Mobile Operator as the Aggregator in a Demand Response Model for Smart Residential Communities

Abstract

This article considers new services of a mobile operator aimed at smart residential communities. The goal is to develop an infrastructure and a corresponding business model for emerging smart living services and provide benefits for all the actors and society as a whole. The article addresses the potential of the fifth generation of mobile networks (5G), as the main driver of innovations, with the focus on the context of the utility-related Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The use of 5G for utilities promises to resolve many utility-related issues such as connecting a large number of devices that require high degrees of security and reliability. As telco operators are aiming to expand their offering beyond connectivity, the focus moves to the potential cooperation between mobile operators, the energy market, and citizens. The proposed business model seeks to join all these actors into a unified business model of demand response smart grid service, where the mobile operator takes the role of the aggregator. By taking this role, mobile operators can provide households in smart residential communities with a ready demand response infrastructure.