Nokia plans 5G network to Polish grid
Finnish telecom innovator Nokia has reportedly partnered with Polish company PGE Systemy to deploy a unique 5G-powered grid.
When PGE was selected by the Polish Energy Ministry to introduce a 450 MHz band to support the country’s energy distribution system operators, the company turned to Nokia, which has proven knowledge and experience in 5G networking.
Although only at the proof of concept stage of development, it is envisioned as a project that will thoroughly modernise Poland’s operational communications; 5G has been gaining traction in the European energy sector as the key for delivering a next-gen grid service.
With network speeds running at over 1,000% faster than the fastest 4G service, 5G is capable of super-charging the three core technologies at the heart of Industry 4.0 (cloud, AI and IoT).
Modernising the grid
As the fourth industrial revolution is ushered in, energy companies are starting to seriously consider how their operations could be optimised for the next generation of consumers.
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Andrzej Piotrowski, VP of PGE Systemy, stated that, following Nokia’s positive research and testing, the time was right for Poland to implement sweeping changes to bring its grid up to date.
“Poland has a strong concern to digitalise our energy grid because further integration of renewables with the grid, as well as conversion to distributed energy systems, requires ubiquitous, reliable and safe communications.
“Private wireless operating in the 450 MHz range is the communications technology of choice for the energy sector right across Europe, which ensures support from industry suppliers.
“The Nokia proof of concept has demonstrated that it will meet our needs in terms of coverage, service quality, resilience and long-term availability,” he said.
Chris Johnson, VP of Nokia’s Enterprise business, agrees with Piotrowski’s assessment of the company’s network concept and clarified that Nokia would be giving high-priority to the project.
“Nokia has a big commitment to Poland’s communications infrastructure, with over 6,000 employees in-country working in our R&D centres, developing our newest technologies, including 4.9G and 5G.
“Thus, we are very pleased to be providing further support for the digitalization of the Polish electrical grid by PGE Systemy.”
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