New Fiber-based IP Networking Solutions – ECI Telecom Helps Power Utilities Transition to Smart
Grids
Budapest, HUNGARY – November 3, 2009 – ECI Telecom, global provider of networking infrastructure solutions, has added built-in support for interfacing with teleprotection equipment through optical fiber links. ECI’s BroadGate® micro-Multi-Service Provisioning Platform (µMSPP) now supports the IEEE
C37.94 standard for teleprotection to meet the unique communication networking challenges of power utilities that are ready to transition to smart grid technology.
ECI makes it possible for teleprotection equipment to connect directly with the BroadGate platform through optical fiber, reducing system complexity and risk of environmental interference with mission critical data transmissions.
FACT : In the high-voltage environment of an electric power utility substation, teleprotection equipment is used to quickly isolate faults on communication links to protect the network from failure and damage.
MARKET BACKGROUND: Power utilities are eager to evolve their communications from copper to fiber
IP networks since optical transmission is immune to electromagnetic interference (EMI), radio frequency interference (RMI), ground loops and ground potential rise which can cause data errors on electrical copper networks. As power utilities start planning for the far more information-intensive smart grid model, these environmental factors become even more potentially harmful to mission critical communications.
SMART GRID BACKGROUND: The smart grid approach to electric power generation and distribution add considerable automation and communications load to the existing network. The smart grid concept employs digital technology in three important ways:
· Intelligent devices monitor and measure status
· Two-way communications enable these devices to talk to one another
· Advanced control systems enable computers to automatically make low-level decisions, leaving human operators to oversee and control large areas from a central station
“ECI has focused significant research and development resources on learning and addressing the unique networking needs of power and other types of utilities, particularly as smart grids become reality. With this knowledge and many years of experience building advanced telecom networks, we are able to deliver the benefits of our unified network platform to our utilities customers while addressing their increasingly complex needs.” Alon Moshes, head of ECI Telecom’s MSPP line of business
Supporting the Utilities Market: The entire BroadGate line delivers features that are optimized for the networking requirements of power and other types of utilities, including:
· Smooth migration path to the IEC 61850 framework (eSCADA) with support for Ethernet over
PDH/SDH, providing improved integration, plug-and-play functionality and optimal reuse of legacy equipment such as microwave.
· Support for legacy services through existing interfaces such as V11, V24 and V35.
· V24 point-to-multipoint support.
· PDH, SDH and Carrier Class Ethernet (L1, L2, MPLS) within the same platform
· Full redundancy
These capabilities, tailored for utilities, add to the already rich feature set of the BroadGate platform. The
BroadGate converged end-to-end platform delivers a highly secure network communications infrastructure, reduces points of failure to improve overall performance and is managed by ECI’s
LightSoft® unified network management system.