Eurotech has won a US$1.7m follow-on order to supply the Zywan cellular router to a US regional power company rolling out smart meters to more than two million customers.
The order, to be delivered by the end of 2011, will support the company’s plan to connect wirelessly smart meters for residential and business clients and enable scada operations.
The cellular router wirelessly transmits real-time data about the power grid. Using the unit gives the utility a reliable network access point for a comprehensive view of its grid.
This provides near real-time management of the end user’s power usage, improving the customer experience while maintaining operational efficiency for the utility. Benefits include automatic meter reading without a visit to the local property and notifications of power outages to manage restoration efforts better.
“Utilities that commit to delivering power over a smart grid have to be able to rely on rugged and capable systems that enable secure and reliable data flow,” said Greg Nicoloso, CEO of Eurotech.
“The Zywan router from Eurotech helps utilities make smart grid initiatives come true.”
The original order to the utility was announced in February 2010. That called for the deployment of $1m worth of Zywan units at base stations throughout the grid to manage power flow and wirelessly connect smart meters for residential and business clients.