SGIP approves inclusion of IEEE 1901-2010 into catalog of standards

USA: IEEE, the world's largest professional organization advancing technology for humanity, announced that the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) and its Participating Members in Good Standing have approved the inclusion of IEEE 1901-2010 “IEEE Standard for Broadband over Power Line Networks: Medium Access Control and Physical Layer Specifications” into its “Catalog of Standards.”

Established in December 2009 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as a public-private partnership, SGIP provides a framework for coordinating all smart grid stakeholders to help accelerate standards harmonization and advance the interoperability of smart grid devices and systems.

After the SGIP’s board of governors’ recommendation, plenary voting among the panel’s Participating Members in Good Standing resulted in the inclusion of the IEEE 1901 standard in its catalog, which is a collection of standards and practices that the SGIP considers to be relevant for the development and deployment of a robust, interoperable and secure smart grid.

“The IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) is honored that the SGIP has recognized the importance of IEEE 1901 to the future of smart-grid deployment and its ongoing development,” said Bill Ash, strategic program manager with the IEEE-SA. “Having the SGIP approve the inclusion of our standard in its catalog underscores the importance of smart-grid expansion and advancement worldwide. We understand that collaboration among multiple organizations is paramount to the smart grid’s success.”

The IEEE 1901 standard was developed for the benefit of high-speed communication devices via electric power lines—also known as broadband over power line (BPL). The standard delivers data rates in excess of 500 Mbps in LAN applications and is used with transmission frequencies below 100 MHz. In addition, the standard provides numerous benefits to utilities, service providers, consumer electronics companies, smart-meter providers and home appliance manufacturers—all organizations that have a stake in smart-grid technologies.