  The introduction of smart electricity meters with cellular radio interface
puts an additional load on the wireless cellular networks. Currently, these
meters are designed for low duty cycle billing and occasional system check,
which generates a low-rate sporadic traffic. As the number of distributed
energy resources increases, the household power will become more variable and
thus unpredictable from the viewpoint of the Distribution System Operator
(DSO). It is therefore expected, in the near future, to have an increased
number of Wide Area Measurement System (WAMS) devices with Phasor Measurement
Unit (PMU)-like capabilities in the distribution grid, thus allowing the
utilities to monitor the low voltage grid quality while providing information
required for tighter grid control. From a communication standpoint, the traffic
profile will change drastically towards higher data volumes and higher rates
per device. In this paper, we characterize the current traffic generated by
smart electricity meters and supplement it with the potential traffic
requirements brought by introducing enhanced Smart Meters, i.e., meters with
PMU-like capabilities. Our study shows how GSM/GPRS and LTE cellular system
performance behaves with the current and next generation smart meters traffic,
where it is clearly seen that the PMU data will seriously challenge these
wireless systems. We conclude by highlighting the possible solutions for
upgrading the cellular standards, in order to cope with the upcoming smart
metering traffic.
