Report Calls Smart Utility Meters the IoT Dark Horse

By Ken Briodagh October 03, 2016

Analyst firm Mobile Experts has released a new report titled “Smart Utility Meters 2016.” The report attempts to lay out a description of IoT connectivity for utility metering and compares 15 different technologies to a deep look at business models and market growth.

Unlike many other IoT markets, the report asserts, the Smart Utility Meter market is well underway, with about 48 million smart meters currently deployed each year. This report looks at PLC, 802.15.4 mesh, Wi-Fi, licensed narrowband (FSK), and cellular technologies in order to demonstrate the full range of the market potential. The analysts break down why some technologies are losing ground, while other technologies advance.

“The Smart Utility Meter market started with Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) as a way to reduce labor cost,” said Joe Madden, Principal Analyst, Mobile Experts. “More recent Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) has opened up much more value for utilities, as they can control individual service, offer differentiated pricing, and manage their services more effectively.”

“This study is the next step in the Mobile Experts IoT Series, in which we are making hard-nosed technology comparisons for very specific applications and also matching up companies with business models in each IoT market,” Madden said.

More than 65 companies are profiled in the report, including: