Technologies required for efficient operation of a smart meter network

Smart meter network is one of the backbone for modern power grid or smart grid. It is very critical to have the right technologies for the efficient operation of smart meter network. Smart meter network requires the right bidirectional communications medium and interoperability capability. As thousands of meters will be interconnected to the distribution power network, it is vital to combine communications technologies (communication bandwidth) and interoperability standards to facilitate two-way information flows and this will also facilitate further uptake of greenhouse-friendly technology and enhance energy security. This paper provides an overview of the characteristic of smart meter, associated communication standard and bandwidth and investigates the propagation delay of smart meter via Ethernet devices using the OPNET IT Guru to ensure efficient operation of a smart meter network.