Go on Wi-SUN

The Wi-SUN Alliance is a professional organisation for companies involved in the development of wireless systems in the realm of utilities, smart cities and the Internet of Things.

It promotes certified standards across products with a particular eye on interoperability between solutions. As indicated by a more than 60 per cent increase in membership in the past year, it is increasingly becoming a major player in the field of digital communications.

The alliance’s president is Phil Beecher, someone who is just as committed to advancing the industry as he was when the organisation started – with a slightly narrower remit – six years ago.

Speaking about the evolution of the Wi-SUN Alliance, he says: “The organisation sprang out of initial deployments by utility companies in the US, in relation to smart meter mesh networking infrastructure.

“This included work by organisations such as Pacific Gas and Electric in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Florida Power and Light, who put in approximately four million meters in Miami. These initial deployments were from Silver Spring networks, and at the time consisted of proprietary technology. A number of the other utility product vendors were doing similar things, but they were non-interoperable.”