[theonlybutlet]

I think in reality it is a more efficient use of bandwidth using GSM. The alternative means your utility would have to maintain infrastructure and use up alternative bandwidth. In reality I think there should be regulation to keep some really basic form operating like 2G with GPRS or something on all networks.

[vel0city]

Meters are already hardwired to each other. There's little reason to need it to be wireless to begin with.

But either way, it's common for them to also chirp at 915MHz. They don't need their own band to operate, they can participate in these same bands used by other devices. They're not sending that much data.