LTE Support of the Smart-grid Solutions, Applications, and Market Outlook

Report Summary

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. 

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
 
1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5

2.0 SMART GRID   6
2.1 DRIVERS FOR SMART GRID 8
2.2 SMART GRID FUNCTIONALITY 11
2.3 THE SMART GRID BENEFITS FOR THE CONSUMER AND THE ENTERPRISE   11
2.4 SMART GRID ARCHITECTURE 15
2.4.1GOALS OF THE SMART GRID  15
2.4.2FUTURE TRENDS OF THE SMART GRID   20
2.4.3CASE STUDY: USING THE SMART GRID   20
2.4.4SMART GRID AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES   23

3.0 SMART GRID IN LTE 24
3.1 TELECOMS AND SMART GRID 25
3.2 EVOLUTION OF THE TELECOMMUNICATION INDUSTRY 27
3.3 FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES FOR A UNIVERSAL RADIO ENVIRONMENT 28
3.4 FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES FOR A UNIVERSAL RADIO ENVIRONMENT TDD SYSTEM  29
3.5 FEATURES OF FUTURE TDD SYSTEM  30
3.6 CHALLENGES OF THE TDD SYSTEM 30
3.7 THE UPCOMING TECHNOLOGY OF TDD SYSTEM  31
3.8 TDD TOPOLOGY   31
3.9 RADIO 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 EVOLUTION 55
3.13.3 WIRELESS TRANSPORT OF M2M DATA TO AND FROM THE MONITORING FACILITY   56
3.13.4 THE BACK-END OPERATIONS AND SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE 56
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 6LOWPAN 60
3.14 LATEST AND UPCOMING TECHNOLOGIES FOR TELECOM IN THE M2M DOMAIN   61
3.14.1 PICOCELL 61
3.14.2 FEMTOCELL62
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 TELECOMMUNICATION 79
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 ARCHITECTURE86
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 ACCESS89
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 2030 108
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 FEMTOCELLS 136
3.25.4 ROI OF THE FEMTOCELLS 138
3.25.5 FEMTOCELL SUPPORT FOR THE SMART GRID APPLICATIONS   139

4.0 SMART GRID MARKET OUTLOOK 141
4.1 WORLDWIDE ELECTRICITY DEMAND FOR THE SMART GRID141
4.1.1 ELECTRICITY DEMAND AND THE USE OF THE SMART GRID 141