New Delhi, Aug 29 : The state-owned Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) has delayed the deadline of the tender for installing one million smart electricity meters, ranging from August 30, 2009, following IANS said that the “Maharatna’ PSU is pushing dated outdated technology that could cause the Prime Minister’s 5G vision and reforms to the electricity sector in danger.According to reliable sources in the industry, Power Grid has postponed the date of tender by 10 days, since the technology in focus is the newest platform and connectivity technology known as Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) that is compatible with 5G and 4G networks.
The PGCIL first launched an open tender for the smart meters that are based on older and outdated 2G (2G) and the RF mesh frequency in March.
Then in the process, the PGCIL changed the tender to include NBIoT technology.
But, there was a modification in the bid on August 18 when the latest and 5G-ready technology for NB-IoT was again rejected by the central transmission utility.
The NB-IoT is a cell phone communication technology that is widely recognized worldwide.
It offers enduring cell technology in 4G and 5G and is suitable to be used in basements, high-rises as well as rural locations of machine-to-machine systems.
According to sources, the motive to not allow NB-IOT for smart meters was “unclear given that NB IOT is the most advanced technology at the forefront of the technology and is future-proof”.
One reason why the Power Grid did not go for NB-IoT is that it isn’t yet widely tested on a large scale.
Tata Power Delhi Distribution, which provides electric power in north and north-west Delhi has already implemented the NB-IoT in smart meters which gather and track the consumption of electricity of the unit or system they connect to.
According to the sources, when the capability to provide the most recent technology is present in the nation, it’s an extremely “retrograde decision” for an elite PSU to take an unwise decision and not include this technology from offer.
They also stated that it is crucial that the most advanced technology is used in the energy sector in order to guarantee the long-term viability of the systems that are installed.
The absence of the latest technology is a travesty to the whole idea of modernization, they concluded.
na/pgh
