Automatic Meter Reading Association Releases Update on AMR Units

The July 1998 Trials & Installations Update reflects a rebound in the automatic meter reading (AMR) industry as U.S. states and counties around the world move toward a competitive utility-service market.

The update, which includes projects launched or significantly altered since January, is the largest mid-year report Automatic Meter Reading Association (AMRA) has ever produced. The publication provides details about 75 deployments at 73 utilities in North America, South America, Europe and Pacific Rim comprising more than 5.4 million units.

Deployments include 35 projects, scheduled to involve more than 3 million meter sites when complete, that were announced in 1998. More than 30 utility representatives indicate expansions of existing trials and installations.

Anglian Water (Huntington, England) reports the update's largest single project: the installation of a 2 million point radio and fixed-network radio system scheduled to begin in November after a year-long trial. The systems is a joint development between Logica UK and the utility and is designed to enable tariffing, detect leakage and tampering, improve billing accuracy and provide demand management.

Only one other recently announced installation tops the 1 million mark. Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority intends to deploy a 1.3 million unit power-line communications system throughout its island service territory. The utility, which has headquarters in San Jaun, also plans to use the system for distribution automation, load management, real-time reads and outage and tamper detection.

For more information contact the AMRA at: 60 Revere Drive, Suite 500, Northbrook, IL, 60062; Tel: 847-480-9628; Fax: 847-480-9282.