Wi-SUN Alliance Launches FAN Certification Program For Large-Scale, Outdoor IoT Networks
Paves the Way to Accelerate IoT End Device Interoperability
San Ramon, CA – The Wi-SUN Alliance, a global ecosystem of member companies seeking to accelerate the implementation of open standards-based Field Area Networks (FAN) and the Internet of Things (IoT), today announced its FAN Certification Program. FAN is a communications infrastructure for very large-scale networks. In the same way you use the Internet on a smartphone or computer, a Field Area Network lets devices interconnect onto one common network.
The availability of the FAN Certification Program is the result of the vision, collaboration and dedication of a number of Wi-SUN Member companies. Through the certification program, the Wi-SUN Alliance certifies products based on their compliance
The FAN Certification Program will certify devices for use by utilities, city developers and other service providers to simplify and support large-scale, outdoor networks for smart cities, smart utilities and other IoT rollouts – and to help reduce costs and delays. Wi-SUN members plan to announce certified products in Q4 2018.
Proprietary systems are no longer sufficiently flexible, or as cost-effective as solutions based on open standards, and will become less relevant within a few years. Adhering to the Wi-SUN FAN profile based on open IEEE and IETF standards enables service providers, smart cities and utilities to deploy adaptable multi-service networks and will help ensure interoperability, not only
“Wi-SUN continues to be at the forefront of IoT innovation, and as cities, utilities and the industry grows their IoT networks, they are increasingly recognizing that industry-wide open standards are essential for interoperability and scalability,” says Phil Beecher, President and CEO of the Wi-SUN Alliance. “FAN Certification is an endorsement for governments and the industry that our members’ products are compliant to these open standards, and safeguards quality, interoperability, security, scalability – and ultimately gives customers a competitive advantage.”
Key benefits of FAN Certification include: • Offers utilities, cities and service providers adaptable multi-service networks that will help ensure interoperability today and for future generations. • Reduces the time needed to evaluate new products, as
All Wi-SUN certified products are rigorously tested by a certified Wi-SUN appointed third-party test lab to ensure the devices work together effortlessly and securely for rapid time to market. Certified devices include a digital certificate to authenticate entry to a Wi-SUN FAN network, significantly reducing vulnerability to cyber security threats. Under a separate agreement, Wi-SUN has selected GlobalSign to provide Certificate Authority (CA) services to Wi-SUN Alliance member companies.
Alex Davies, Senior Analyst, Rethink Technology Research and Editor of RIOT: “Open standards are one of the surest ways to ensure mass adoption of a technology. As with WiFi and the 3GPP cellular protocols, Wi-SUN’s FAN is delivering multiple choices for equipment and technology suppliers to facilitate customer interest. Energy suppliers and grid operators are concerned about vendor lock-in, particularly due to the long life cycles of their deployments. To this end, Wi-SUN should provide an answer to their mission-critical problems that other LPWAN options cannot. It opens the door for them to expand into other IoT markets, with smart cities a major opportunity.”
Iker Urrutia, Manager, Smart Grids,
Colton Ching, Senior Vice President of Planning & Technology at Hawaiian Electric: “We continue to see Wi-SUN technology as a major enabler for large-scale IoT applications throughout Hawaii with the availability of its FAN Certification Program. The Wi-SUN Alliance and its members have taken a major step forward in bringing multi-vendor, interoperable solutions to fruition.”
FAN Certification Availability:
The FAN Certification Program has been developed through the collaboration of Wi-SUN member companies, including product vendors and collaborators participating in interoperability events to prove the specifications and certification test program. The following are among some of the companies who have been actively leading the way to certification: Analog Devices, Cisco, EPRI, Itron, Kyoto University/Nissin Systems, Landis+Gyr,
To learn more about how to submit your products to be certified, please visit http://www.wi-sun.org Ensuring a product is compliant can be complex so the Wi-SUN Alliance is eager to help and address any concerns. Please join Wi-SUN for an upcoming webinar on Oct 16,
About the Wi-SUN Alliance
The Wi-SUN Alliance is a global non-profit member-based association made up of
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Media contacts:
North America
Shannon Mayette, Wi-SUN Alliance
media@wi-sun.org
Tel: +1 (602) 882-4733
Tel: +44 (0) 20 3814 2941
UK
Amanda Hassall, Paula Averley, Louise Burke
Origin Communications
Wi-SUN@origincomms.com