The standard is expected to support broad acceptance of wireless mesh networking in utility, energy and smart city infrastructure projects.
The Wi-SUN Alliance’s Wi-SUN Field Area Network (FAN) details have formally been approved as ISO/IEC/IEEE 32857:2026. This approval has made it the first wireless mesh networking specification to be adopted as an ISO/IEC standard.
This recognition will let utilities, municipalities and infrastructure operators with an internationally recognised status framework for deploying secure, interoperable wireless mesh networks for smart grids, smart metering and smart city applications.
The new classification is expected to simplify procurement processes. It will allow government agencies, regulators, and utilities to reference an internationally ratified standard rather than relying solely on industry specifications when evaluating connectivity solutions for critical infrastructure.
Phil Beecher, president and CEO of the Wi-SUN Alliance, said the ISO/IEC recognition reinforces the maturity of Wi-SUN technology, which already supports large-scale utility networks, including nationwide smart metering deployments in Japan and smart grid projects across North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
The alliance noted that only around 3% of IEEE-originated specifications achieve joint ISO/IEC recognition, highlighting the technical maturity of the Wi-SUN FAN specification and the consensus-driven standards development process behind it.
Gary Stuebing, Past Chair of the Entity Collaborative Activities Governance Board at IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA), said the adoption demonstrates that the specification meets the rigorous technical requirements needed for globally interoperable and certifiable implementations.
The standard is expected to support broad acceptance of wireless mesh networking in utility, energy and smart city infrastructure projects.
