Welcome to Plume IQ - our reveal of data-driven intelligence and consumer insights from 3 billion connected devices and 60 million locations, managed by Plume’s cloud platform. The data below is from a sample of our locations gathered last year.
Power Play: WiFi's Energy-Efficient Opportunity
Understandably, there is a tradeoff between having WiFi-enabled devices connected around the clock and the energy cost required for this level of convenience. For many devices, there is no real functional need to be connected to a network 24/7. Most TVs, gaming devices, and laptops have dormant periods where they are off or revert to a sleep mode and conserve electricity. However, that doesn’t happen with the WiFi gateways, routers, and extenders that power networks - these all typically stay at the same level of network supply even as demand from devices lowers.
Plume IQ examines how WiFi networking gear can be a surprising place for energy savings with no noticeable degradation in the consumer experience. WiFi networks not managed intelligently broadcast their signals constantly using unnecessary amounts of energy - however, if the equipment was proactively analyzing the network, it could potentially manage resources resulting in significant energy conservation.
Recently, Plume examined options for energy conservation and tested a new way to use intelligence to reduce energy demand when the needs of a network are low. The details are explained in the whitepaper linked below — here are some highlights:
When consumers are asleep or not at home, Plume is able to detect drops in usage, redirecting devices onto the same WiFi band, and then turn off unused channels to conserve energy.
For example, one of Plume’s SuperPods with WiFi 6E would typically use 9.9 watts. With this new technology - this can be lowered by about a third to 6.8 watts. When testing the feature in Europe across locations in February and March, Plume observed that for locations actively saving energy, the power-saving algorithm was active for at least six hours per day in 84% of locations - and for at least 12 hours per day in 21% of them. This shows that when a network is designed intelligently there is ample opportunity for improvement.
Admittedly, energy savings from a single SuperPod in one home may not seem like a lot, but Plume IQ measured what the scale may amount to if this feature were widely implemented. If one million SuperPods were deployed and provided eight hours of energy optimization per household, up to 7.9 gigawatts per hour over a year could be saved. According to the EPA’s calculations, this would amount to the equivalent of eliminating emissions from 1,240 cars or growing 91,070 trees over a decade.
Plume is thinking bigger. If this technology was deployed over every one of the 1.3 billion broadband connections worldwide, it could conserve the energy usage equivalent of 1.4 million homes. Conservation at this level could eliminate the need for 18 natural gas or 2 coal plants. Granted, this may seem ambitious, but using technology in this way could greatly benefit people and the planet.
To learn more about Plume's energy optimization and reducing energy consumption, read the full white paper here.
OpenSync Lite
OpenSync Lite allows communication service providers (CSPs) to quickly integrate Plume’s smart services on legacy hardware. CSPs can transform their connected network into a fully managed platform and rapidly provide an improved consumer experience. Consumers will get access to the HomePass app to optimize connectivity in the home, improve device connection, and customize their WiFi networks.
Are you a CSP that’s interested in OpenSync Lite? Contact us here
Award: The Cablefax 100 List
We are delighted to share that Plume Founder and CEO Fahri Diner has been included on The Cablefax 100 List for the fifth consecutive year. This award recognizes influential executives across multiple media, cable, and broadband businesses who demonstrate exceptional leadership in leading teams, growing their companies, and driving innovation.
See The Cablefax 100 List here
News Roundup
“[Current MDU networking products present] both a problem and an opportunity for communication services providers (CSPs) and technology providers. The solutions in the market today serve a specific type of apartment building – big, shiny skyscrapers towering over the largest cities. But, in reality, 98% of multi-dwelling units are under one hundred units. CSPs can reach this large population by delivering a modern solution that is affordable, easily deployable, and provides a first-in-class experience for both tenants and property managers.”
“Traffic prioritization tools within the home, for instance, offer a potential solution for the bandwidth-constrained. In one example last month, Plume announced its Network Priority tool that allows people to prioritize a traffic category (streaming, gaming, video calls, etc.), a person or a device within a home for a period of time.”
#PlumeStrong
Preparations for the #PlumeStrong Cycling Challenge are in full swing. We are deeply grateful to our corporate sponsors, who have already committed to making this our best ride to date, and we are encouraged by our riders, who are training feverishly on their own, with one another in races around the world, and alongside our virtual coaching team.
Learn about our individual riders as they train to tackle the #PSCC24 from Zurich, Switzerland, to Venice, Italy, and make a pledge for a PlumeStrong cyclist today.
#PSCC24 donations are collected through our charity partner, Street Child, and 100% of the money raised goes toward providing a safe education for children around the world where schools and communities have been compromised by poverty, war, and natural disasters.
Get ready for #PSCC24 - watch the video here.