RAD’s Service Assured Networking Solution with Traffic Duplication Brings Greater Resiliency and Lower Latency to Power Utility Communications

RAD, the global vendor of communications solutions for the power utility industry, will be featuring at European Utility Week in Amsterdam its Service Assured Networking solution with Traffic Duplication, a newly developed technology that transports mission-critical and other traffic simultaneously over two networks: SDH/SONET and carrier-grade Ethernet.

“One of the major advantages of RAD’s Service Assured Networking solution with the new Traffic Duplication technology is its ability to use existing networks to implement added resiliency,” states Mati Epstein, Line of Business Head for Utilities at RAD. “Traffic Duplication does not require a custom-built overlay, but can leverage an existing infrastructure,” he explains. “In essence, this means that the added reliability comes at a modest CapEx investment, since the RAD solution utilizes available operational networks and facilities, making the improvement relatively cost-free.”

“As utilities continue to migrate their networks to IP and Ethernet, it is a top priority to maintain reliable and secure traffic,” comments Julie Kunstler, Principal Analyst with Ovum. "RAD’s Traffic Duplication approach is an excellent example of understanding the need to protect data traffic while meeting utilities’ cost parameters.”

Service Assured Networking
Traffic Duplication is one of many advanced capabilities incorporated into RAD’s Service Assured Networking solution, which offers reliable, secure, scalable, managed, and performance-guaranteed operations for core operational networks, secure multiservice substation communications, Teleprotection communications, distribution automation and smart metering backhaul. These capabilities also include service provisioning, traffic management, timing synchronization, TDM, ongoing performance monitoring, fault management, and various resiliency mechanisms.

A fringe benefit of employing Traffic Duplication is that it permits a controlled transition to a packet based operational core. “This is particularly welcome news for power utilities now preparing for a full service migration to packet switched networks, since the same RAD equipment can be used to transport all substation communications services, including automation and Teleprotection signals as well as voice and data, with unmatched flexibility over SDH/SONET and PSNs,” Epstein adds. With this approach, the packet network can originally be used solely as a redundant mode of transport, while over time, and as confidence increases, it can become the primary operational network.

“Traffic Duplication can also significantly reduce latency,” Epstein concludes. “The physics of packet network technology actually provide significantly shorter network delay than with SDH/SONET, improving the performance of mission critical applications such as Teleprotection.”

RAD’s utility customers include AES, Endesa, Enel, Eskom, Hydro Quebec, IEC, Kepco, Meralco, E-on, Elia, Nampower, National Grid USA, Novosibirsk Energo, Powercor, and Terna Italia.

European Utility Week will be held October 15-17.