SmartSynch announced Tuesday that it's establishing a foothold in a market so far underserved by smart meters – Indian reservations.
The Jackson, Miss.-based maker of smart meters that communicate via cellular networks is providing its equipment and services to the Gila River Indian Community Utility Authority in Arizona.
It's a small project, encompassing about 2,700 electric meters to be replaced over the next five years or so, said William Pezalla, the utility's general manager.
But given what Pezalla cited as the advantages of using a cellular network-enabled smart meter solution over the alternatives for his sparsely populated, rural service area, it may not be the last.
Smart meters that use their own wireless radios to form their own network were too expensive for his utility, he said. And powerline carrier communications wasn't an option, as the federal government owns the power lines the utility uses, he said (see Broadband Over Powerline Brings Smart Grid to Rural Areas).
"We were looking for a system that would work with the existing infrastructure," Pezalla said – in his case, the existing AT&T cellular network.
SmartSynch has been working with cellular providers for years to link commercial and industrial smart meters, and earlier this year announced a partnership with AT&T to connect residential meters as well (see Your Electrical Meter Becomes a Cellphone and Green Light post).
While cellular networks are a popular way to link smart meters in Europe, they're not nearly as widespread as those using self-contained wireless communications in the United States. Millions of smart meters using radio mesh technology are being deployed by Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Southern California Edison, Florida Power & Light, CenterPoint Energy, Oncor, Pepco Holdings Inc. and others.
Many U.S. utilities want to own their own networks rather than be beholden to cellular carriers, analysts say.
But SmartSynch CEO Stephen Johnston said he sees a lot of promise for the technology, including in rural areas such as Indian reservations.
"You can target your high energy users first, without having to go out and build this expensive network," he said.
