Silver Spring Networks told investors almost a year ago about a significant new customer that the company could not yet name. Today, the developer of IPv6-based IoT solutions said the customer is Oklahoma Gas & Electric, which wants to connect 250,000 LED street lights within its
Oklahoma service territory. Silver Spring will connect and manage the smart lighting network using its Street.Vision control software.
“Connecting the street lights across our service territory is a natural extension of our ambitious smart grid program and demonstrates our commitment to delivering efficient, reliable lighting and electricity service to the citizens of Oklahoma,” said Ken Grant, VP of sales and marketing at OG&E. “Silver Spring’s connected street lights platform will help OG&E improve service, lower costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance public safety,”
The investor-owned utility has been promoting LED lighting to its residential customers, and will now try the technology for outdoor lighting. According to local news station KFOR, OG&E is telling the public the lights will be brighter, more durable, and more energy efficient. The utility cited Los Angeles as an example of a city that has saved millions with connected LED lights.
Silver Spring Networks is North America’s leading provider of intelligent streetlight control, according to the smart infrastructure analysts at Northeast Group. Silver Spring has partnered with Florida Power & Light to deploy half a million connected street lights in what is believed to be the world’s largest connected lighting project. The company has also partnered with Baltimore Gas & Electric, ComEd, and Pepco Holdings.
As one of the early entrants into the market for low power wide-area network solutions to connect infrastructure, Silver Spring has already shipped more than 24 million devices. The company is led by CEO Mike Bell, a high profile executive who has served as a VP at Apple, Intel and Palm. Bell spoke to RCR Wireless several months ago about his company’s market position vis-a-vis the cellular carriers.
“We actually think we’re a great add-on for cellular,” Bell said. “We aggregate all that traffic before it goes back through the cellular backbone, which actually is a very optimum use of that kind of routing so we see ourselves as a perfect partner of many of the cell companies.”
