- Telecom
In November 2023, we signed two significant contracts with National Grid that will last for the next 12 years.
These contracts build on the strong partnership between M Group and National Grid.
As a leading UK provider of telecommunications services, we’ll help maintain the National Grid Operational Telecom Network (OpTel). This network is essential for ensuring the safe and reliable operation of the electricity transmission system.
As part of this contract, we’re upgrading the current infrastructure to a new system called Multiprotocol Label Switching-Transport Profile (MPLS-TP), provided by Hitachi Energy.
This new system will help manage data traffic more efficiently by using the same paths for different types of traffic. This upgrade will make the network more reliable, allowing National Grid to provide better service to its customers and keep the technology up to date.
We’ll also set up a national High-Bandwidth Overlay network to ensure high-capacity connectivity across National Grid's substations for non-critical services.
The first step in the upgrade was to complete a proof-of-concept to show that the new system would work across different sites.
This involved creating a high-level design, testing the products, and conducting a factory acceptance test off-site. To avoid disrupting services during the changeovers, we built a traveller cabinet solution off-site beforehand.
We chose the Hitachi Fox615 Hybrid mode to simplify the upgrade. This solution provides higher bandwidth capabilities and sets up a High-Bandwidth Overlay network for non-critical services.
During the project so far, several challenges have been successfully managed through solutions from our team:
• Limited Space: There wasn’t much room to install new equipment.
• Building Issues: We dealt with concerns about asbestos and needed approvals from multiple parties.
• Service Impact: We had to make sure that existing services would not be disrupted.
• Tight Deadlines: Each element of the project has needed to be efficiently managed because of strict time constraints.
The project team worked efficiently over 12 months for the design and testing phase, which is now complete. The first site upgrades have started, and the changeovers are going smoothly, on schedule, and without any service interruptions.
We expect to finish the remaining proof-of-concept sites this year, setting the stage for a full rollout of the upgraded network.
