An Investigation of Radiofrequency Fields

Associated with the Itron Smart Meter

http://heartland.org/sites/default/files/sites/all/modules/custom/heartland_migration/files/pdfs/29676.pdf

page 34

“For the Itron equipment that was the subject of this investigation, Two separate transmitters are contained in

the end-point meters. The wireless mesh network can be referred to as an RF LAN (radio frequency local area network).

The Itron RF LAN operates in the 902-928 MHz license free band using spread spectrum

transmitting technology. A second, separate transmitter that operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency range (2405 MHz to 2483 MHz) uses direct sequence spread spectrum technology that is referred to as a Zigbee radio.

This Second transmitter is included for use with Home Area Networks (HANs) allowing customers, for example, to control certain electric appliances or systems within the home. When fully implemented, the customers will be able to connect wirelessly with the HAN radio and set times at which various appliances and/or electrical systems may operate, thereby taking advantage of those times during which electricity rates are lowest.   The RF LAN provides data communications among the various end-point meters and an associated cell relay meter.

Cell relays are end-point meters that contain yet a Third transceiver that is designed for wireless connection to the cellular WWAN,

i.e., relaying of the data received from the various end-point meters over a private connection to the electric utility company.

The transceivers use the same frequency bands used by cell phones.

Two different frequency bands are used by these cell-relay transceivers, either the 850 MHz band or the 1900 MHz band.

7 Figure 2-3 shows a cell relay with the flexible dual band antenna located on the inside surface of the meter cover.”

ZigBee Antennas