Reengineering GSM/GPRS Towards a Dedicated Network for Massive Smart Metering

Abstract

GSM is a synonym for a major success in wireless technology, achieving widespread use and high technology ma- turity. However, its future is questionable, as many stakeholders indicate that the GSM spectrum should be refarmed for LTE. On the other hand, the advent of smart grid and the ubiquity of smart meters will require reliable, long-lived wide area connections. This motivates to investigate the potential of GSM to be evolved into a dedicated network for smart metering. We introduce simple mechanisms to reengineer the access control in GSM. The result is a system that offers excellent support for smart metering, as well as the other massive machine-to-machine traffic patterns that are envisioned in 3GPP.