QuickChat | Why Fiber Is Key to Modern IEC 61850 Substations
In this exclusive video, T&D World Market Content Director Nikki Chandler speaks with Lucas Mays, Director of Market Development – Energy at AFL, about why utilities are replacing traditional copper communications infrastructure with fiber to support modern digital substations. The discussion explains how IEC 61850 architectures are helping utilities improve reliability, flexibility, and real-time system visibility — and how fiber-based process and station bus networks can enhance protection performance, reduce complexity, strengthen cybersecurity, and support long-term scalability.
Timestamps
- 0:00 | Intro
- 2:54 | Why does fiber-based communications provide a structural advantage over copper in IEC 61850 environments?
- 6:06 | How do process bus and station bus architectures change substation design and protection strategies?
- 11:36 | What operational and lifecycle benefits do utilities realize by reducing copper wiring?
- 15:47 | How does fiber infrastructure support scalability, interoperability, and future digital applications?
- 18:38 | What should utilities consider when planning a migration from copper to fiber in existing substations?
Additional Resources:
- Connect with Lucas Mays on LinkedIn
- Contact AFL at www.aflglobal.com/en/contact
This content is sponsored by:
About the Author
Nikki Chandler
Group Editorial Director, Energy
Nikki is Market Content Director for the Endeavor Business Media Energy group, which includes T&D World, EnergyTech and Microgrid Knowledge media brands. She has 30 years of experience as an award-winning business-to-business editor, with 24 years of it covering the electric utility industry. She started out as an editorial intern with T&D World while finishing her degree, then joined Mobile Radio Technology and RF Design magazines. She returned to T&D World as an online editor in 2002, and took over as managing editor in 2017, then market content director in 2023. She has contributed to several publications over the past 30 years, including Waste Age, Wireless Review, Power Electronics Technology, and Arkansas Times. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.S. in journalism from the University of Kansas.