ACADEMIA

Actelis Networks announced at CeBIT 2012 that Harzwasserwerke GmbH (Harzwasserwerke) has selected Actelis' high-performance Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) solutions to replace legacy Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy (PDH) and outdated E1 technology. Harzwasserwerke is one of the largest suppliers of water in Germany, delivering about 90 billion litres of water annually over a system of more than 500km of pipeline. The distribution system consists of several substations and sophisticated sensors that are constantly monitoring the pipeline and communication with a centralized data center. The increased flow of information between the substations and the data center led to an increased demand for bandwidth. Harzwasserwerke's communications department selected Actelis to revitalize its existing network. With minimal CapEx and little incremental OpEx, the German water supplier has dramatically transformed its network and can now transmit information much faster and more reliably, facilitating quicker and more informed decisions. Partnering with Actelis on the project, 3M Services GmbH is responsible for delivering a complete end-to-end network solution.

"Many other vendors claim to offer superior Ethernet technology but only Actelis provided us with the solution to significantly improve our existing network, enabling greater coverage, faster speeds and increased reliability," said Dr. Jochen Plessing, director of information technology and telecommunications at Harzwasserwerke. "Without Actelis, mission critical activities would be delayed and, within our industry, that means waste. Since water drives almost every other industry -- from agriculture to power generation -- optimal use of this resource is critical. An essential capability that this high-speed network now enables is the transmission of high-quality video from our cameras that are constantly monitoring the pipeline, allowing faster and more effective response to issues that may arise."

To upgrade its existing network, Harzwasserwerke deployed Actelis' ML600s Ethernet Access Devices (EADs), which deliver high-speed broadband services over the company's existing copper and fiber networks. The compact, cost-effective EADs deliver up to 100Mbps of symmetrical bandwidth over the existing copper network, compared to the limited bandwidth of the legacy network. Harzwasserwerke also used Actelis' XR239 EFM Repeaters to help extend the reach of high-capacity Ethernet services to more than 30km.

"Utility companies are addressing the need to revitalize their networks just like telecom carriers, which are leveraging existing resources to minimize expenditures while driving up revenues," commented Joe Manuele, executive vice president of worldwide sales and customer support at Actelis. "Harzwasserwerke is a great example of a top-tier European utility leveraging innovative broadband solutions to ensure a high quality of service for the entire business. As a result, the communications department can now offer a network capable of supporting higher speeds and greater reliability, yielding a significant increase in bandwidth without requiring a completely new network and optimizing the return on investment of every Euro spent."