IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA), a globally recognized standards setting body within IEEE, has introduced two new standards IEEE 1701TM and IEEE 1702TM, to create a multi source plug and play communications environment for implementation of diverse smart metering devices, for the first time in India. While deployment of smart Meters and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) has been recognized as an important steps towards Smart Grid implementation and enhancing power efficiency in India, the issue of interoperability has significantly impacted the pace and quantity of smart meter roll out. With the introduction of the two standards, IEEE-SA aims to help address this basic issue. Both the IEEE 1701 and IEEE 1702 standards provide lower layer communication protocols for LAN/WAN ports and telephone ports, respectively, used in conjunction with utility metering. Both standards solve the problems associated with single source systems and with multi-source systems based upon proprietary communications protocols. Electric, water, and gas utilities and corresponding vendors can realize cost savings which ultimately shall benefit the client consumers of the utilities.

Smart Meters will help provide automated real time meter reading and billing information, two way communications between the utility and the smart meter, delivery of voltage and power quality data to the utility and automated alarms to alert the utilities to operational issues and attempted power theft. Energy industry, regulators and law makers have been discussing interoperability of smart metering systems in India and the need to introduce standards to help construct a secure communications infrastructure for advanced metering.