Rogers extends wireless technology to utility firms in Canada

CanadaÂ’s biggest wireless operator Rogers Communications Inc has announced that it is working with Enersource Corporation to install an IP based wireless network that will support wireless smart meters to manage electricity supply to homes and businesses across the city of Mississauga.

Rogers has not disclosed the value of the deal it has signed with Enersource Corporation, which is 90 percent owned by the city of Mississauga.

The Ontario government has mandated that every home and small business must have a smart meter installed by 2010. Smart meters not only record energy consumption but also the time of consumption, disclosing different electricity rates applicable to different times of the day.

These wireless smart meters monitor electricity usage and later transmit to the utility company, using the wireless network being built by Rogers.

Customers will then be able to observe how much electricity is being consumed during each period and more importantly, how much money it is costing. Such information will enable customers to control energy costs by switching the time of usage. For meter readers, these wireless devices avoid the need to drive from one place to another to read the meters. In other words, they save fuel and reduce the emission of greenhouse gas, which is primarily blamed for global warming.

"This wireless network is self-registering, self-healing, self-reporting and always online and this innovative solution will ensure that customers receive timely, accurate and reliable electricity consumption data," said Enersource President and Chief Executive Officer Craig Fleming.

"Today, environmental matters are among the key issues we face, and we are committed to applying our culture of innovation to tackling the challenges of climate change and environmental sustainability," said John Boynton, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Rogers Wireless.