Utility Delivers T1 Services over Ethernet/Fiber Infrastructure

Washington State's Pend Oreille County public utility district (PUD) recognized the need for advanced communications services in the rural area in which it supplies water and electricity. Not only would this help boost the region's economy, but it would also provide the PUD with new revenue streams.

 

Using the extra capacity in its underutilized fiber network, originally installed for internal monitoring and control of electricity and water services, the PUD built an Ethernet backbone using Cisco switches and began leasing Ethernet connections in 10 Mbps increments. This provided a high capacity network for much needed LAN-to-LAN connectivity and high speed Internet access. Ethernet was chosen for its simple scalability, low cost and high bandwidth capabilities, but it still did not provide a solution for businesses and government agencies requiring traditional T1 leased lines.

The state of Washington offers a grant for T1 line connections for educational purposes. The PUD considered lighting up more dark fiber with fiber modems and DACS equipment to provide these T1 services. However, this option was not only expensive, but also wasteful, since it required using up high capacity fiber for low capacity circuits. Instead, the PUD deployed RAD's IPmux TDMoIP (TDM over IP) gateways, which allows the PUD to provision seamless T1 leased lines over its Ethernet backbone. This means that the requirement for T1 services to support voice and videoconferencing equipment in the educational market can now be satisfied over the Ethernet infrastructure.

First to benefit from the PUD's new services was the Kalispel Indian Tribe, which required support for videoconferencing and a high speed data connection for distance learning between Spokane Community College and tribe headquarters in the town of Cusick, nearly 100 miles (160 km) away. RAD's IPmux-1 extends a single T1 circuit between the two locations, with half the bandwidth (12 timeslots) allocated to high speed data and the other half to videoconferencing using Polycom equipment.

"The IPmux is performing well above expectations. I am especially impressed with its remote provisioning capabilities, which are important to us since the customer's site is so far away," says Allan Emrick, Lead Technician for Pend Oreille PUD. "The IPmux was extremely easy to use and was backed by a reliable and knowledgeable technical support team that proved simply outstanding," states Emrick.

Pend Oreille PUD has purchased several more IPmux units for further T1 provisioning to educational facilities in the county, including school districts and libraries. Now Pend Oreille schools have access to voice as well as high speed Internet access at one-third the cost of a T1 line through the local service provider. "The IPmux has essentially helped us to 'bridge the digital divide' in a rural area where this was previously not possible," concludes Emrick. The PUD is also taking steps towards becoming "a carrier's carrier," providing transparent leased lines to the region's incumbent carrier at a lower cost to the carrier.