The Market for Smart Water Meters

From WaterWorld:

LONDON, UK, Oct. 22, 2013 -- The global market for wireless communication modules is expected to approximately double in value over the coming years with an increase in smart meter deployments, jumping from $532 million in 2012 to $1.3 billion in 2020, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12 percent, according to a new report from research and consulting firm GlobalData.

The company's latest report states that North America, currently the dominant player in the global wireless communication modules market for smart meters, will be a key driver behind the leap, with its own market revenue expected to climb steadily from $379 million in 2012 to $433.7 million in 2020.

Europe will also continue to account for a considerable share of the global market, thanks to a significant number of pilot-scale projects getting underway across the region. The uptake of wireless communication modules in the UK, Denmark and Ireland in particular looks promising, according to GlobalData, and these countries are predicted to occupy an even larger share of Europe's wireless smart meter communication market by the end of 2020.

Cellular and Radio Frequency (RF) communication modules are the two key technologies used in smart meters for two-way data transmission. RF modules account for an 85 percent share of the North American market, thanks to their low cost, high bandwidth and efficient performance in industrial areas.

Ginni Hima Bindu, GlobalData's Analyst covering Smart Grid, said, "The preference for wireless communication modules over wired technology is also owed to their incredibly secured network, and as a result, we expect to see an increased take-up of wireless technology for smart meter deployments across North America, the UK and Japan, which will continue to drive the market over the forecast period."