Smart communication
Customer-specific solutions for your telecommunication network
Digitalization demands communication. Respond proactively to digitalization and the decentralized structures in energy supply with end-to-end telecommunication networks for the digital grid. We provide communication solutions for transmission and distribution networks as well as for industry specific applications. The benefits we offer: long-term experience in both telecommunications and energy technology, tested, standardized, and customer-specific solutions along with a global presence as a technology leader.
Smart communication products
Smart communication services
The most efficient way to maximize availability and security of supply in a sustainable manner
Siemens’ full range of energy automation services and smart grid solutions is completely tailored to your specific needs. Our comprehensive service portfolio covers various areas such as „Operational Services“, Upgrades & Optimization (Retrofit), IT Security, Digital Services as well as Consulting & Trainings. Our services can provide valuable support to you in supplying your customers with energy - reducing your costs and optimizing your operations in the meantime. With our help, you can develop new business models while making your business fit for the age of digitalization.
Digital high-voltage station
The massive changes within the energy generation structure, caused by infeed of renewables as well as the deregulation of the energy markets, place high demands on the availability, reliability and data throughput of communication solutions of transmission utilities inside and between substations. Driven by new applications and in order to guarantee grid stability the new digital high-voltage substations generate a significant amount of data. This development in combination with optimized investments and maintenance strategies and the need for increasing cyber security causes operators to renew their broadband communication infrastructure with IP/Packet-based solutions. ...
Communication solutions for distribution networks
The communication infrastructure in the distribution grid is usually heterogeneous and the most suitable technology or mix of technologies depends to a large extent on the global region, the countries regulation and the local topology.Therefore providing the right communication solutions for distribution networks is a major challenge in digitalization of energy networks. A broad variety of different communication technologies are available that serve the needs of distribution network operators to monitor and control their assets. All these technologies have their individual application sweet spot and preferred deployment scenarios. Most likely a combination of several technologies is what distribution network operators need to install. Identifying this perfect match of communication solutions delivers different scenarios in each global region, in each country and is significantly changing also for each distribution network operator.
The most prominent examples of the wired and wireless communication technologies used by distribution network operators ordered by attractiveness are:
- Fiber optic solutions are the ideal transmission medium as they deliver virtually unlimited bandwidth, super high robustness combined with well-known world-wide standards.
- Powerline carrier solutions use the utilities’ infrastructure in the distribution network and are especially useful for connecting elements in grids where no other reliable communication channel is available or self-managed infrastructure is inevitable.
- Point-to-Multipoint wireless VHF/UHF solutions are well suited for applications with moderate bandwidth requirements. Due to the use of licensed spectrum and the flexibility of private network design, it is also appropriate for mission-critical applications. But those solutions require the utility to care by themselves for availability of wireless spectrum and operating and maintaining a wireless network.
- Wireless mesh networks are composed of cooperating radio nodes that are organized in a mesh topology. Thanks to their mesh properties, like self-setup and self-healing mechanisms, mesh networks inherently offer ease of operation and redundancy. As a working network needs a completely deployed network map these type of solutions are better used in areas of high density for economic reasons. Availability of radio spectrum is usually not a main issue as wireless mesh technologies tend to work in publicly available frequency bands (ISM Bands). Standards for radio transmit power vary between global regions what makes wireless mesh radio solutions more attractive in the Americas.
- Other wireless solutions like WiMAX or 3GPP-based mobile network technologies like 4G or 5G are available for private network use but come with a high demand on network operation and maintenance. This makes them rather unattractive for utility use.
