The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality is leading the country forward with the deployment of an advanced power line communications (PLC) system, supplied by Grintek Telecom.
PLC systems enable the distribution of voice and data traffic using special adapters, which connect directly to existing electricity distribution networks, using the power lines to carry IP signals. The technology Grintek Telecom has deployed for Tshwane Metro is based on products from multinational companies InovaTech of Australia, supplied to Grintek via Cybercom International using DS2 technology.
Charles Kuun, managing engineer for operations systems in the electricity department of the City of Tshwane, is a leading proponent of PLC technology. Owing to Tshwane's leadership role as the first local organisation to implement this technology, SA is considered a significant player in this rapidly developing global market.
"This technology is a perfect fit for local needs, which are equally important across Africa and even in more developed countries," says Kuun. "Our vision is to provide improved services to support the development of people and communities, especially those who have previously had limited access to the benefits of ICT.
"The ability to use existing power line infrastructure to deliver broadband data and voice services is literally a gold mine of value which we can tap into with PLC systems."
Internationally, PLC has been explored for many years but has only recently achieved the desired quality of service for large-scale deployments, as Adrian Maguire, managing executive of Grintek Telecom's solutions integration group, explains.
"The technology which we have deployed with Tshwane Metro is the third generation of our PLC technology," says Maguire. "This latest equipment offers excellent stability and provides bandwidth of up to 45Mbps which can deliver analogue voice, multiple IP telephony and broadband data services - including even multimedia streaming and USB - without the expense and inconvenience of rolling out new network infrastructure.
"The specialised adapters quickly provide a return on investment by saving on communications costs, delivering greatly improved service levels and avoiding the need for new network cabling or switches. The size of the units is also very convenient, as they are no larger than desk diaries or lever arch files.
"Tshwane has been particularly progressive in its approach to the new technology and we have been actively partnering with the municipality throughout 2003 to implement this project."
"Technically, the first need was for a stable system that could cope with distances of between 250 and 500m from one access point to the next," says Kuun. "The equipment provided by Grintek Telecom has completely satisfied these requirements while delivering true broadband connections. The solution is both flexible and adaptable and we are already looking ahead to deploying fourth-generation equipment, which will be available in 2004.
"Obviously, we have realised the benefits of getting increased value out of our power line assets by being able to use them simultaneously for voice and data services.
"For our operations, this means much greater efficiency and productivity to deliver services for the City of Tshwane. Beyond that, as we look at expanding on the success of the pilot project and going on to provide ICT services in developing communities, PLC offers vast opportunities for Internet access and distance learning systems.
"We are certain that this is just the beginning of a new trend in deployment of this appropriate technology which has untold benefits for this country and the rest of the continent."
Grintek Telecom's distributorship agreement with Cybercom International includes the possibility of the company investing in a manufacturing facility in SA.
There are advantages for carriers, government organisations and the larger enterprise users, as Maguire points out.
"PLC has come a long way since the initial offerings, which were simple connections for home networks," he says. "The system we have provided for the Tshwane pilot project is a good example of a 'last-mile' deployment which distributes a broadband service in a wide-area network (WAN) environment. The next step is to enable the service in a metropolitan-area network (MAN). There is enormous potential here for creating access in areas where connections were previously unavailable or too expensive, as well as the benefits for carriers and power generation utilities in providing increased value-added services.
"Both nationally and internationally, PLC technology allows power grid operators, data and voice service providers - and their end-users - to unlock the full value of the extensive infrastructures already in place which are presently only used for electricity distribution. There is great potential and momentum in the market for this technology and South African players are at the forefront of the trend."
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Grintek Telecom, a division of JSE-listed Grintek Ltd, is one of SA's leading empowerment ICT (information and communications technology) solutions and integration companies. Grintek Telecom provides tailored and innovative ICT solutions from initial project and business requirement consulting, through to implementation, integration and ongoing support. The company's ICT solutions have been implemented in more than 500 top South African companies and it provides solutions, services and maintenance in 23 African countries. Over 25 international vendors have selected Grintek Telecom as their local service provider and partner.
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