Research Shows Utilities Benefit from Next Generation AMI

Sensus finds Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) functionalities such as reading interval data, remote service connects and disconnects and outage alarms have all delivered significant operational savings and improved the bottom lines for many utilities. This early success of AMI is creating the need to move more data faster between distinct devices and is raising the bar for what utilities expect in an AMI communications network.

In a recently published white paper “Next Generation AMI: Utilities Benefit from Optimizing AMI Network Operation Using Multi-Channel Allocation” Sensus finds utilities must have a solution that can continue to grow and evolve with the perpetually changing utility business case driven by the need to streamline operations, reduce costs, improve customer satisfaction and overcome regulatory challenges.

Key attributes of next generation AMI include:

• True end-to-end IPv6 communication across all platforms for electric, gas, water, Distribution Automation, Demand Response, and lighting control.
• The ability to optimize every endpoint on a utility’s system by utilizing power control, next generation AMI ensures that the network manages the power of every transmission based on need.
• With the availability up to 525 kHz in licensed spectrum, combined with advanced modulation schemes that increase data rates and network capacity, utilities can transmit nearly ten times the amount of data.
• The ability to dedicate distinct channels to specific applications: multiple and distinct channels are another benefit of licensed spectrum that greatly reduces latency.