE111
3.22     COMPARISON BETWEEN LTE SOLUTIONS     113
3.22.1  THROUGHPUT PERFORMANCE   114
3.23     LTE PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS     116
3.23.1  LATENCY  117
3.23.2  EFFICIENCY      117
3.23.1  LTE BENEFITS FOR THE SMART GRID 120
3.24     FEMTOCELL TECHNOLOGY    121
3.24.1  FEMTOCELL FEATURES    123
3.24.2  FEMTOCELL ISSUES     123
3.24.3  DEPLOYING LTE FEMTOCELL STRATEGIES     124
3.24.4  FEMTOCELL ACCESS CONTROL STRATEGY    126
3.24.5  LTE FEMTOCELL TECHNICAL ISSUES  127
3.24.6  PRIVACY OF FEMTOCELL 129
3.25     LTE FEMTOCELL APPLICATIONS AND INTEGRATIONS    133
3.25.1  USING RFID WITH FEMTOCELLS  134
3.25.2  USING WIRELESS SENSORS     135
3.25.3  FUTURE OF FEMTOCELLS136
3.25.4  ROI OF THE FEMTOCELLS138
3.25.5  FEMTOCELL SUPPORT FOR THE SMART GRID APPLICATIONS   139
4.0SMART GRID MARKET OUTLOOK141
4.1WORLDWIDE ELECTRICITY DEMAND FOR THE SMART GRID    141
4.1.1    ELECTRICITY DEMAND AND THE USE OF THE SMART GRID 141