AT&T and Cooper Power Systems to Offer Wireless Smart Grid Sensors

AT&T has entered into an agreement with Cooper Power Systems to jointly market and sell to utility companies smart grid sensor devices that are certified on AT&T’s wireless data network. Utilities can now receive real-time system performance data to efficiently operate their electric grids, reduce the need for on-site inspections, and identify and solve problems that could cause outages or increase system energy losses.

This announcement is the latest expansion of AT&T’s efforts with smart grid technology in the M2M (machine to machine) space to use wireless technology to streamline business processes and provide real-time monitoring of energy assets. AT&T will co-sell two products with Cooper Power Systems under this agreement: OutageAdvisor and VARAdvisor.

AT&T will offer Cooper Power Systems' OutageAdvisor solution, which provides utilities with a reliable means to locate and isolate problems on electricity delivery lines such as faults, and communicate a permanent fault event within the system. By transmitting the information in real-time over the AT&T wireless network, the solution reduces the costly and time consuming fault-chasing methods that stress system components exposed to fault currents, as well as reduces the likelihood of an outage.

AT&T will also offer Cooper Power Systems' VARAdvisor, a low cost sensor alternative to manual inspection of equipment that controls the voltage supplied to consumers, which helps to reduce costly and time consuming on-site inspections. For utility companies, the VARAdvisor helps to reduce operation and maintenance expense by monitoring capacitor bank fuse failures and reporting fuse failures over the AT&T wireless network. Early detection of failures improves online time for capacitor banks, keeping the grid operating efficiently.