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The Internet was born approximately 20 years ago out of a project to integrate a US Defense Department Network called ARPAnet. This integration involved radio, satellite, voice and data networks. The Internet has completely revolutionised public communication networks. The concept of using the Internet for a Metering Communications Service is proposed. The use of the Internet for a range of customer services in the residential and industrial area is also detailed. The Internet provides the potential for integrating many thousand of homes into a Wide Area Metering Communications Network (WAMCN) architecture. The potential characteristics of this type of communication architecture are established for efficient transport of data services.

This paper addresses the potential applications of power-line-carrier (PLC) communications technology within the field of industrial plant/equipment control. The special needs and requirements for this application (in terms of such factors as system integrity and response times) will be considered in comparison with those for other types of PLC application. Existing PLC technologies will be discussed and their suitability (or otherwise) for this application considered.

The concept of using the power line in conjunction with the Broadband Integrated Services Network (BISDN) for a range of value added service is proposed. The use of the power line in the Low Voltage Distribution Network, as a local loop in communications for a range of customer services in the residential and industrial area is detailed. The integration of this local loop residential service into a BISDN network provides the potential for integrating many thousands of homes into a Wide Area Network (WAN) architecture. The potential characteristics of this type of communication architecture are established for efficient transport of data services.

The key parameters to provide effective and transparent communications using the low voltage mains signalling networks are identified. The magnitude and quantitative assessment of the key parameters are discussed with respect to providing seamless communications in the utility to home and in building communications network.

Seven years have passed since the introduction of the liberalisation of the Electricity Supply Industry in the UK. Many diverse benefits and applications have been suggested which depend upon efficient bi-directional communications between the utility and its customer base. These applications have included automatic meter reading (AMR), distribution automation, load management, remote meter calibration, tokenless prepayment and remote tariff management. However the ongoing development of competition in the Electricity Supply Industry (ESI) in the United Kingdom may slow implementation, or even prevent these communications becoming a reality.

This paper will review the current standards, both from the European and International perspective, for the development of efficient methods for producing and controlling electrical energy. The formation of the different committees', their aim together with applications to control energy will be discussed. The interaction of European and International bodies to provide a future unified policy for energy control will be reviewed. Applications to the different potential services required in a power communication system for the future are identified.

This paper addresses the electricity deregulation in the United Kingdom and the key issues effecting the future of Regional Electricity Companies in this new environment. The development of services and communications architecture for monitoring the power distribution network in terms of power regulations are discussed. New potential services to customers are considered together with their benefits and efficiency

In response to deregulation, many UK Regional Electricity Companies (RECs) are currently considering redesigning their communication infrastructure to meet this and other business requirements. This paper presents a proposed communication infrastructure for South Western Electricity plc. The Company services a wide variety of customers in the South West of England. The supporting technology, REC and customer benefits, together with valued added services (VAS) will be addressed.

The deregulation of the electricity supply industry will provide for the emergence of new telecommunications and information technologies and the eventual information super-highway. A utility needs to understand the long-term strategy of potential telecommunications before making any decisions. With an increasing competitive environment utility companies face a window of both necessity and opportunity. The necessity to investigate and assess the information and telecommunications capabilities they will need to be competitive in their main operations and the opportunity to consider new sources of revenue that such capabilities may make possible. Irrespective of approach a utility takes to integrating its main activities with the emerging information superhighway, only a confluence of energy and information technologies can meet the national challenge of efficiently managing energy demand, supply and transmission. Utilities will be driven to become more competitive in deploying both supply-side and demand side energy information services in order to control access to the customer and prevent erosion of their customer base. However at the same time, utilities have the potential to become significant players in the communications field especially towards the superhighway by providing non-energy value added services through telecommunications infrastructures. Structuring a telecommunications architecture and strategy for a particular utility is difficult because it involves many interconnected technological, economic, competitive and financial considerations. This paper will consider these key points including telecommunications networks, supply side information services and energy information services. The changes in architecture and technologies of communications systems leading to new services plus additional attributes to current services will be covered.

The privatisation of the water, Gas and Electricity utilities under United Kingdom Government legislation has led to new developments of these industries in a new competitive market. Metering systems for all these utilities has developed into a very innovatory market with all three utilities investigating novel and cost effective metering communications systems. This paper discusses current field trials within the London Electricity Board in conjunction with Thorn-EMI for providing metering services to the residential customer.

This paper addresses the potential applications of multi-protocol routing for Automatic Remote Meter Reading (ARMR). The paper concentrates on the special needs for these applications over the lower line, in terms of: * The data on a lower line medium. * Transmitting and receiving data from any point on the Low Voltage Distribution Network. * Achieving reliable communications from any point on the Low Voltage Distribution Network to any other internal and external point * The ability to increase system performance. Other communications media such as radio and telephone line are not ignored. The intention is to seek out a protocol or multiprotocol routing architecture, which could be used for power line carrier systems but equally could also be applied to these other media for the communication of metering data, and other services.