27th May 2014, Brussels: The PRIME Alliance Board of Directors decided at its recent meeting, the release of the new PRIME v1.4. Specifications, that will be fully accessible during the Utility Week event in Amsterdam.
New Features and Backward Compatibility
The updated specification will introduce new features, among them, robust mode operation, and extension to FCC and ARIB spectrum, while guaranteeing the full interoperability of products and backward compatibility with the already installed four (4) million meters, corresponding Data Concentrators and Gateways with PRIME Specifications 1.3.6. Protecting the previous and today’s investments is a key foundation of the PRIME Alliance to secure the cost of ownership solutions to customers over the whole length of the regulatory periods.
Opening New Markets
By launching the PRIME v1.4 specifications, the industry is not only enjoying the benefits of opening the full 500 kHz FCC and ARIB spectrums to better address American and Asian markets needs but is also taking advantage of recent security and robustness breakthroughs, to enable the deployment of PRIME solutions on medium and low voltage grids, allowing complete variety of configurations and scenarios.
While the PRIME member community is currently creating and testing new features and functionalities going beyond the multi utility metering traditional business, it will unleash a new portfolio of added value services that strongly improve the business case.
PRIME Leads the Industry
We believe that the combination of mass roll out experiences with strict certification processes together with a new wave of added value services is a clear commitment of the leadership of the PRIME Alliance to the industry.
About PRIME Alliance
PRIME (PoweRline Intelligent Metering Evolution) Alliance was created in 2009 to define an open and future-proofed communications PLC-based infrastructure to support large scale smart metering and other smart grid deployments. The PRIME Alliance has attracted key industry players, including Supportive Members ZIV Distribution Automation Systems, Ormazabal, Sagemcom and ST Microlectronics. The goal of the Alliance is to provide a framework in which the smart metering and smart grid industry have access to open detailed technical specifications in order to develop fully interoperable solutions, which would allow multiple vendors to be operational within the same distribution network in one common system architecture. Detailed technical specs include Physical PHY layer and Medium Access Control MAC layer specifications.
The PRIME Alliance provides a forum for the definition, maintenance and support of an open and comprehensive standard for narrowband power line for Smart Grid products and services. The mission of the Alliance is to accelerate the demand for products and services based on this worldwide standard and promote the broad adoption and use of the specification while certifying multi-vendor interoperability and compatibility with the global standard. The Alliance is open to all potential partners who agree to actively support and promote an open and public specification for the benefit of the end-user and all industry stakeholders. Visit www.prime-alliance.org for more information or to join the Alliance.
Media Contact
Sue Dawes
PRIME Alliance AISBL
T: +44 (0) 1923 286401
M: +44 (0) 7786 391243