Companies from Around the Globe Unite to Form Wireless Smart Utility Alliance

To promote an interconnect standard for wireless smart grid devices, several well-known companies have joined to create the Wi-SUN (Wireless Smart Utility) Alliance.

“We are excited by the strong industry interest we’ve seen,” said Hiroshi Harada, director of Smart Wireless Laboratory, NICT and Raj Vaswani, chief technology officer at Silver Spring Networks, Inc., Wi-SUN Alliance founders and co-chairs, in a press release. “World-class companies are coming together to define common technology, certification, and promotion programs which will provide a true global standard for wireless Smart Utility Network expansion and the interoperability of devices.”

With an interconnect standard, wireless devices will be better able to communicate from remote locations and with home appliances. Wi-SUN supports IEEE (News – Alert) 802.15.4g as the standard for wireless communication between battery-powered pieces of equipment. Like other similar alliances, Wi-SUN is working to establish common standards to power the global smart grid build-out.

The companies forming initial incarnation of the Wi-SUN Alliance include Analog Devices (News – Alert), Inc., Fuji Electric Co. Ltd., Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Omron Corp., Osaki Electric Co. Ltd., Renesas Electronics Corporation and Silver Spring Networks, Inc.

The group plans to hold an Open House on April 27 at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel in Tokyo. All companies interested in finding out more about Wi-SUN are welcome to attend but must first register on the alliance’s website. The group will launch the Wi-SUN Certified program in summer 2012 to promote seamless connectivity. Wi-SUN’s mission multiple aspects of smart grid interoperability standards, including technology development, market building and regulatory programs.

“Analog Devices is honored to be among the founding members of the Wi-SUN Alliance,” said Ronn Kliger, director, Energy Segment, Analog Devices. “This complements our technology development activities as well as our involvement in the IEEE 802.15.4g standards committee. The Wi-SUN Alliance enables the smart meter industry to have, for the first time, the means to ensure standards compliance and interoperability to facilitate the rapid adoption of smart meter technology.”

Phil Beecher, who is chair of the IEEE 802.15.4g Task Group, will serve as the initial chairperson for the Wi-SUN Alliance.

Edited by Jennifer Russell