Grays Harbor Public Utility District deploys Exalt for network backhaul

Grays Harbor Public Utility District (GHPUD) has deployed Exalt Communications microwave backhaul systems to carry critical SCADA and automated meter reading (AMR) traffic from its substations to its main data center.

For decades, microwave has been a preferred technology alternative to backhaul data gathered from distributed locations. Today, microwave networks, which once had to support only voice and low-capacity SCADA, now need to backhaul vast amounts of data from business expansion--new substations, new service offerings, new IP-based applications such as video surveillance and VoIP and other requirements arising from smart grid initiatives.

"With Exalt microwave backhaul systems, utilities can upgrade to higher capacity and expand their networks over longer distances at far lower cost than can be achieved by laying new fiber or leasing lines from others," Pamela Valentine, Vice President of Marketing for Exalt Communications said in an interview with FierceSmartGrid. "Not only does microwave deliver a faster return on investment to these utilities, but there is money left over to invest in other critical areas of the business. Because all Exalt systems support native TDM and native Ethernet, utilities can preserve their existing TDM infrastructures while they migrate seamlessly to IP."

Utilities are benefiting from today's microwave technology in many ways including lowering CAPEX and OPEX costs, streamlining operations, taking advantage of new business opportunities (such as offering Internet access to their utility customers), and protecting their offices and substations (video surveillance, disaster recovery capabilities).

"For utility customers, the benefits are both tangible and intangible. Having an alternative Internet service provider increases competition in a market, driving down the cost of broadband access," said Valentine. "Arguably more important but less readily apparent to end users is the improved level of service offered by the utility due to its ability to better monitor and control its infrastructure, thus helping to prevent brownouts and blackouts."

Smart Grid is all about upgrading yesterday's power grids into 21st century smart grids that can support the demand for more power efficiently and cost-effectively. The active monitoring and control of the grid is fundamental to achieving these efficiencies. Those monitoring and control activities demand the presence of a robust telecommunications and data network. Because utility infrastructure is, by nature, distributed across broad geographic regions, it is impractical and--in many cases--impossible to provide fiber connectivity across the entire infrastructure.

"That makes microwave is the perfect complement to fiber enabling utility providers to upgrade and expand their networks without the exorbitant costs and time delays of trenching new fiber, or the high monthly recurring costs of leased lines which also do not scale," Valentine said. "Exalt systems are roughly one tenth the cost of fiber, deploy in days not months and offer pay-as-the-utility-grows scalability via software license keys. Plus Exalt supports native TDM and native Ethernet in every radio to accommodate a utility's plans to move from TDM to IP over time, be it in one year or 10. These kinds of capabilities not only help utilities address their smart grid futures, but give them complete control over their networks."

For more:
- see this release 

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