SMAG FORUM 24 OCTOBER 2003 1

450-470 Band Realignment Open Forum

Adrian Grilli

Joint Radio Company Ltd

Spectrum managers for the UK Fuel & Power Industries

INDUSTRY CONCERNSINDUSTRY CONCERNS

Relevant services in 450-470 MHzMobile Communications (voice and data)

Telemetry and Telecontrol

SMAG FORUM 24 OCTOBER 2003 2

450-470 Band Realignment Open Forum

“Scanning Telemetry”

Mainframe/ServerNMS

WAN

Scanner

Network Control Centre

Outstation

SMAG FORUM 24 OCTOBER 2003 3

450-470 Band Realignment Open Forum

Telemetry & TelecontrolTelemetry & Telecontrol

• 4000 gas & electricity, and 8000 water ST assignments• 4000 terminals on dedicated London Electricity data system• More systems going in every day (on existing frequencies)• 24/7 – 60/365 systems• ‘continental interference’ overcome by engineering solutions• No interference problems since 31 December 1999• Widespread geographic deployments

SMAG FORUM 24 OCTOBER 2003 4

450-470 Band Realignment Open Forum

Challenging ChangesChallenging Changes

• Some equipment can be remotely re-configured over the air• Some equipment needs site visits to change frequencies

and/or filters• Some sites need ‘permit to work’ before entry• Most sites governed by HSE rules on who may enter• In many cases, parallel working will be required during

changeover• Predominant cost is labour cost – site visits• Logistics can be expensive

SMAG FORUM 24 OCTOBER 2003 5

450-470 Band Realignment Open Forum

Challenging IssuesChallenging Issues• Parallel working:

– Spare channels? Combiners/second antenna? Space on mast? Space in cabin? Equipment cost? Is anybody else doing same? Planning cost?

• National Co-ordination:– Are all channels available everywhere?– Cannot accept geographic restrictions

• International Co-ordination:– Will there be power restrictions? Preferred channels? Coordination delays?

• What are we sharing with:– Will we get more interference on the new channels than the old ones?– How will 12.5kHz FM, 25kHz Tetra, 200kHz CDMA share across borders?

• Intermods on shared sites:– How to predict? Who is responsible for resolution? Who pays?

• Interference & blocking on shared/adjacent/near-by sites:– How to predict? How to resolve? Who pays?

SMAG FORUM 24 OCTOBER 2003 6

450-470 Band Realignment Open Forum

Challenging ConclusionsChallenging Conclusions• The problem must be soluble, ….but• Need to identify problems in order to solve them, … and• The process will need careful preparation and planning. And oh yes …• The cost of the new equipment is the cheap and easy bit.• Need to look at operating licences in some cases (eg Magnox Electric)

Some facts to ponder from reports issued in September 2003:• Average availability of power from NGT is 99.9999%• “A delay occurred in the restoration of one section of Aquila’s network

due to failure of a SCADA (telemetry) link” (OFGEM Report 30 September 2003)

SMAG FORUM 24 OCTOBER 2003 7

450-470 Band Realignment Open Forum

There are a lot more There are a lot more challenges, but …challenges, but …

Adrian GrilliManaging Director

JRC LtdThe Blackfriars Foundry

London SE1 8EN

020 7953 7147

020 7953 8538

www.jrc.co.uk

NEXTNEXT!!

that’s that’s enough enough

from from me!me!