Smart grid communications services need to be top-notch to support grid initiatives

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Communications companies will need to meet some pretty tough requirements if they're going to provide electric utilities with the extremely high level of service needed to support smart grid initiatives. That's the word from the Utilities Telecom Council (UTC), which just released the findings of its study "Utility Communications Needs: Key Factors That Impact Utility Communications Networks." William R. Moroney, UTC president and CEO, said utilities will need a range of advanced technologies to meet the  communications challenges of intelligent electric grids and emergency response systems. "Bottom line: utilities cannot build all the communications networks they need, and best of breed communications service providers will be essential to their success," Moroney said. A sampling of study findings:

·         Reliability is the number one criteria for utility communications networks

·         Utility communications systems vary substantially from utility to utility, so no single approach to communications is practical in the short term

·         Key factors for providing safe, secure and reliable utility operations include extremely high reliability and security, higher bandwidth, very low latency, ubiquitous coverage and an uninterrupted power supply

·         The smart grid opens the door for new opportunities for communications service providers, but they'd better be prepared to meet utilities' critical reliability, technical and cost requirements

Quick Take: The UTC study findings provide a pretty clear outline for how utilities and communications providers can work together — and how high the bar is set.

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