--- title: "Case study: Get smart" description: TETRA networks can smooth the way for smart grids image: http://www.securelandcommunications.com/hubfs/A_Keytouch_2017/stories-imgs/CS2F1298_1134.jpg --- - follow us - - [![keytouch-logo-1.png](http://www.securelandcommunications.com/hubfs/Keytouch_2017/keytouch-logo-1.png "keytouch-logo-1.png")](https://www.keytouch.online/) - [Topics](https://www.keytouch.online/stories) - [Archive](https://www.keytouch.online/magazine) - [About us](https://www.keytouch.online/about-us) - [Contact](https://securelandcommunications.hubspotpagebuilder.com/contact-us) - [Home](https://www.keytouch.online) - Topics [Featured solutions](https://www.keytouch.online/stories/topic/featured-solutions) # Case study: Get smart TETRA networks can smooth the way for smart grids. Power and utility companies will soon be able to save money, lower energy consumption, reduce peak demand and ensure a more reliable power supply. ### Share [mailto:?&subject=Case%20study:%20Get%20smart&body=https://www.keytouch.online/stories/case-study-get-smart](mailto:?&subject=Case%20study:%20Get%20smart&body=https://www.keytouch.online/stories/case-study-get-smart) ![CS2F1298_1134.jpg](http://www.securelandcommunications.com/hubfs/A_Keytouch_2017/stories-imgs/CS2F1298_1134.jpg) The reason: The smart grid, a digitally enabled electrical grid that gathers, distributes, and acts on information about the behavior of suppliers and consumers. It uses this information to reduce sags, spikes and other disturbances in the power supply, as well as to protect the power system from attacks and natural disasters. That means the smart grid has to be ... well, smart. The power system must be able to: - Sense system overloads and reroute power automatically to prevent or reduce outages - Respond autonomously to manage supplies more quickly and efficiently than human operators - Meet rising consumer demand without adding infrastructure - Accommodate energy from the range of potential sources - Be flexible enough to integrate new technologies as they come online Realising this vision for smart grids will take smart communications. ## TETRA supports smart grids Communications provide critical support for the smart grid. Smart routing and smart devices must "talk" to each other to even out peaks in power consumption and enable utility companies to reduce excess capacity and redundancy. And as the industry shifts from fewer larger generators to more smaller contributors, signalling traffic will increase. One smart solution: dedicated TETRA networks. TETRA networks are more resilient to disruptions such as natural disasters, accidents and cyber attacks than other networks. That's critical: Disruptions to the power supply can have huge consequences, both in economic and human terms. Because TETRA is wireless, it's also a cost-efficient way of deploying last-mile connections. That's important as power companies add smart metering and environmental sensoring in consumer's homes and workplaces. Later, as distributed power generation demands more signalling, affordable last-mile connections will become essential. How affordable? The frequency licence for a dedicated LTE network on commercial frequencies alone could cost more than a TETRA network from Airbus, complete with radio terminals. ## 3 ways to get smart with TETRA Here are three ways that energy and utility companies can deploy TETRA communications for smart grids: **1. Build your own voice and narrowband data TETRA network**. **2. Build a TETRA network dedicated to data,** then activate voice services when you need them. **3. Subscribe to a shared, public safety TETRA network.** You'll get ubiquitous voice coverage for maintenance personnel while using spectrum more efficiently and lowering your total cost of ownership. When you share in an Airbus TETRA network, critical services - like power and utility companies - can be given priority. Plus, you'll be able to build additional data-oriented capacity to bypass any bottlenecks, which is essential for a smart grid. ## TETRA for every phase of the smart grid The smart grid is evolving in phases: 1. Beginning with smart metering 2. Progressing to smart traffic management 3. Ultimately achieving full integration into an intelligent, distributed system All the while, utility companies need voice coverage for engineers working in the field. As the smart grid evolves, it will outgrow existing voice networks, which have been designed to provide wide coverage for relatively few users. Smart grid data traffic will even tests the data transmission capacity of TETRA networks designed for voice and narrowband data. The solution? TB3p mini base stations from Airbus. - **Reduce site costs.** TB3p mini base stations are small — about the size of a laptop — so they'll fit into existing equipment rooms and cabinets. That means resulting site costs are negligible. - **Multiply capacity.** A single carrier TB3p base station can provide up to eight times the SDS capacity and up to 40 times the IP packet data speed of standard TETRA Main Control Channel or single slot packet data service. - **Grow your network as you grow.** Data modules can provide the data link between the base station and the grid elements. So you can add enough TB3p cells to fit any capacity requirement. - **Increase spectrum efficiency.** Because you don't need to locate TB3p cells on hilltops, you can use same frequency nearby without interference, thus boosting spectrum efficiency.  ### Topics - [Featured solutions (24)](https://www.keytouch.online/stories/topic/featured-solutions) - [Tips and best practices (24)](https://www.keytouch.online/stories/topic/tips-and-best-practices) - [Articles (14)](https://www.keytouch.online/stories/topic/articles) - [Reader stories (13)](https://www.keytouch.online/stories/topic/reader-stories) - [Auf Deutsch (3)](https://www.keytouch.online/stories/topic/auf-deutsch) - [En español (2)](https://www.keytouch.online/stories/topic/en-español) see all ## Most Popular ### [Bluetooth Tetrapol: Sin cables Tips para mantener comunicaciones discretas en la policía.](https://www.keytouch.online/stories/bluetooth-tetrapol-sin-cables) ### [Kennen Sie schon die rote Taste in TETRA-Endgeräten? Eine Notruftaste ist unabdingbar für die Funkgeräte von Einsatzkräften. Aber wussten Sie schon, wie viele nützliche Funktionen sich für die rote Taste der TETRA-Endgeräte von Airbus programmieren lassen?](https://www.keytouch.online/stories/kennen-sie-die-rote-taste-in-tetra-endgeraten) ### [TETRA radio shortcuts: By the numbers Tips for accessing common functions with your number keys.](https://www.keytouch.online/stories/tetra-radio-shortcuts-by-the-numbers) ### [Red alert: Emergency functions on your TETRA radio Five tips for using the red key.](https://www.keytouch.online/stories/red-alert-emergency-functions-on-your-tetra-radio) ### [Five things you need to know about TETRA Here are five frequently asked questions about TETRA, and the answers you should know.](https://www.keytouch.online/stories/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-tetra) ### You might also be interested in... [![Boosted by SmarTWISP: The happy union between smartphone and PMR/TETRA radio](https://www.securelandcommunications.com/hubfs/A_img3/Thumbnails-dropdown-content-237x160/Public%20Safety/Fireman_Medic_20190909_NI7A9963_17_237x160.jpg)](https://www.keytouch.online/stories/boosted-by-smartwisp) ## [Boosted by SmarTWISP: The happy union between smartphone and PMR/TETRA radio](https://www.keytouch.online/stories/boosted-by-smartwisp) THE CHALLENGE: The SmarTWISP development programme by Airbus is looking for the best and most talented teams to improve the mission-critical communications of police officers, firefighters, caretakers, doctors and other life-saving and society-building professionals. [![Should you go for TETRA virtualization?](https://www.securelandcommunications.com/hubfs/A_img2/How_to_buy_960x350/Taira-TETRA-Server-detail-960x350.jpg)](https://www.keytouch.online/stories/should-you-go-for-tetra-virtualization) ## [Should you go for TETRA virtualization?](https://www.keytouch.online/stories/should-you-go-for-tetra-virtualization) Operators of TETRA networks are asking how to cut costs while maintaining the same level of service. Could virtualization and data centres be the answer? [![Five things you need to know about TETRA](https://www.securelandcommunications.com/hubfs/social-suggested-images/Three-security-officers-640x420-5.jpg)](https://www.keytouch.online/stories/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-tetra) ## [Five things you need to know about TETRA](https://www.keytouch.online/stories/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-tetra) Here are five frequently asked questions about TETRA, and the answers you should know. [![Three signs you need TETRA paging](https://www.securelandcommunications.com/hubfs/A_Keytouch_2017/stories-imgs/Firefighters-called-to-duty-640px-wide.jpg)](https://www.keytouch.online/stories/three-signs-you-need-tetra-paging) ## [Three signs you need TETRA paging](https://www.keytouch.online/stories/three-signs-you-need-tetra-paging) Paging is ideal for alerting first responders to an incident. Yet, most paging systems do not perform as well as they could. Analog systems are becoming obsolete and digital systems may suffer from other problems. Ask yourself three simple questions - if you answer yes to even one of them, it's time to look at TETRA paging. 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