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    LTE/4G and 5G network

    LTE/4G and 5G provide crucial advantages for the wind industry, including faster throughput and more stringent requirements than for consumer applications:

    • A high level of OT security (as part of critical infrastructure)
    • Quality of Service (QoS) and high capacity
    • Reliability secured by redundancy.
    • Low latency
    • Coverage and reach in turbine area and inside turbine
    • The ability to scale
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    01. Worldwide standards 02. Security 03. Quality of service and reliability 04. Functions similar to TETRA 05. Peak throughput speeds 06. Coverage and reach

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    "Our LTE/4G and 5G solutions are delivered in close partnership with Ericsson
    - one of the leading providers of information and communication technology!"

    Woldwide standards


    LTE/4G and 5G are based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), which is a term used for global cellular-based standards. Though LTE/4G and 5G are technically different, they are based on the same foundation.

    The standards have been developed to allow easier vendor coexistence and upgrade capabilities for the companies using cellular-based products. For the network owners, this will also give them the freedom to select more competitive phones/terminals instead of more high-end products, depending on their needs.

    Investing in a communication infrastructure based on a global standard will also secure that the investment is future proof and that there is interoperability between multiple vendors of network equipment, giving the customer the freedom to expand the network independent of a specific vendor.

    Security

    An extremely high focus on IT/OT security is crucial as the wind industry is part of the national infrastructure and requires increased security measures.

    Both the LTE/4G and 5G networks are ideal solutions for the wind industry. The network security of both networks is based on the 3GPP standards that govern the safety features, devices and users. Encryption and security keys can only be deciphered through a SIM card installed on the user device. The physical control of the SIM cards will be the responsibility of the IT staff of the wind farm operator or trusted service provider.

    A typical private network deployment will create a closed system whereas a typical public LTE/4G or 5G network, through private network architectural deployment, is completely self-contained within the wind farm’s IT network, protecting the wind farm’s wireless network from exposure caused by multiple paths or vulnerable access points.

    Quality of service and reliability

    Other characteristics that stand out for both LTE/4G and 5G technologies are reliability and service guarantees.

    This includes the ability to enable end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) assignments to different services and streams within the LTE/4G or 5G network.

    With deterministic scheduling and QoS controls within the framework of the 3GPP standards, LTE/4G and 5G technologies can adjust for the relative importance of services representing various use cases to prioritise one over the other during periods of congestion.

    Hence, the typical number of consumers on a private LTE/4G or 5G network is relatively low compared to the number of consumers on a commercially operated network, making the risk of congestion very low.

    Peak throughput speeds

    One of the main advantages of LTE/5G networks is the data throughput. Top LTE speeds can reach up to 1Gbps whereas 5G speeds, in principle, can reach up to 10 Gbps.

    The practically obtained throughput should, however, be expected to be lower as the selection of frequency, bandwidth, and antenna type as well as the distance to base stations have a huge impact on the throughput.

    A typical throughput is expected to be 150 Mbps download and 50 Mbps upload per consumer (SIM card). As mentioned above, the carrier frequency is one of the key criteria for a coverage calculation. Standard frequency is in the range of approximately 800 MHz to typically 3.8 GHz. Access to frequency will be based on local standards.

    Contact a specialist for advice and support regarding advanced coverage calculations predicting coverage and throughput for a specific case.

    Coverage and reach

    Another significant characteristic of the LTE/4G and 5G network is the reach (coverage area). Cellular-based networks are typically defined as networks transmitting a considerable amount of power to reach the end device, expanding coverage to the wind farm by using fewer base stations than other technologies.

    Inside coverage in substations and WTGs requires a more detailed approach. Both the WTGs and the substation steel construction prevent radio signals from outside to penetrate the structure (in principle, all radio signals are blocked). The substation can be covered directly from the base station, if located on the substation, by distributing the signal in a passive or active DAS (Distributed Antenna System) or by placing small low-powered base stations at strategic locations. The WTGs can be covered by installing microbase stations to be connected to the central system via fibre or IP network, or a stand-alone repeater could be installed, repeating and distributing the signal inside the WTGs. Semco Maritime is continuously working on developing a cost-effective solution for the WTG coverage.

    Some of the functions and applications supported by a private LTE/4G or 5G network:

    •    Drone operation for blade inspection
    •    Telemedicine
    •    Video streaming for remote technical support
    •    Welfare data
    •    Remote office on SOV vessel during construction phase
    •    Online documentation and reports
    •    IoT
    •    “Big data” strategy
    •    Voice data communication supported by MCPTT

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    ... that gathers everything about LTE/4G and 5G network.

     

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    Contact us

    Per Holgersen

    Business Development Manager, Telecom

    Semco Maritime A/S
    Esbjerg Brygge 30
    6700 Esbjerg
    Denmark

    Brian Boye

    Senior Manager, Telecom Products

    Semco Maritime A/S
    Esbjerg Brygge 30
    6700 Esbjerg
    Denmark