Why Cellular? » Cost
It's true that in the past, it was nearly cost prohibitive for smart grids to utilize cellular networks. However, rate plans have dropped almost 95 percent in recent years, bringing costs down to a fraction of previous levels. This is certainly a less expensive prospect than building, owning, managing and controlling a proprietary network. In fact, over a 10-year period, some experts estimate that the cost of a cellular smart grid network would be half the cost of a private network.
Better in the Event of a Disaster
Whether man-made or natural, disasters can have a devastating impact on network infrastructures. However, even after the massive devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the cellular networks were operational within days. What damage they did sustain, the carriers paid to repair, while private network infrastructures were in many cases destroyed, requiring significant time and expense on the part of the utility to rebuild. Cellular network-compatible smart grid devices are engineered with the intelligence to know what to do in the event of a major outage.
The Smarter Choice
Now that cellular network technology has become cost competitive, it’s hard to envision a utility choosing a more complex, costly and proprietary alternative.
