State Grid Jiangsu and Huawei Build the World's First Wireless Private Network for the Electric Power Industry

Power distribution communication networks require optimization

State Grid Jiangsu is one of the largest provincial power grid companies of the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC). It serves 46.2 million energy consumers.

In 2018, State Grid Jiangsu's power communication networks mainly used optical fibers in offices, power supply stations, and 35 kV or higher-voltage substations. However, medium-voltage power grids of 10 kV saw low power grid coverage. When it came to distribution automation, fibers provided only 40% coverage and almost none for 400 V optical cables. As such, services such as distributed PV, charging piles, and power consumption data collection used the wireless public network. On the user side, the optical cable coverage was also low. As a result, there was insufficient communication capability for low-voltage stations and power consumption.

In the meantime, power systems were undergoing digital transformation. This further increased the demand for intelligent power distribution and consumption networks. State Grid Jiangsu needed to urgently build a power communication network to support smart grid services.

Jiangsu builds the largest power broadband wireless private network in China

Huawei and State Grid Jiangsu designed a unique wireless private network that was suitable for the transformation of power production, operations, and service models. The new network features flexibility, security, reliability, and cost-effectiveness, making it a better choice than an optical private network or wireless public network. The solution uses TDD 1.8 GHz networking and4.5G enhanced technologies for deployment at sites owned by State Grid Jiangsu, significantly reducing network construction costs.

The project had three phases: pilot, large-scale construction, and comprehensive construction. Today, relying on 3739 dedicated base stations, State Grid Jiangsu has built the largest and most capable broadband wireless private network in China. The network covers all major power supply areas in the province, streamlining the last mile of communication for power grids.

So far, State Grid Jiangsu has connected 330,000 services to the network, including remote control of automated power distribution, generation-grid-load-storage integration, distributed PV, and power consumption information collection. Now, it boasts a 40% higher capability in smart remote control and sees 24% less time spent on power outages per year.

During the peak season this summer, despite the surge in demand, State Grid Jiangsu maintained a stable energy supply. This is largely thanks to the smart load management, fault isolation, and new energy allocation achieved through the wireless private network. The province has protected households from 24,600 hours of power outages, recovering faults 2.36 hours faster on average. As a result, stable power supply is now guaranteed for people's livelihoods, key clients, and critical public infrastructures.

State Grid Jiangsu saved CNY4 billion in investment and CNY350 million in grid-tied construction of enterprise PV power generation compared with optical fiber access. And now, it takes only 2 days instead of 60 to 90 days to build communications projects. In addition, it used 20 acres less of land resources by sharing over 3500 transmission towers.

Jiangsu is a best practice in national power IoT construction

It is repoted that 11 provincial and municipal companies of State Grid had built LTE power wireless private networks. These networks assure stable services, reliable power supply, and higher quality service. They also help improve power grid O&M efficiency.

That said, progress varies across provinces and municipalities. Undoubtedly, State Grid Jiangsu is one of the leaders in this respect. When building the private network, Huawei and State Grid Jiangsu planned for the future, building a spectrum coordination and negotiation mechanism to improve the utilization of the radio spectrum.

1. The wireless private network of State Grid Jiangsu complies with 3GPP standards. It will continue to support operators' technologies and solutions as technologies evolve.

2. The private network draws on the mature technologies developed for public networks. State Grid Jiangsu has deployed a personalized, customized, and diversified industrial Internet. It has also promoted innovation in wireless technologies for the power grid field and established a private network industry ecosystem.

3. By adopting technologies and innovating, Huawei and State Grid Jiangsu have developed 24 types of core wireless communication devices in five categories. They have also designed testing and O&M tools such as the wireless terminal management system and wireless communication interference locating system, creating a complete set of wireless private network solutions.

4. As more power grids deploy private networks, devices will become cheaper, wireless private networks more popular, and the entire industry more sustainable.

The secure, reliable, economical, flexible, and ubiquitous energy Internet in Jiangsu offers a replicable model for the successful construction of electric power wireless private networks. As more regions in China adopt this model, we will see higher quality power supply services and management across the country, laying a solid foundation for economic and social development.