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Emerging wireless communication for smart grid applications Chapter 5 175

by using secure access gateways in home area networks (HANs) [10]. The
WSNs can also present practical solutions with low cost as well wide coverage
advantage. These advantages make them more prominent technology than that
of other technologies. On the other hand, it is worth noting that low power con-
sumption is a vital requirement of massive networks operating long-term.
In order to enable a communication opportunity with low power consump-
tion, low cost and wide coverage properties for the WSNs, IEEE 802.15.4 stan-
dard has been improved by the IEEE 802.15 working group. Physical (PHY)
and media access control (MAC) layers of this standard exploit exclusive sched-
uling protocols for sleep/wake up modes to accomplish energy-efficient data
transmission. Furthermore, different network schemes (e.g., peer-to-peer
(P2P), cluster-tree and star topology) are supported by this standard. Due to
these distinguished characteristics, IEEE 802.15.4 standard has been considered
as one of the most crucial nominees for the WSNs and wireless control networks
[11–14].
Another potential wireless technology for SG systems is based on the IEEE
802.11 standard that is commonly exploited standard in wireless local area net-
works (WLANs). This standard defines various essential functionalities related
to PHY layer, MAC layer, protocols, authentication, quality of service (QoS)
and so on. From the concept of SG applications, IEEE 802.11 based technolo-
gies (e.g., Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi)) that can provide efficient performance in
both shared spectrum and noisy channels are crucial for Smart Energy Profile
2.0 (SEP 2.0). It is also important to note that this technology can support many
application scenarios and IP based protocols.
Cellular communication systems are also considered as one of the key tech-
nologies for SG applications such as smart metering, phasor measurement unit,
smart energy management, and remote monitoring. Cellular communication
systems can support the requirements of SG applications such as reliability,
security, latency, and overall performance. Furthermore, several service pro-
viders and operators are currently introducing solutions and services for SG
applications. In Fig. 5.1, different wireless communication technologies are
compared in terms of data rate and coverage. Detailed information regarding
these communication technologies are given by the following sections of this
chapter.

5.2 Short-range communication technologies

5.2.1 IEEE 802.15.1 and Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a widespread wireless communication technology developed for
enabling short-range communication. Ericsson designed this technology in
1994 to wirelessly connect mobile phones and other mobile devices and
enabling communication between these devices. Then, a group of companies
formed the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) in 1998. The IEEE approved