BIS adopts open standard for better security, reliability in smart city projects

The national standards body Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has adopted Wi-SUN Alliance FAN (Field Area Networks) specification (within IEEE 2857-2021) for Smart Meter RF Communication Networks, particularly beneficial for smart city projects. This pertains to standards for large scale outdoor networks for internet of things (IoT) applications, including smart metering projects, smart grids, street lighting, etc. This adoption is expected to enable interoperable, multi-service and secure wireless communications networks for government, utilities, service providers, and enterprises.

Wi-SUN is known open standard for smart metering networks, which has been deployed for millions of units across the world. It ensures security and reliability. Until now various Indian companies have been using proprietary solutions which pose security risk due to lack of transparency and vendor dependency. Open standard like Wi-SUN FAN is expected to offer transparency, interoperability and flexibility, eliminating the risk of single point failures. 

“The adoption of Wi-SUN Alliance wireless communications specification, incorporated in IEEE 2857, as a standard for India by the BIS is a clear signal that the National Standards Body recognises the role that wireless mesh technology will play in driving the growth of smart cities in India and the rapid rollout of smart meter projects over the next few years,” added Phil Beecher, President and CEO of Wi-SUN Alliance. 

To be sure, Wi-SUN FAN uses public-key infrastructure with each device containing unique identity certificate that enables mutual authentication of devices and network. This ensures utilities can conduct intrusion detection, traffic shaping, network analysis, and penetration testing, allowing for better mitigation of DOS attacks, while offering better network visibility. Wi-SUN’s wireless mesh technology is currently deployed for the Smart City Lab project in Hyderabad, as part of the partnership between International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-H), the government of Telangana, and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology India. It serves as test bed for smart city technologies.