reliable wireless nw for critical infrastructure utilities apr07

8/7/2019 Reliable Wireless NW for Critical Infrastructure Utilities Apr07

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Microwave radio has longbeen used by utilities, pipelinesand transportation systems fortheir critical communications.Traditionally this has been low

to medium capacity systems forvoice, low speed data, andanalog video transmission.Thecommunications requirementsof todays businesses nowdemand much higher bandwidthand multiple circuit interfaceoptions. Digital microwaveradios combine theserequirements with extremelyhigh signal reliability, to yield

ultra-secure end-to-end circuitavailability.

Traditional applications

One of the more commonapplications of microwaveradio has been for connectingSCADA (supervisory controland data acquisition) remoteterminal units (RTU) tocentralized operations centers.These are the systems thatautomate and centralize the

monitoring, control, andalarming of remote equipment.SCADA provides a criticalfunction in the operation of thepower grid, gas and oil

pipelines, and the nationsrailways. Microwave radioshigh availability and reliabilityprovides operators with asecure link to all remote sites.

Power utilities also use transfertrip or relay switching systemsto protect their infrastructureand to prevent large scaleelectrical outages. When these

systems sense a fault due to adowned power line or otherevent causing a shortin the power grid, they causerelays to trip and automaticallyisolate the fault. A failure inthe transfer trip network couldcause irreparable damage toexpensive transformers andisolate millions of customers.Microwave radios are used in

power networks to provideextremely fast and reliable

connections for these transfertrip devices

Furthermore, microwave radiois used to backhaul voice signalsfrom land mobile radio (LMR)base stations. LMR is the"push to talk" radio technologyfound in utility trucks and trainsas well as hand-held radios.Most often, it uses radio

frequencies in the range of VHFand UHF bands to communicate

Wireless Transmission Solutions for Utilities,

Oil & Gas, and Transportation

Reliable Wireless Networks for Critical Infrastructure

Microwave Communications Site


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between radio base stationsand mobile units. Often this isthe only communicationsavailable to the front linecrews that maintain the utilityinfrastructure. To provideoptimal coverage, the radiobase stations often are locatedon a mountain or hilltop. Theseremote locations often precludeuse of leased telephone circuitsor private lines to relay voicecommunication signals back toa central radio dispatcher.Instead, communicationsdepartments prefer the highreliability, lower cost, and fullcontrol associated with usingmicrowave radio for thisbackhaul application.

Another common applicationfor microwave within criticalinfrastructure systems isinterfacility voicecommunications. Microwaveradio offers a cost effective and

reliable alternative to leasedlines, providing direct linksbetween headquarters, branchoffices, and facilities such aspower plants, substations, andswitchyards. They may carryeveryday telephoneconversations betweendistributed PBX systems, orthey may provide criticallinkages between centralize

operations and major facilities.For most traditional microwaveapplications such as thosedescribed above, microwave

radio capacity requirementsare relatively low. A few T1sare typically all that areneeded. Channel banks areoften supplied with themicrowave to break the T1circuits down to the lower-speed voice and data circuits.However, microwave is notlimited to just these narrowband functions.

New applications

Just as the publictelecommunications sector hasbeen impacted by the demandfor more bandwidth, utilities,pipelines and transportationsystems are also requiringhigher speed communications.Field personnel can save timeand respond to emergenciesmore effectively when theyhave easy and instantaneousaccess to up-to-the-minute dataabout the utility infrastructure,available resources, orinformation about a crisis event.New technology in land mobileradio communications is beingdeployed to bring data andvideo to and from mobile units.Consequently the bandwidthrequirements between mobileradio base stations andthe core network is increasing.However, with capacity up toOC-3 (155 smbps), microwaveradio is still capable ofsupporting these needs with thesame high reliability.

Interfacility communicationsare also becoming morecomplex and requiring higherbandwidth. Voice is still king,but real-time video is gaining alot of impetus, as well as data --primarily IP traffic to supportdepartmental LANs andinterdepartmental WANs.Furthermore the trend toshare data across disciplinesis accelerating the demandfor more bandwidth. Today'sdigital microwave radios arecapable of carrying high speeddata up to 155 Megabitsper second in a single RFchannel, which in addition totraditional voice traffic cansupport T1/T3, ATM, digitalvideo, and IP-basedLAN/WAN circuits. Again,microwave radio can costeffectively support all of theseapplications while providingthe security that criticalinfrastructure systems require.

Reliability hard to beat

One of the key features thatmakes microwave radioso attractive to criticalcommunications networks isthe high reliability it provides.Often the mistaken perceptionis that since microwave travelsthrough the air, it is regularly

degraded by weather andclimate conditions that causeit to fade resulting in dataerrors and outages. While



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atmospheric factors aredefinitely something to be dealtwith, microwave paths canbe engineered to provideavailability better than

99.999% the so-called5 nines. This benchmarkequates to less than 5 minutesof outage per year. In fact,many microwave paths areengineered for even higheravailability often better than99.9999%, or less than 30seconds annually of down time!And for the rest of the time,they transmit data error free for

crystal clear communications.

Often, critical communicationsnetwork designers desire aneven higher level of faulttolerance. This can beaccomplished by designingnetworks with ring or "loop"architectures. Microwaveradios easily adapt to thisdesign. In fact, since the

interfaces to the radios arestandard DS1, DS3, OC-3 andEthernet circuits, the microwavesystem can interact with fiberbased SONET ring switchingalgorithms or IP/MPLS fastreroute protocols to providemedia-diverse traffic protection.This often comes in handywhen a fiber ring cannot beclosed due to some geographic

obstruction such as a lake,river, or mountain, or evena "virtual" obstruction such asa territorial boundary, high costeasement or private property.

Scaled to fit

Microwave radio is a pointto point technology. That meansthat each link operatesindependently. Thereforeit is easily scalable for simple

systems connecting two sites,all the way up to large interstatenetworks linking hundreds ofsites. Also, modern microwavedigital radios are capable ofscaling in capacity from 2 DS1(T1) circuits up to 16 DS1, thenfrom 1 DS3 up to 3 DS3, andultimately OC-3 capacity.For data traffic, radios offerEthernet, Fast Ethernet and

Gigabit interfaces (electrical oroptical) with throughput definedby the RF channel capacity.

Furthermore, the newest radiosfeature capacity keys, whichallow a radio hop to beupgraded from one capacity toanother. If the circuit type is thesame (i.e. 2 DS1 up to 16DS1, or 1 DS3 up to 3 DS3),

and if the radios are equippedwith hot-standby redundancy(common in criticalcommunications networks),then this upgrade can beaccomplished while in service.In some cases, multiple radiosmay be combined on the sameantennas to provide even highercapacity across a link.

Licensed or unlicensed?Traditionally, microwave radioshave occupied spectrum thatrequires a license to operateon a specific frequency. Thelicensed spectrum most used

by utility, pipeline andtransportation systems isgoverned by FCC rules underPart 101. The most commonlyused bands are lower 6 GHz,

upper 6 GHz, 10.5 GHz, 11GHz, 18 GHz and 23 GHz.

The process for getting a pairof licensed frequencies isneither difficult nor timeconsuming. The FCC hasauthorized several frequencycoordination bodies to assistusers in finding and reservingspectrum for use in point to

point communications. Thestandard frequencycoordination process takes30 days, after which anoperator can submit his licenseapplication, and in most cases,immediately begin operation.The FCC has also put theUniversal Licensing Systemon-line, allowing for easyand fast processing of

license applications.In addition, the FederalCommunications Commissionhas authorized use of spectrumthat does not require a license.Unlicensed spectrum is governedby Part 15, with primary bandsbeing at 2.4 GHz and 5.8GHz, with additional spectrumallocations being discussed.

The chief benefit of unlicensedspectrum is the ability to turnup a channel virtuallyanywhere at any time. Thedrawback, however, is thatthe operator is left to his owndevices to mitigate potential


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interference from otherunlicensed systems in the area.Spread spectrum modulationhas been found to have littlebenefit in this area, so operators

must opt for more conventionalinterference countermeasuressuch as selecting (larger)antennas with narrowerbeamwidths, or designingshorter paths.

That doesnt mean thatunlicensed radios should not beused for critical communicationsapplications. Certainly there is

a fit for temporary requirements,low-priority communications,and disaster recovery. Longterm solutions serving vitalinfrastructure should look moretoward licensed operation.Some manufacturers evenprovide microwave radioequipment that can be installedas unlicensed then convertedto licensed operation at a later

date with minimal cost, thusallowing the ultimate inflexibility.

Planning a Microwave

System

At first glance, planning fora microwave system can seemcomplicated; however, wellestablished practices andexpertise within the radio

manufacturers and industryconsultants make the processstraight forward. Boiling it alldown into five steps we have:

1) Network Design,

2) Site Selection,

3) Path Design,

4) Equipment Selection, and5) Services.

Network design is easy tooverlook, but is the core togood microwave systemplanning. This is the processof consolidating all the currentcircuit requirements and trafficrouting patterns, with an eyeon future requirements andexpansion. This is also the timeto define a general networktopology, such as linear or ringarchitecture. From thisinformation, the engineershould be able to producea functional block diagramthat defines the quantity andcapacity of circuits from originto destination.

The next step is site selection.

Since microwave radio linksrequire unobstructed line of sitebetween the transmitter andreceiver, it is crucial to knowthe basic lay of the land. Thecircuit termination points fromthe network design process areclear candidates for sites, butgeographic obstructions orother limitations such aseasements, tower restrictions

and expensive roof rightsmay dictate finding additionalrepeater sites or alternateroutes. In an urban environmentwith relatively short distancesbetween sites, this is

conveniently determined bya trip to the sites with a pairof binoculars. For long haulroutes, topographic maps,on-line satellite imagery, and

a variety of affordable softwarepackages make selecting siteseasy. Once the sites areselected, this information canbe combined with the initialnetwork design to finalize therequired number and capacityof microwave links.

Path design is the processof determining what is required

to meet your path availabilityobjectives. As previously stated,microwave links can beengineered to provide betterthan 99.999% availability.This involves selecting themicrowave radio parameterssuch as frequency band andtransmitter power, as well asthe height and size of antennas.Software programs are

available to assist in theprocess; however, there is ahealthy dose of art and scienceinvolved in good path design,so experience is essential.Fortunately, radio manufacturersare willing and able to lendtheir expertise, as are a numberof wireless systems integratorsand consulting engineers.

An important aspect of path

design to consider is the fieldsurvey. The initial path design,or feasibility study, can beperformed using terrainmeasurements from maps orextracted from electronic data.




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However, these resources dontshow heights of buildings andtrees, or other currentconditions. Therefore, it ishighly recommended that a

field survey be performed especially on networks withlonger paths. Seemingly minorchanges in site and antennalocations can have dramaticimpact on path performanceand licensing. Ultimately itcosts less to have the pathsurvey done up front ratherthan when equipment is arrivingon site and deadlines are fast

approaching.

With the network layout andsites determined, and the pathsengineered to the desiredavailability, it is time to selectequipment. This includesthe microwave radios andantenna systems as well asmultiplexers, channel banks,other networking gear, and

power systems. Radiomanufacturers often are ableto specify and deliver all of theequipment as a complete andinteroperable system. This

approach nearly always leadsto better satisfaction andperformance of the systemrather than bidding out eachelement separately and having

to integrate it yourself.

Finally, the decision on servicesmust be made whether tomanage installation andcommissioning of the system

yourself or to have the radiosupplier perform this on aturnkey basis. Keep in mindthat a variety of disciplines areinvolved, including civil work

(possible tower constructionand hanging antennas),administrative (applying forpermits and FCC licenses),and technical (installing,testing and turning up thetelecommunications gear).By acting as your own primecontractor and managingseveral subs, you may savesome money, but the limitation

of risk and assurance of havinga complete and functionalsystem provided by onemanufacturer has definite merit.

Summary

Microwave radio provides anideal solution to many criticalcommunications problems

faced by network designers forutilities, pipelines andtransportation systems. Whiletraditional low to mediumcapacity requirements for voiceand low speed data stillprevail, today's digitalmicrowave radios allowplanning and deployment insupport of broadbandapplications as well.

Furthermore, the extremely highavailability contributed bymicrowave is ideal for criticalcommunications.

Alcatel has been designingnetworks for the utility, pipelineand transportation industries forover 40 years. We continue tosupport this vital market sectorin these days of intense focuson securing our nations criticalinfrastructure.



Alcatel-Lucent offers a comprehensive product portfolio for point-to-point microwave transmission. Ourcomplete portfolio includes more useful frequency bands and greater spectrum efficiencies than anyother microwave vendor, and supports network/radio configurations for low, medium and high

capacity systems. Alcatel-Lucent's wireless transmission products are fully managed by our integratednetwork management platforms, as well as through the simplified network management protocolfor management by external management systems in multi-vendor fixed or mobile environments. Inthe last five years, Alcatel-Lucent has installed more than 300,000 microwave radios in more than150 countries.For more information, visit www.alcatel-lucent.com/microwave or call 1-800-ALCATEL.


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Alcatel, Lucent, Alcatel-Lucent, the Alcatel-Lucent logo, are trademarks of Alcatel-Lucent. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Alcatel-Lucent assumes noresponsibility for the accuracy of the information presented, which is subject to change without notice. 04-23-07 Alcatel-Lucent. All rights reserved. 523-0620279-004A3J


Alcatel-Lucents MDR-8000is used extensively withincommunication systemssupporting critical infrastructuresuch as electric, gas andwater utilities as well asfor transportation systemsand public safety networks.

The MDR-8000 operates

in licensed point-to-pointmicrowave bands from 2 GHzto 11 GHz as authorized bythe FCC and Industry Canada.It also covers US federalmicrowave frequencies at 1.7,2.2, 4 and 7-8 GHz. The MDR-8000 may also be used in thelicense-free 2.4 and 5.8 GHzbands, which offers the uniqueability to convert to licensed

operation without changingexpensive RF componentswithin the radio. This capabilityallows operators to turn upmicrowave links immediatelythen convert to licensedoperation once frequencycoordination has beencompleted.

All high speed circuit formatsare supported by theMDR-8000. Capacity optionsare 2-16 DS1, 1-3 DS3, OC-3

and Ethernet (10/100/1000Base-T, auto-sensing and 1000Base-T optical). Conversionfrom one capacity to anotheris easily accomplished byusing one of 4 input/outputinterface modules (DS1,DS3, OC-3 or Ethernet) andselecting a capacity keywhich provisions the radiochannel throughput from 3Mb/s to 155 Mb/s.

Mechanically, the MDR-8000is the most compactmicrowave radio of its class.A hot-standby radio standsonly 12.25 inches tall (7 rackunits). This takes up minimalspace in equipment racks andit can even be deployed in

outdoor enclosures. Additionally,the non-standby Compactchassis is only 7 inches tall(4 rack units) and is optionallyequipped in a pole-mountoutdoor cabinet.

Alcatel-Lucents MDR-8000microwave digital radiois the premier wirelesstransport solution for criticalinfrastructure communicationrequirements.

reliable wireless nw for critical infrastructure utilities apr07

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