Photo is a courtesy of PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna
from left to right:
Lechosław Rojewski – Vice President of the Management Board for Financial Affairs of Polska Grupa Energetyczna, Zbigniew Orkisz -President of the Management Board of PGE Systemy, Anna Olesiejuk – Chacińska Member of the Management Board of ERICSSON in Poland, Wojciech Dąbrowski -President of the Management Board of the Polish Energy Group, Martin Mellor -President of the Management Board of ERICSSON in Poland, Szymon Ferens -Vice-President of the Management Board of PGE Systemy
Press Release
Warsaw, 6th of March 2023
PGE signed contract with Ericsson for delivery of CORE for LTE450 network
PGE Systemy, a company from the PGE Group, responsible for the construction of a special LTE450 communication network for the needs of the energy sector, signed a contract with Ericsson for the supply and implementation of core components. The planned network will improve the management of the power grid and speed up customer service.
Under the signed contract, Ericsson will be responsible for the delivery and implementation of all core components for the planned LTE450 network.
The construction of the LTE450 network is one of the key elements in the implementation of the PGE Group’s strategy in the field of telecommunications. A reliable and secure communication network is essential to build modern energy industry. It will allow to improve network management, dispatcher work and thanks to the automation of network monitoring processes will help to reduce the time of troubleshooting. For customers, this means safer and more stable energy supply, and thanks to the implementation of remote meter reading also faster service – said Wojciech Dąbrowski, President of the Management Board of PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna.
The core network, which is the subject of the contract, is the central element of the planned LTE450 network. The core network is responsible for management and implementation of data transmission services in the LTE network, mobility services, quality of services parameters, creating users’ profiles and their authentication to protect against unauthorized access to the network. The implemented solution will enable a comprehensive provisioning of data transmission services for LTE and IoT/M2M devices (LTE-M, NB-IoT) in 4G/LTE architecture, in accordance with 3GPP standards for EPS/EPC components.
The new LTE450 network planned by PGE will contribute to the digitization of the Polish energy sector and will have a positive impact on its sustainable development – Martin Mellor, Chairman of the Board of Ericsson.
PGE Group through the implementation of the LTE450 Program and the construction of a dedicated network for the utility industry, contributes to increased independence and security of Poland. Advanced telecommunications technology used in the LTE450 network will be of key importance in the process of energy transformation not only for the PGE Group, but also for future users of the LTE450 network. Services running will increase the reliability of processes related to communication in the power industry and level of quality of services. The LTE450 network will be used for modern dispatcher communication services, remote and safe reading of electricity meters or launching automatic network control mechanisms.
A dedicated LTE450 wireless communication system will enable implementation of all communication services required by the energy sector (including increasingly necessary broadband data transmission due to the increasing number of intelligent devices). The construction of the LTE450 multi-service system is designed to overcome the limitations in the currently used solutions. Existing narrowband systems in the power industry have too little throughput and system capacity, while the use of commercial services does not meet the key requirements in terms of cybersecurity and reliability in emergency situations (e.g. too short external power supply at commercial radio sites and the related loss of communication services with the inability to manage the parameters of services according to one’s needs).
The signed contract is long-term and will be valid until August 8, 2033. This guarantees security and business continuity. The contractor is also obliged after completion of works implementation to provide warranty and technical support services until August 2033, in accordance with the current frequency reservation validity period for 450MHz.