STATUS OF
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SYSTEM AND O&M
PRACTICES IN ELECTRIC
POWER INDUSTRY OF SERBIA
(EPS)
Danilo Lalović,
Senior Engineer for Telecommunications
1. Deregulation in energy sector
Reorganization process of integral Serbian
electric power industry was completed in
the past establishing two independent
technical business systems:
• JP Electric Power Industry of Serbia
• JP Serbian Transmission System (EMS)-in
charge of Electric Power Transmission and
Transmission System operator
2. Company Information
Electric Power Industry of Serbia (EPS) is public
enterprise which is vertically organized and
composed of 11 Economic Associations.
Main activities are :
• Electric power generation
• Electric power distribution and distribution system
management
• Coal production, processing and transport
• Electric power trade
3. New Telecommunications System
of EPS
Project of building new Telecommunications system is
mostly finalized.
Main requirements have been achieved to fulfill the
communications needs for technical and business
management systems of the company.
Telecommunications links to the neighboring electric
power industries are established.
Spare capacity in the backbone network can be utilized in
the future for entering into the market providing
commercial services.
4. Project Implementation Status
EPS Backbone network is based on OPGW cables and
currently there are around 6000 km of the cables deployed
on high voltage (400 kV, 220 kV and 110 kV) and middle
voltage (35 kV) transmission lines. Generally cables are
composed of 48 fibers in mixed structure, half of them are
according the ITU-T G.652 and the other half according
the ITU-T G.655B Recommnedation.
There are currently 80 telecommunications nodes installed
in the network providing the services for utility needs.
Building of the new Telephone exchange network based on
IP technology is finalized. The core IP network is based on
MPLS routers and communications between them is
through SDH network.
5. EPS Telecommunications Network
The telecommunications network is based on SDH
technology and has mesh structure covering all the
important substations and power plants in EPS.
The current capacity on most of the links is STM-16. The
number of deployed nodes (80) will increase over time as
we approach distribution companies and start solving
regional communications needs.
Network management is centrally organized from one
location. However there exists also disaster recovery
servers system on back up location which can take over the
management of the network at any time.
HUNGARY
T S Subotica 2
T S Subotica 3
T S Kanjiža
T S Bač ka Topola
T S Senta
T S Sombor 3
T S Kikinda1
T S Sombor 1
T S Od žaci
T S Kikinda2
T S N. Crnja
T S Vrbas 1
T S Begejci
T S Srbobran
T S Z renjanin 3
T S N.Sad 3
CROAT IA
T S Sr.
Mitrovica 1
RDC
Novi Sad
T S Sr.
Mitrovica 2
T S Z renjanin 2
T E-TO Z renjanin
T E-TO N.Sad
TS
Bgd9
T S Vršac 2
T S Z renjanin 4
T S Kačarevo
T S Debeljača
T S Vrsac 1
T S Panč evo 3
T S Pan č evo 2
T S DC
Bgd5EDB
T S Pan č evo 1
RDC
Bgd
RP Drmno
T S Beograd 7
ROMANIA
DC
EPS
T E Kostolac A
T
S
T S Obrenovac A
TS
HE Ðerdap 1
Smed.3
Bgd 8
T S Šabac 2
TS
TS Pozarevac
TS
T E Kolubara A
Smed.2
Bgd 3
TS
TS V. Gradište
Bgd 2
T S S. Palanka
TS Petrovac
T S Valjevo3
T
S
V.
Plana
TS Jabu čje
RDC Valjevo
HE Ðerdap 2
TS Tamnava
T S Mladenovac
TS Majd. 1
TS Arandjelovac
TS Majdanpek 3
T S Valjevo1
T E Morava
T S Valjevo2
T S Lapovo
HE Bajina Bašta
TS Majdanpek 2
T S Topola
+
T S Jagodina 4
RHE
T S Jagodina 2 T S Bor 2
T S Kragujevac 2
Bajina Bašta
T S Z aječ ar 1
RD C Bor
T
S
G.
Milanovac
T S Užice
T S Z aječ ar 2
T S Č ač ak 3
T S Kragujevac 5
T S Ćuprija 1
T S B.Bašta
T S Požega
T S Knjaževac
T S Kruševac 1
T S Kraljevo 3
REPUBLIC OF
RD C Kruševac
SRPSKA
T S Kralj. 2
HE Kokin
HE Potpe ć
T S Svrljig
Brod
T S Nova Varoš
T S Kruševac 4
HE Bistrica
HE Uvac
T S Niš 5
T S Aleksandrovac
HE Pirot
T S Raška
T S Niš 2
T S Sjenica
T S Prokuplje
T S Niš 13
MONT ENEGRO
T S Niš 3
T S Pirot 2
T S Novi
T S Niš10
Pazar 1
T S Leskovac 2
T S Kuršumlija
T S Leskovac 1
T S Novi
T S Vlasotince
Pazar 2
T S Leskovac 6
BULGARIA
T S M. MItrovica
T S Bogatić RP Mladost
TENTA
REPUBLIC OF
T ENT B
SRPSKA T S Šabac 3
T S Dimitrovgrad 3
T S B. Polje
HE Gazivode
T S Valač
HE Vrla 3
HE Vrla 2
HE Vrla 4
HE Vrla 1
PAP Lisina
T S Bosilegrad
T S Ristovac
T S Vranje
T S Bujanovac
T S Preševo
Optical Structure of EPS Backbone
ED Sombor
MAÐARSKA
TS Sombor3
TS Kikinda1
ED Kikinda
TS Subotica3
TE-TO
Zrenjanin
TS Srbobran
TS Novi
Sad 3
TS Zrenjanin2
TE-TO
Novi Sad
HRVATSKA
TS Sr.
Mitrovica2
HQ
Djerdap
Bgd
RDC Novi Sad
RP Mladost
REPUBLIKA
SRPSKA
HQ EPS
Balkanska
TS Bgd5
ED
Zrenjanin
DC EDB
TS Pancevo 2
RDC
Bgd
DC EPS
TENT A
TS Bgd2
TENT B
TS
Bgd17
TS Bgd3
TS Obrenovac A
RUMUNIJA
TS Bgd8
TS Šabac3
RP Drmno
TS
Smederevo3
TE Drmno
TE Kolubara
A
TS
Valjevo3
HE Ðerdap 1
PK Drmno
TE Kostolac
TS Velika
Plana
HQ Lazarevac
HE Ðerdap 2
TE Kolubara B
TS Bor 2
TE Morava
TS
Kragujevac2
HQ Bajina
Bašta
RHE
Bajina
Bašta
TS Jagodina4
TS B. Bašta
TS Zajecar 2
HE
Pirot
TS
Niš 2
ED Cuprija
HE
Bajina Bašta
TS Cacak 3
TS Požega
TS
Kraljevo 3
REPUBLIKA
SRPSKA
HE
Podpec
CRNA
GORA
HE
Bistrica
HE
Kokin
Brod
TS Raška
TS
Pirot 2
TS
Kruševac 1
ED
Kraljevo
TS
Dimitrovgrad
HQ Nova
Varoš TS Novi
Pazar
BUGARSKA
TS Leskovac 2
ED Priboj
TS
TS
Sastavci N.Varoš
HE Uvac
HE Vrla 4
HE
Vrla3
HQ Surdulica
TS Sjenica
Legenda:
STM-16
STM-4
STM-1
HE Gazivode
TS Vranje
HE Vrla 2 HE Vrla 1 PAP Lisina
SDH Node
SDH Network Architecture
6. Telecom Policy and Organization
The main policy is to build dedicated telecom network with the
highest possible availability and reliability for utility services.
Telecom entity organization is established within EPS as centralized
in-house unit but with the idea to transform it into EPS daughter
company in the future. The telecom organization is not currently
integrated with IT unit.
The organization is currently engaging 5 professionals with the
tendency to grow over time as the system develops. The model of
outsourcing is used for running the telecom organization.
In house unit is taking full responsibility for realization of telecom
services as well as their monitoring and eventual rectification of the
occurred problems.
There is also an idea to become Telecom Operator for State
Institutions as well as to enter Telecom Market and provide
commercial services.
7. Operation and Maintenance
Practice
The model of outsourcing comprises of the
following categories of activites:
•
•
•
•
Help Desk Services
Corrective Maintenance
Preventive Maintenance
Operational Services
Operation and Maintenance Practice
Help Desk 5x8
Contractor is obligated to provide practical
guidance for EPS personal during normal working
hours.
Service is realized as help desk and
communication is done by e-mail or by phone.
Contractor is responsible to provide support with
less than ten minutes response time for the 1.st
line supported personal and less than 30 minutes
for specialist personnel support
Operation and Maintenance Practice
Corrective maintenance
Severeity level 1
• Defect or fault situation defined as critical
alarm in the NMS or problem that affects
critical services like SCADA services.
• Problem resolving starts 30 minutes after
notification
• Within 8 h on-site
Operation and Maintenance Practice
Corrective Maintenance
Severeity level 2
• Problems defined as major alarms in the network.
• NBD (Next Business day) on site .
Severity level 3
• Minor alarms, warnings, within one week on-site
Remote support
• Off site problem solving
NOC Personal detect defect situation, define severity of the problem
EPS sends Request for Service by fax or by mail
Contractor confirms request, add new record to maintenance database and open
new ticket no.
Contrctor starts with off-site activities within defined severity level for given request
(1)
On-site?
No (1)
yes
Contractor requires access to site (sites)
EPS grants access to site (sites)
On-site problem solving
(1)
Problem is solved. Contractor sends Service Report
EPS receives report and sends close confirmation
Operation and Maintenance Practice
Spare Parts are maintained in EPS store and its
availability is EPS responsibility.
Preventive Maintenance
• At each individual site this includes
• General observation and reporting of equipments hardware
conditions
• General observation and reporting of equipment room’s
conditions with regard to temperature, clean air and status of
anti rodent protection
• Cleaning of ef equipment fans
• 48 V Power System Control
The interval between periodic preventive actions at each site is
six months.
Operation and Maintenance Practice
• Software upgrades includes upgrade of system
software components with new software
releases and service packs.
• Backup services include periodic backup
actions like backup of node configuration files.
It is performed periodically. If some
configuration changes are done, then backup
will be performed simultaneously, if not, then
backup interval will be one week.
Operation and Maintenance Practice
Operation and administration services cover
daily activities in the network necessary for
services setup and network monitoring like:
• Provisioning which includes
• Creation of new network services (connections) by
means of software commands executed at the SDH
and/or FMUX NMS .
• Modifying or removing of network services
(connections) by means of software commands
executed at the SDH and/or FMUX NMS
Operation and Maintenance Practice
Operation Services
• Network reconfiguration which includes:
• Hardware reconfiguration services - moving cards or nodes
between sites, installation and testing of new cards
• Software reconfiguration services - reconfiguration of initial
network parameters like addresses, routing plans, management
parameters, synchronization
• On site set up services which include activities on site,
like patch-cabling and customer equipment cabling
(connection to the network).
Operation and Maintenance Practice
Operational Services
• Network monitoring
• Network monitoring includes continuous monitoring
of network by NMS with objective to quickly detect
faults and defect situation and initiate corrective
actions.
• Administration of NMS system (maps, users,
security…).
EPS creates request for service setup or network reconfiguration
EPS sends Request for Service by fax or by mail
Contractor confirms request, add new record to maintenance database
Contractor starts with off-site activities, service provisioning or network reconfiguration
(1)
On-site?
no
Contractor requires access to site (sites)
EPS grants access to site (sites)
(1) or network reconfiguration
On-site service setup
Service Setup is finished. Contractor sends Service Report
EPS receives report and sends close confirmation
Main Risks
The most frequent problem in the network appears to be rodent attack
and we have to improve anti rodent protection in telecom facilities.
Optical fiber breakage or damage is seldom. However the repair is
dependent on switching off the power line and might be time
consuming to get the permit for the works. There is also an idea to
implement Optical Fiber Monitoring System which could bring better
control and improve reliability of optical network through preventive
actions.
Problems with power supply systems sometimes cause difficulties for
Telecom System. Remote monitoring of 48 V power supply system
and its inclusion into NMS could bring benefits through preventive
actions.
Future Development
EPS currently mainly outsources Operation and Maintenance and
telecom unit is under staffed for this activity.
We forsee certain growth of telecom organisation, in charge of network
with extensive coverage, in order to balance outsourcing activites to
the extent of running the network and perform basic O&M activites,
This is necessary in order to secure sufficient knowledge and expertise
within in house unit which can provide future development and
upgrade of the network as well as to avoid situation of complete
dependence on outsource expertise.
Vendors expertise and support has to be a part of O&M model.