It is well-known that our country is preparing to embrace the 5G Technology with the launch of M2M tech and others. But the condition of the electricity sector is not quite well, as the central transmission utility Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) is still using outdated technology to install one crore smart electricity meters. While earlier this year, the PGCIL had floated a smart metering tender, first based on older and dated second generation (2G) and RF mesh frequency, and later on included NBIoT technology, the latest revision excluded the new and 5G-ready NB-IoT technology.
It must be noted that the latest platform and connectivity solution called Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT), on the other hand, can work with both the 4G and 5G networks. The electricity supplier in the north and north-west Delhi, Tata Power Delhi Distribution already uses NB-IoT in smart meters that collect and then track the electricity consumption of a unit or a system. NB-IoT is a cellular communication technology which has a global appeal. It provides enduring cellular technology in 4G as well as 5G deployments and works well in high-rises, basements and rural installations of machine-to-machine applications.
The industry sources opined that when the capability to offer the latest technology exists in the country, it is a highly “retrograde step” for a PSU to make a backward move and exclude the technology from its tender. They further added that it is essential that the latest technology be deployed in the power sector in order to ensure the longevity of the systems being put into place. It is noteworthy that the Central Power Ministry also unveiled a new programme called Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), to provide 250 million customers with smart meters by 2025.
