We, at the 450 MHz Alliance, want to share some news from one of our member, PGE of Poland
PGE continues to work on the LTE450 programme. Pre-implementation tests have been conducted and cooperation with government institutions and power and gas system operators is being developed. By the end of 2020, LTE-M tests for SCADA and AMI will be completed, and in 2021 tenders will be announced for the supply of equipment and infrastructure for LTE450 networks.
The new Strategy of the PGE Group assumes transformation towards achieving climate neutrality of the Group by 2050 through investments in low- and zero-carbon energy sources and grid infrastructure. An indispensable element of the implementation of the new strategy will be a reliable, modern communication system based on LTE technology in the 450 MHz band dedicated to the energy sector. Work in this area began in 2018 and will gather pace by the end of 2020.
The new strategy of the PGE Group and the directions of development of the Polish energy sector open up new opportunities for building a modern LTE450 communication network. The ICT area is becoming key in the PGE Group. In line with the assumptions of our new strategy, LTE 450 will be a lever for the development of the PGE Group and will improve the efficiency of the entire organisation. The communication system under construction will ensure the reliability of dispatching work, but above all it will support the integration of renewable energy sources and distributed energy and energy storage systems. LTE is a technology proven not only in the energy sector and currently more developed than the 5G standard, which just started gaining popularity. This affects the attractiveness of investment costs in the LTE450 network thanks to global economies of scale – says Wojciech Dąbrowski, President of the Management Board of PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna.
The work schedule assumes the launch of basic services in the LTE450 network, as well as the expansion of coverage in Poland and the implementation and development of new services, such as the Internet of Things. In 2021, the PGE Group is planning to launch procurement procedures for key network infrastructure components. LTE450 pilot studies are to confirm the possibility of extending the scope of the planned implementation of new services.
At the current stage of the project, the PGE Group is working on preparing specialist expert opinions and technical opinions on the facilities owned by PGE Dystrybucja, which will be used primarily for the construction of the network at the production implementation stage. The next planned stages also include other actors from the energy sector. Arrangements are being made to carry out the “Smart Metering” pilot studies on the premises of Enea Operator and to start research and development works in the field of gas telemetry with Polska Spółka Gazownictwa, the national operator of the gas distribution system in Poland.
The ICT area in the PGE Group is operated by PGE Systemy. For over two years now, a project team has been operating within the structures of PGE Systemy. Together with PGE Dystrybucja and in cooperation with other Distribution System Operators (DSOs), it is working on the standards of a modern communication network within the LTE450 National Working Group. Representatives of the following actors and bodies take part in the work of the National Working Group: Ministry of Climate and Environment, Ministry of Digitization, Energy Regulatory Office, Office of Electronic Communications, Enea Operator, Energa Operator, Gaz System S.A., Innogy – Stoen Operator, Polska Spółka Gazownictwa, Tauron Dystrybucja, Polskie Sieci Energetyczne, PGE Dystrybucja and PGE Systemy.