The utility world has large amounts of aging communications technology commonly associated with Multiple Address Systems (MAS) which is either at or nearing end-of-life. Some of this equipment has been in place for 20+ years and traditionally will be running at a mere 9.6 kbps!
If this is where your utility is at, you may be facing a significant project to address your aging technology. While such a project can be time-consuming, costly, and involve teams from throughout the organization, it also provides you with an opportunity to fully reassess your communications platforms.
At this point, utilities often find it makes sense to deploy a higher capacity network which can run MAS data alongside other mission critical applications. Devices which sit high on the criticality threshold such as capacitor banks, reclosers & switches, RTUs and DFA devices could be monitored simultaneously with existing MAS data over an upgraded communications network.
IP & ADMS demand more bandwidth
As more network equipment makes the shift from serial to IP, the extra overheads involved with IP will significantly increase your bandwidth needs. Most existing MAS networks simply won’t cope. Furthermore, the roll out of ADMS will put even greater pressure on communications systems. In comparison to a typical Multiple Address System offering only 9.6 kbps, the Mimomax Tornado can offer up to 640kbps in a 25kHz channel.
Future proofing
Deploying a new, more spectrally-efficient network will offer the greatest future proofing for your organization in terms of capacity and lower operational costs. Engaging in comprehensive network planning and design will also assist with future proofing as your network can be designed to allow for further expansion and the ability to upgrade network elements in future years.
For more information on Network Consolidation, read this article here.