Why Cellular Connectivity is Key for Electricity Reliability
Image courtesy of Maxim Vidavsky under Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) License, resized to 700 x 391 pixels.
According to a new report from Ericsson, in partnership with Arthur D Little, cellular connectivity is one of the key technologies that can be leveraged by utility companies to resolve supply challenges and enhance reliability. Let’s take a quick look into the nuts and bolts of this report.
Why Cellular Connectivity is Critical for Utilities
The report is largely focused on digital transformation as a whole, a critical component of which is cellular connectivity. The key backdrop for the report’s recommendations are the rising costs and demand for energy globally.
According to the report, entitled Connected Energy Utilities – The Foundation for Digital Transformation, there are at least 3 reasons why cellular connectivity is the thread that holds together overall digital transformation:
- A single deployment can support numerous use cases and allow utilities to plan ahead for 10-15 years.
- Cellular technology enables consistent indoor / outdoor coverage for every sensor and IoT (internet of things) device under a utility’s operating umbrella.
- The technology’s encryption and authentication capabilities help fortify cybersecurity efforts.
Simply put, the report says that cellular technology – specifically 4G LTE technologies currently and 5G connectivity in the future – can help mitigate the challenges of an increasingly complex power grid. It can help utilities expand capacity, optimize infrastructure utilization, integrate renewable energy sources, boost reliability, enhance internal and external communications, boost worker safety, automate processes, and secure the network.
When deployed correctly, the technology can improve connectivity efficiency by up to 800%, allowing more customers to be served with existing infrastructure. The report notes that the technology, while still evolving, is already being used to promote increasingly efficient and effective utility operations.
If you are a regular reader of this blog, my guess is this isn’t new information. But the report does a nice job of adding some additional meat to the bone so to speak. The bottom line is that if your role involves cellular connectivity at any level, I’d recommend you download and read the report because it offers the latest insights into this arena. Enjoy!
