LTE | Connecting Futures

Objective(s)

The objective of the project is to develop learning on:

• Confirmation that LTE is a suitable solution for providing communications for the energy industry
• Confirmation regarding using an Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) or Time Division Duplex (TDD) system
• Confirmation on bandwidth requirements
• Confirmation on types of data that can be passed over an LTE system
• Confirmation on antenna solutions for different situations
• Confirmation on training requirements and test equipment for staff

Problem(s)

Although the precise nature of the energy distribution networks of the future is still emerging, it has become clear that WPD’s plans for the roll-out of Active Management functionality will require much greater levels of enhanced and near real-time monitoring and control throughout the network. This will require a much more sophisticated and resilient telecommunications network than has been required in the past. The telecommunications network will need to be connected to a much greater number of points and be designed to carry greater volumes of data traffic. The recent Network Innovation Allowance (NIA) funded ‘Next Generation Wireless Telecoms’ analysis concluded that a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network would deliver the connectivity required to support this Smart Grid network up to 2030 and beyond.

No energy utility or sector service provider has carried out a multi-site, multi-vendor LTE trial with adjacent Evolved Node Bs (’eNodeB’ - equipment for one base station) in a ‘real’ energy environment. The planned network would mimic on a small scale the type of network which would be deployed as part of the roll-out of Active Management functionality and a migration to a Smart Grid network including the deployment of this radio technology across multiple DNO licence areas.

• Scope

  This project will be the UK’s first multi-site, multi-vendor LTE trial designed to mimic on a small scale, and develop proposals for, the roll-out of a telecommunications network to support Active Management functionality. This is an important follow up to the a single vendor; single base station LTE evaluation trial at Portishead which provided data on the fundamental design and capabilities of LTE and illustrated how such a communications network might be integrated into WPD infrastructure. This showed that an LTE network is better equipped than a traditional narrow-band Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) network in the harsh environment [e.g. electrically noisy sites, RF interference, multipath etc.] to be found in the context of an energy network and that the likely data throughput would be as predicted.

  The recent NIA funded ‘Next Generation Wireless Telecoms’ analysis was carried out jointly with JRC and established a provisional model of the radio network planning methodology and technical infrastructure for an LTE radio network deployment across single or multiple DNO area(s). This project is important as a traditional narrow-band SCADA system will not be able to support the number of connections and services required in future. It is therefore essential to plan to deploy a more advanced technology and this project is an important step in reducing the risks associated with achieving the predicted coverage and throughput in any subsequent full-scale rollout with the required availability and resilience. The project runs for 12 months and has been broken down into 4 Phases which are defined according to various stages of the project.

• Success criteria
  • Confirmed propagation predictions and performance in a multi-site environment;
  • Confirmed seamless interoperability of multi-vendor CPE and EPC equipment;
  • Security & authentication successfully tested on LTE ecosystem;
  • Testing of mobile and handheld device connectivity including Wi-Fi;
  • Confirmation that LTE will support low-latency applications such as tele-protection;
  • Document(s) outlining installation practises, test regimes and training requirements for LTE.
• Potential for new learning

  The project expects to develop learning on the following topics:

  • The operability of and adaptability of LTE
  • The value of increased information on how different topographies can accommodate LTE
  • Market investment decisions
  • Confirm whether LTE is a suitable solution for providing communications for the energy industry, through either a FDD or TDD system.
• Documents and links

  NIA Project Registration and PEA Document

  Six Monthly Project Report: Oct 19 – Mar – 20

  Wireless Communications for Utility Industry Webinar Slides

  Close Down Report 2022

  WPD Project Close Down Report 

• Monthly updates

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