1. Critical Telecoms Issues for Grid Control
Roger Bryant, Southern Company

2. UTC – Utilities Technology Council
A global trade association
Dedicated to serving critical infrastructure providers
Creates a favorable business, regulatory and technological environment for its members
Through advocacy, education, and collaboration
Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

3. Critical Issues for Telecoms Grid Control
Telecom is an enabler
Threats to telecom
Regulation
Carriers transition services
Equipment availability

4. Telecom Networks Enable Grid Protection
Modern Grid Protection = Fast, Reliable, Voluminous Data
FLISR, Synchrophasors, OMS…
DERs – Grid Stabilization
Massive data volumes
Smart Meters
Synchrophasors
Protection data requires:
Reliability
Integrity
Low & predictable latency

5. Wireless Telecom Networks Are Critical
Wired telecoms not always available
MV networks
Remote areas
Capital expenditures
Speed to deploy
Wired or wireless – protection required!
Same data requirements
Same latency requirements

6. Technical Threats to Wireless
Carriers sunset legacy services
Equipment makers follow suit
Private networks starved of equipment
Packet-switched networks emerge
Non-deterministic
IT-enabled devices assume IP telecoms
IT technology introduced into an OT world
Protection over a non-deterministic network

7. Regulatory Threats to Wireless
Poor collaboration: energy & telecoms
FCC rulings disrupt utility telecoms
Other industries crave wireless spectrum
Critical infrastructure needs not adequately considered
Poor collaboration within energy sector
Windmills permitted within a microwave path
No incentive to collaborate
Post-implementation discovery is expensive

8. 1 Utility – 3 disruptions! 1993: FCC rules in favor of Broadband PCS
Lost use of MHz range
2003: FCC rules in favor of AWS
Loss of MHz range
Loss of MHz range
Relocated to 2.4 GHz
Unlicensed, overused
Each relocation is a redesign

9. The Same Utility – still challenged!
Migrated to licensed 6 GHz
Utilities, railroads, pipelines, …
Protection, SCADA, LMR
FCC issues waiver for 6 GHz band
Higher Ground LLC - SatPaq
Potential interference
Staff decision, no commissioners involved
Another redesign coming?
Trade associations are actively contesting this waiver

10. Spectrum New Standards Increasing Requirements
Disparate spectrum bands available today
Need access to:
Sufficient licensed spectrum
Protected from interference

11. One Size Does Not Fit All
Fault Indicator – latency need varies:
Minutes: indicate fault location to lineworker
Seconds: Auto-reconfigure distribution system
Cycles: Change relay settings
So: Requirements differ even for a single asset
5G is coming!
Latencies as low as 1 second
devices per km2
20 Gbps downlink
Technical specs by 2020

12. Case Study: Private LTE
Southern Linc, subsidiary of Southern Co.
Replace 20-year-old private wireless
Originally voice, now at end-of-life
LTE: spectrally efficient, SCADA-level latencies
Large eco-system: support available
Anchor applications: SCADA & Voice
Substations
Line devices
Bandwidth to support cybersecurity
Distribution SCADA live, full buildout by 2020

13. Non-Technical Challenges
IT capabilities in an OT world
Diverse cultures
Jobs change – livelihoods at stake?
Staffing and training
New utility roles – e.g., data scientist
Packet-switched networking
Other utilities have already been there – talk!
Executive Support is Critical

14. Advocate – inside your utility
Who is responsible to influence regulations?
Explain what’s at stake
Failure scenarios due to telecommunications
What is your utility is doing to ensure reliable telecommunications?

15. Find a common voice One utility speaking – might be heard
3,200 electric utilities in the U.S.
Trade associations:
EEI, APPA, NRECA
LPPC
UTC
Make sure that your utility is involved

16. Q&A