Information transfer has become an important part of people’s daily life. Industrial communication networks are a basic prerequisite for digitization in the world of information transmission. As a result, power distribution network automation systems need modern and innovative communication services. Electricity industry facilities are strongly influenced by the general need to increase power transmission, green and sustainable technologies, as well as the expansion of energy sources and its storage. Electric distribution service companies try to improve the quality of energy transmission, reduce power outage time and operational and maintenance costs. These competitive cases in the market, along with the change in consumption and load transfer patterns, require a large number of smart devices in the power grid. All modern devices such as line sensors, smart meters, controllers of various network equipment, RTUs, etc. generate a huge amount of data. What is quite evident, such changes in electricity distribution networks, require a higher degree of automation, control and monitoring at all levels. As a result, intelligent industrial networks need to use more modern and up-to-date communication methods in order to solve the challenges of distribution automation, two-way communication with low delay, increasing reliability.
Each communication technology has its advantages and disadvantages; Equipment price, implementation complexity, equipment availability, service and maintenance costs, compatibility with existing equipment, etc. As a result, to choose a communication technology, different things should be checked. Considering that in the discussion of electricity distribution, the communication platform is within the city, as a result, the primary and main factors for this decision are the restrictions created by urban development; Such as daily constructions, daily changes in vacant spaces, noise and natural interferences such as rain and snow, service and maintenance restrictions during the day.
In this booklet, we have tried to provide very brief information about today’s communication platforms. These technologies include WAN network (cable ethernet), WiFi network (wireless) and radio. After that, a little more about the fiber optic technology and substrate is explained.
This pamphlet was written only for the initial introduction to fiber optic technology, and to make a definite decision about the implementation of a technology, much more and deeper information is needed, which is not included in this pamphlet. We hope this pamphlet will be the start of future more in-depth discussions about the advantages of fiber optics over radio.