Abstract

This paper charts the evolution of electric utility communications requirements towards the vision of a Smart Grid: an automated two-way network for the delivery of power and broadband data, connecting together the various utility subsystems and applications down to the level of the consumer.  It lays out the roles of the different communications technologies and standards within the context of the hierarchical organization of a Smart Grid communications network and describes the attributes of GridCom, foundational network architecture for a standards-based wide-area aggregation network capable of supporting the broad array of Smart Grid applications and subsystems.