The new frontier of communications research

Abstract

This paper discusses some of the challenges and opportunities of communications research in the area of smart grids and smart metering. It is clear that the communications research community has been actively seeking the 'next big thing' after interests in recent hot topics such as cognitive radio, cooperative communications, and MIMO have more or less peaked. We argue that the new initiative on smart grid worldwide provides an ideal opportunity for communication and networking researchers to apply various existing technologies as well as inventing new ones in this exciting area.