Wi-SUN Alliance have launched a new product certification program that will enable utilities and smart service providers to buy smart connected devices with confidence.
The new program will certify that products such as smart meters, smart sensors, communications modules, and development kits are compliant with the Field Area Network (FAN) 1.1 wireless mesh specification. This certification will ensure that these devices adhere to strict cybersecurity and network resilience standards and are interoperable with other products on the same network.
“Organisations providing public services are always seeking to improve their efficiency,” said Phil Beecher, CEO, Wi-SUN Alliance. “Collecting large amounts of relevant data and being able to roll out the latest technologies is crucial for this. But none of that is possible without having secure, resilient network infrastructure. The FAN 1.1 certification program will provide assurance that the devices they are buying will work securely and smoothly within their existing networks.”
The latest version of the Alliance’s FAN specification adds significant new functions. It offers almost 10 times the maximum data rate, and very low-power operations that allow extended battery life for gas and water meters. Additionally, it delivers the continued ability to scale into millions of nodes. FAN 1.1 is also backward compatible with FAN 1.0, allowing new devices to seamlessly integrate with existing FAN networks for smooth and scalable network expansions.
Smart IoT devices provide insights into how modern utilities are operating and other large-scale networks, such as identifying usage patterns and detecting potential issues before they happen. The open standards Wi-SUN is based on allow utilities and other IoT users to build efficient and reliable networks free of proprietary limitations such as vendor lock in.
A decentralised FAN allows communications to continue even if part of the network goes down. It also allows much longer distances over which data can be transmitted due to its mesh capabilities, which are needed for large geographic networks such as utilities deploy. The first FAN 1.1 vendors are set to be certified in Q1 of 2025.
“Operational disruptions can be detrimental for the utilities sector; communications need to be ‘always on’ so operators can consistently meet the rising demands of customers,” said Chris Calvert, Vice President of Technologies, Landis Gyr. “The wireless mesh infrastructure of a Wi-SUN FAN has provided utilities with the ubiquitous connectivity and confidence that their critical communications will remain uninterrupted.
“When new operation enhancing technologies become available and a complete ‘rip and replace’ of critical infrastructure is not an option for utilities, Wi-SUN’s FAN 1.1 certification enables them to smoothly integrate new technologies.”
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