Logistics, Savings, and Sustainability Favor Wireless Technology, Says New Report

We have seen the future and it is wireless: That’s the gist of a report sponsored and released on October 11 by Washington, D.C.-based CTIA-The Wireless Association, and authored by San Francisco-based BSR, an industry group that promotes sustainability.  What’s more, the study finds, wireless-enabled technology could drive billions of dollars in energy savings in industry, agriculture, and the public sector.

Although these two organizations might be accused of having a bias, the report, “Wireless and the Environment: A Review of Opportunities and Challenges,” makes a good case— outlining how the adoption of wireless-enabled technology is being advanced by three major catalysts:

• Remote access: Wireless sensor networks facilitate transmission from locations so remote that a wire infrastructure is not available, and might not be feasible.
• Broadband: Wireless broadband is now common in many parts of the world and the difference between wired and wireless speeds is rapidly diminishing, or insignificant.
• Lower costs: Within the past few years, the costs of hardware, software, and services have come down dramatically; and that trend is likely to continue, with advances in technology and increasing volumes.

Already, there are about 5 billion mobile phone subscribers worldwide—equivalent to 77 percent of the planet’s population. Machine to machine (M2M) communications have been deployed in nearly every industry, and are expected to number 412 million globally by 2014.

The report provides specific case studies of how wireless technology can increase energy efficiency in various industries, including the following:

• Transportation/fleet management: Meetze Plumbing, a South Carolina company with 14 trucks, uses a GPS-based fleet management system running across AT&T (News - Alert) cellular networks to track each of its vehicles at multiple job sites throughout the day. The system allows fleet managers to accurately identify the closest vehicle to the next job, enabling dynamic scheduling and routing under real-time circumstances. This has resulted in faster and more efficient customer service, as well as reduced driving time, and optimal fuel efficiency. “I really don’t know how we ever did business without this tool,” says Sam Freeman, manager.
• Smart grid: “Through the use of [Texas-based] Consert‘s [cellular smart grid solutions], CPS Energy hopes to realize a savings of 250 megawatts. This tool will afford our customers the ability to directly impact the reduction of kilowatt-hours used in the San Antonio area. CPS Energy is confident that its long-term vision of reducing 771 megawatts of peak demand by 2020, and thereby by delaying the need for the construction of another power plant, is well within its reach.” Said a spokesman for the Texas-based utility in September 2011.
• Agriculture: In addition to soil monitoring, wireless sensor networks can be used to monitor incremental changes in the environmental weather conditions around plants. Wireless sensors monitor for temperature, relative humidity levels, precipitation, leaf wetness, solar radiation, and wind speed. These sensors produce data that can help predict harmful weather-related events, including early frost warnings by alerting farmers when temperatures drop to dew point. Massachusetts-based Onset has developed a web-based, wireless sensing system to monitor for frost, with automated triggering of the irrigation system to prevent freezing, plus deactivation once the conditions pass. Notifications also can be sent to a grower’s mobile phone when the irrigation system is turned on or off, so growers can know immediately when a frost event occurs.
• Public sector: Smart traffic applications could cut fuel consumption on urban roadways by as much as 20 percent in the United States. In July 2011, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that the Big Apple (News - Alert) would be adopting an intelligent traffic management system to monitor and improve traffic flow in Manhattan. The proposed system, called Midtown in Motion, will deploy wireless sensors, video cameras, and other traffic management technology to reduce congestion and improve traffic flow. The state-of-the-art technology will allow traffic engineers to identify congestion choke points in real-time, and wirelessly control traffic signals at intersections to adjust traffic patterns and clear traffic jams. The real-time data is transmitted over the New York City Wireless Network (NYCWiN), a proprietary broadband cellular network managed by the Department of Information and Technology and Telecommunications. Real-time traffic information will be available to motorists and app developers for use on mobile phones and PDAs.

“The report illustrates the transformative power wireless communications has on our personal and professional lives— and on businesses seeking cost savings through sustainable practices,” said Steve Largent (News - Alert), president and CEO of CTIA. “This report is another piece of evidence for why the U.S. wireless industry needs more spectrum, as more companies of all sizes continue to use mobile products and services to drive efficiencies that benefit their customers and the environment.” 

“These examples of sustainability efforts made possible by wireless technology are just the tip of the iceberg,” said Vijay Kanal, director of BSR’s Information and Communications Technology Practice, and project leader of this report. “With breakthroughs in machine-to-machine communications, sensors .and greater penetration of wireless broadband, BSR anticipates applications around these technologies will mushroom as commercial and public sector organizations continue to seek out efficiencies and cost savings that also benefit the environment. But the ICT industry needs to take the lead in helping other industries realize this potential, while also addressing some of the negative impacts.”  

In early 2012, BSR will deliver the second report in the CTIA (News - Alert)-commissioned series, which will cover the socio-economic impact of wireless technology in the developed and developing world.