BC Hydro to Use Broadband Wireless for Smart Grid Deployment

Feb. 24, 2011
RuggedCom Inc. has been selected as a supplier for BC Hydro's WAN Pilot project.

RuggedCom Inc. has been selected as a supplier for BC Hydro's WAN Pilot project. The pilot project will run through March 2011 and successful deployment will extend the supply agreement for an additional two to three years.

BC Hydro is deploying the WiMAX WAN field trial in the Burnaby/Richmond area and the Gulf Islands of the Lower Mainland in BC. The purpose of the field trial is to verify the suitability of WiMAX technology for BC Hydro's applications including:

  • Distribution automation, such as the control and monitoring of reclosers, transformers and capacitor banks
  • Site remote monitoring for alarms and video surveillance
  • SCADA
  • LAN connectivity
  • Smart metering

The pilot project is a multi-site live outdoor deployment and is expected to last three months. The project will be deployed in the 1.8 GHz frequency band, set aside by Industry Canada for electric power applications. RuggedMAX is a utility-grade mobile WiMAX platform designed for the harsh environment of the electric substation by complying to standards such as IEEE 1613 and IEC 61850-3. RuggedMAX supports a unique standalone network architecture, which can operate without the need for an ASN gateway, thereby reducing end-to-end latency and improving system reliability.

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