Datacom and OCE Telecontrole jointly renewed end-of-life technology.

Datacom and OCE Telecontrole joined forces to replace an end-of-life technology in the telecommunications network with a new platform. At the same time, they migrated all applications to this new platform. By focusing on effective communication and collaboration, they were able to meet the deadline without unexpected obstacles. Here’s an interview with Pieter Panis (Manager TDM & Optic Networks) and Gwennaël Delhière (Expert Adjustments & Telecontrol).

Pieter: “We are responsible for telecommunications services within Elia. You could see us as a kind of ‘little Proximus’ with one important customer, Elia. Part of our communication supports Elia’s administrative management, such as internet, Wi-Fi, telephony, and so on. But we also handle communication between the different parts of the transmission grid—for example, between high-voltage substations, between our data centers, or between the grid and the dispatching teams.

To improve performance and integrate new technologies, Datacom has been working more and more closely with other departments in recent years—not only on network concepts, but also in field implementation, specifically with OCE SecSys – Telecontrol. This approach allows us to continue ensuring reliable operation with new technologies. At the same time, it enables an end-to-end approach that goes beyond simply providing telecommunications services.

Gwennaël: “OCE Telecontrole is responsible for operational activities in various areas. For example, remote control (which can be seen as the eyes and hands of the dispatchers), metering (for the billing of transported and delivered energy), and the communication aspect of various application systems (such as protections, automation, and control). All these systems communicate using Datacom technology.”

Gwennaël: “The high-voltage grid includes primary equipment (lines, cables, transformers, etc.) that transport the energy, and secondary equipment (the application systems) that help enable the safe and optimal operation of the primary equipment. The migration project involved components of these secondary systems, specifically the protections that communicate with each other via Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) technology. OCE Telecontrole is responsible for this communication.”

Pieter: “The equipment based on that technology had been in use since the late 1990s. By 2024, they finally reached their end of life: they were no longer supported, maintained, or updated. So, we had to make all protections communicate through a new platform, still based on TDM technology. Switching to the latest IP (Internet Protocol)-based technology wasn’t possible because our protections could still only communicate via TDM. Since this involved more than 2,000 circuits, each with at least two protections, there were over 4,000 interventions required. All telecommunications services had to be physically moved and reconfigured—a huge task requiring an end-to-end approach. Fortunately, our Project Manager Abdellah Ainouss orchestrated all of this perfectly in close cooperation with the operational teams.”

Pieter: “That’s right. It was like having to replace a wheel on a moving car. That’s why we worked in two phases. In the first phase, starting in 2019, we rolled out a new network architecture in parallel with the operational network—at that point, still without involving OCE Telecontrole. By early 2021, the network was operational enough to begin the first migrations. From then on, we worked together intensively and consulted frequently. How should we organise the switch: by substation or by line? What type of connection should we choose? We had to perfectly align our different perspectives.”

Gwennaël: “To ensure effective coordination, we put together a multifunctional team that included members from different departments. Of course, Datacom and OCE Telecontrole were represented, but also Asset Management, Infrastructure, and Plan Management. Careful preparation with all parties involved was crucial to work efficiently and to avoid outages. In addition, we documented everything thoroughly. All the plans and wiring diagrams were updated.”

Gwennaël: “The TDM Roll-out was initially a one-to-one replacement of the Datacom TDM architecture. So, it wasn’t considered an infrastructure project and there was no Project Leader. But the challenge was quite significant: migrating more than 4,000 protections to the new architecture. That’s why we set up a project framework involving all the parties concerned.”

Pieter: “A department like Infrastructure has authority when it comes to rolling out projects. For us, the main challenge was to convince everyone of the importance of the project. That’s why we put a lot of effort into good communication.”

Abdellah: “Finally, we worked together at all levels. As Project Manager, I coordinated the planning with the foremen, the colleagues in the field joined forces, and the multifunctional team met every month to monitor the progress of the work. That way, we were able to solve all the problems together.”

Pieter: “Despite all the challenges, we met the deadline without untimely outages.”

Abdellah: “Thanks to good collaboration and thorough preparation, everything went smoothly. Every colleague knew exactly what they had to do.”Abdellah: ”

Gwennaël: “Everyone who contributed to the project truly deserves a big compliment. The teams from Datacom, OCE Telecontrole, and Plan Management did an enormous job by updating all the network documentation. Thanks to collaboration with Asset Management and Engineering, we introduced a standard for carrying out a ‘technical clean-up’ during the migrations. And finally, the colleagues in the field, together with the subcontractors, accomplished a real feat!”

Pieter: “There are still a lot of copper cables underground. These will eventually need to be replaced by fibre optics. That will be an even more challenging project.”

Abdellah: “The collaboration will only become even more intense in the future, both in terms of architecture and operational management—including network management. For example, as part of SPACS 4, we will still have to replace a lot of technology. Fortunately, thanks to the experience gained from this migration project, a solid foundation has been laid in terms of interactions and documentation.”

Gwennaël: “After a difficult start, this collaboration went very smoothly. We are therefore confident that we will also successfully complete future projects. Communication is the key to a successful project.”