by Shane Henson — July 8, 2011—According to a new tracking report from Pike Research, global smart meter shipment volumes continued to be strong in the first quarter of 2011 (1Q11), with 17.4 million units shipped. A nearly equal number of associated advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) communications nodes were shipped during the same period as well.
Pike Research’s analysis of smart meter unit shipments also reveals the following:
- China was the leading market for smart meter shipments, constituting 70% of total unit volumes during 1Q11. The shares for other regions were as follows: North America (21%), Europe (6%), Asia Pacific excluding China (2%), and Latin America (1%).
- Powerline communications (PLC) was the primary networking technology utilized in meters shipped during 1Q11, representing 76% of the total. This trend was driven by unit shipments in China and Europe. Excluding China, however, RF Mesh technology was on top with a 59% share of the market.
- Advanced smart meters—those with a home area networking (HAN) interface and remote disconnect/reconnect capabilities—represented 62% of global shipments outside China, with representation in each world region.
- Powerline communications (PLC) was the primary networking technology utilized in meters shipped during 1Q11, representing 76% of the total. This trend was driven by unit shipments in China and Europe. Excluding China, however, RF Mesh technology was on top with a 59% share of the market.
