Project Report on Fibre Optic Communication:

Working & Application

(Training Period – 03 June 2019 to 15 July 2019)

Submitted by -
Rushmika Singh
Electronics & Communication Engg
Dept. of ECE

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
It is always a pleasure to remind the fine people in the industrial sector and
engineering program for their sincere guidance I received to uphold my
practical as well as theoretical skills in engineering.

It is my pleasure to be indebted to various people, who directly or indirectly

contributed in the development of this work and inspired my thinking,
behaviour and acts during the training.

Firstly, I would like to thank Mr. Doman Yadav, Senior GM (Telecom) for
providing me an opportunity to undergo training at Power Grid Corporation of
India Ltd.

I am thankful to Mrs. Shikha Gupta who provided her valuable suggestions and
precious time in accomplishing my industrial report.

I also extend my sincere appreciation to all those working in the company who
took out their valuable time for the rightful guidance and technical knowledge
about working of optic fibres and its operation.

Lastly, I would like to thank my parents for their moral support and colleagues
with whom I shared my day-to-day experience and received lot of suggestions
that improved my quality of work.

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 INDEX

 Powergrid Corporation of India Ltd.

 Powertel
 Optical Fibre Communication

 Optical Ground wire cable (OPGW)

 Dense wavelength Division multiplexing (DWDM)

 Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH)

 Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS)

 Network Management System (NMS)

 Projects undertaken by Powertel:-

1. NOFM
2. NKN

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 Powergrid Corporation of India Limited(PGCIL)
 A “Navratna” Central Public Sector Enterprise (3rd largest PSE in
terms of Gross Block)

 Central Transmission utility (CTU) of India

 India’s largest electric power transmission utility - listed

company since 2007

 Consistently rated “Excellent” under Memorandum of

Undertaking with Ministry of Power since 1993-94

Transmission Consultancy Telecom

 53,635 ckm  Transmission  Owns and operates
Transmission related ≍ 60,946 km of
Lines consultancy to Telecom Network
 243 Sub-Stations more than 150  Points of Presence in
 >99 % System domestic clients 688 locations
Availability  Global footprints  Intra City network
 368,512 MVA in 20 countries in 105 cities across
Transformation catering more India
Capacity than 25 clients.  Backbone Telecom
Network Availability
> 99.5%

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Central Transmission Utility

 Undertakes transmission of electricity through Inter-State

Transmission System (ISTS)

 Discharges all functions of planning co-ordination relating to

ISTS with all concerned authorities.

 Ensures development of an efficient, co-ordinated and

economical system of inter-state transmission lines for smooth
flow of electricity from generating stations to the load centers.

 Provides non-discriminatory open access to its transmission

system for use by and licensee or generating company.

Diversification

 In-house expertise in transmission sector consultancy (Both

Domestic and International).

 Telecommunications business using existing Transmission

Assets

 Investment in Energy Efficiency

 Investment in Smart Grid

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Listed Company

 55.37% holding by Government of India and balance 44.63% by

public.
 Dividend paying since 1993

VISION AND MISSION

Keeping pace with changing business environment, POWERGRID had
set its Vision and aligned its mission and objectives as a vanguard of
foresight.
VISION
World Class, Integrated, Global Transmission Company With
Dominant Leadership in Emerging Power Markets Ensuring
Reliability, Safety and Economy.
MISSION
We will become a Global Transmission Company with Dominant
Leadership in Emerging Power Markets with World Class Capabilities
by:
 World Class: Setting superior standards in capital project
management and operations for the industry and ourselves
 Global: Leveraging capabilities to consistently generate
maximum value for all stakeholders in India and in emerging
and growing economies.
 Inspiring, nurturing and empowering the next generation of
professionals.
 Achieving continuous improvements through innovation and
state of the art technology.
 Committing to highest standards in health, safety, security and
environment

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OBJECTIVES
The Corporation has set following objectives in line with its mission
and its status as Central Transmission Utility to:
 Undertake transmission of electric power through Inter-State
Transmission System.
 Discharge all functions of planning and coordination relating to
Inter-State Transmission System with-
o State Transmission Utilities

o Central Government

o State Government

o Generating Companies

o Regional Power Committees

o Authority

o Licenses

 To ensure development of an efficient, coordinated and

economical system of inter-state transmission lines for smooth
flow of electricity from generating stations to the load centres.
 Efficient Operation and Maintenance of Transmission Systems.
 Restoring power in quickest possible time in the event of any
natural disasters like super-cyclone, flood etc. through
deployment of Emergency Restoration Systems.
 Provide consultancy services at national and international
levels in transmission sector based on the in-house expertise
developed by the organization.
 Participate in long distance Trunk Telecommunication business
ventures.
 Ensure principles of Reliability, Security and Economy matched
with the rising / desirable expectation of a cleaner, safer,
healthier Environment of people, both affected and benefited
by its activities.

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 POWERTEL
Powergrid with its brand name ‘POWERTEL’ in Telecom business is
the only utility in the Country having overhead optic fibre network
using Optical Ground Wire on power transmission lines.
Powergrid has an all India Broad Band Telecom Network of 41,988
Kms.
POWERGRID entry into telecom business:
Infrastructure provider ---------------> National Long Distance Operator
(NLDO)
Why Telecom:
 Opportunity available to POWERGRID to explore telecom
market through the convergence of power sector with telecom
sector by making available low cost and high quality telecom
infrastructure on its existing and planned transmission
infrastructure
 Explored telecom market liberalization and utilize the spare
capacity of optical fibres available to POWERGIRD
 It is an optimization of returns on assets and value creation
through new initiative
 Telecom business
o has supplemented POWERGRID’s efforts in development
of its information technology for core transmission
business
o Enabled POWERGRID to create additional economic value
by stimulating the development of Indian Telecom Sector
especially in the difficult terrain of North East Region and
Jammu & Kashmir

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POWERGRID has leveraged its presence in transmission:

 Electricity network topology formed the Optic fibre backbone

network
o Power transmission lines, crisscrossing the entire length
and breadth of the country connecting the major
metropolitan cities/towns, provide an excellent
infrastructure for stringing optical fibre cable which can
be used to set up a high grade long distance
telecommunication network of high capacity

Venture into Telecom business:

 POWERGRID has been entrusted with the responsibility of

implementation of System Coordination and Control (SC&C)
projects in various regions for better overall coordination and
effective management of interconnected grid networks.
 For real time monitoring, better management of grid through
state of the art Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
(SCADA) & Energy Management System (EMS) technologies,
require dedicated wideband communication networks.

Technology deployed:

 Underground optic fibre has been provided to create PoP

where s/s or overhead line is not available
 OPGW – Optical Fibre Ground Wire over high voltage
Transmission line
 MPLS – Multi Protocol Label Switching.

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 OPTICAL FIBRE COMMUNICATION
Fibre optical communication enables telecommunication networks
to provide high bandwidth high speed data connections across
countries. It is a synergy that brings out the best of power
transmission and telecommunication.

Fibre optic communication has revolutionised the

telecommunication industry. It has also made its presence widely felt
within the data networking community as well. Using fibre optic
cable, optical communication has enabled telecommunications links
to be made over much greater distances and with much lower levels
of los in the transmission medium.

Physical Advantages –

 With the increase in bandwidth, the size of fibre only

marginally increases as compared to copper wires.
 OF weigh less as compared to copper wires.
 No spark hazards, as they are di-electric.
 They are more corrosive resistant as compared to copper wires.
Functional Advantages –

 Transmission bandwidth is higher in OFs.

 Power loss is minimal, which is a very important factor is long
distance communications.
 OF is more secure.
 OF is immune to electromagnetic interference.
 OF is not affected by electrical noise.

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 Optical fibres
An optical fibre is a thin, transparent fibre usually made up of silica
glass or plastic for transmitting light. The main purpose of a fibre
optic cable is to protect the fibre core inside the cable that carries
light signal.

Core – It is made of silica glass and is the central part of the fibre
optic cable that carries the light signal. They are hair-thin like
structure and diameter of the fibre is typically 8µm for single mode
fibre and 50µm/62.5µm for multi-mode fibre.

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 Cladding – The cladding is also made up of glass and is the layer that
surrounds the fibre core. Together they form a single solid fibre of
glass that is used for the light transmission.

Buffer/Cable Jacket – The last is cable jacket which comprises of

different materials.

Need for fibre optic communication & technology –

 The principle driver for the photonic industry is growing

demand for faster, more efficient communication. World
internet traffic is tripling each year
 Fibre optic technologies enable the provision of extremely high
bandwidth to meet this growing demand.

Single Mode Optical Fibre Multi-Mode Optical Fibre

DWSM – Dual Window Single Mode Step Index

DSSM – Dispersion Shifted Single Mode Graded Index

NZDS – Non zero Dispersion Shifted

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 Fibre Optic Cable Technology
 Fibre optic cable technology consists of optical fibres at its core.
They have a required number of fibre (6, 12, 24, 48, 96, etc.)

 Overhead fibre optic cables – They are designed for overhead

applications. The optical cables are suitably attached with the
overhead structures such as transmission towers or poles at
appropriate height with suitable fixtures. Benefits are as
follows –
o Faster rollout & installation, especially in difficult terrain.
o No clearance required from any other Govt. authorities.

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 o Rodent menace & vandalism proof as the cables are
installed on top of transmission lines.
o Optimal utilization of national resources by sharing of
infrastructure for various applications.
o No digging of roads and no disruption of traffic.
o Safeguard of FO cables when road is dug by other utilities
for their applications.

 Underground fibre optic cables – Underground FO cables are

designed to be buried under the ground at suitable depths.
There are two types of underground FO cables:
o Unarmoured –They are always laid inside HPDE (mainly
using blowing technique) because of less mechanical
strength.
o Armoured – These are buried and laid directly in the
ground or laid inside HDPE duct.

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OPTICAL GROUND WIRE CABLE(OPGW)
An optical ground wire (also known as an OPGW or, in the IEEE
standard, an optical fibre composite overhead ground wire) is a
type of cable that is used in overhead power lines.
Such cable combines the function of grounding and communications.
An OPGW cable contains a tubular structure with one or
more optical fibres in it, surrounded by layers
of steel and aluminium wire.
The OPGW cable is run between the tops of high-voltage electricity
pylons. The conductive part of the cable serves to bond adjacent
towers to earth ground, and shields the high-voltage conductors
from lightning strikes.
The optical fibres within the cable can be used for high-speed
transmission of data, either for the electrical utility's own purposes
of protection and control of the transmission line, for the utility's
own voice and data communication, or may be leased or sold to third
parties to serve as a high-speed fibre interconnection between cities.

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 SYNCHRONOUS DIGITAL HIERARCHY (SDH)
These are a set of protocols or a group of fibre optic rates that are
used for transmission of data in the form of STM (Synchronous
Transport Module).

SDH has provided transmission networks with a vendor –

independent and sophisticated signal structure. This has resulted in
new network applications; the deployment of new equipment in new
network topologies, and management by operations systems of
much greater power than previously seen in transmission networks.

Features:-

 Synchronous
 Fully standardized
 With high bandwidth
 For synchronous and asynchronous signals
 For future broadcast signals and new services
 With standardized network management capabilities

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DENSE WAVELENGTH DIVISION MULTIPLEXING(DWDM)
WAVELENGTH DIVISION MULTIPLEXING:-
A WDM system uses a multiplexer at the transmitter to join the
several signals together and a demultiplexer at the receiver to split
them apart. With the right type of fiber, it is possible to have a
device that does both simultaneously and can function as an optical
add-drop multiplexer.

WDM systems are popular with telecommunications

companies because they allow them to expand the capacity of the
network without laying more fiber.

WDM systems are divided into three different wavelength

patterns: normal (WDM), coarse (CWDM) and dense (DWDM).

Normal WDM (sometimes called BWDM) uses the two normal

wavelengths 1310 and 1550 on one fiber.

Coarse WDM provides up to 16 channels across

multiple transmission windows of silica fibers.

Dense WDM (DWDM) uses the C-Band (1530 nm-1565 nm)

transmission window but with denser channel spacing.

DWDM:-

Dense wavelength division multiplexing systems allow many discrete

transport channels to be carried over a single fiber pair.

It is a fibre optic transmission that employs light wavelengths to

transmit data parallel bit-by-bit or serial by character. Data traffic
overtakes voice traffic and at the same time users also increases.

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Typically, a DWDM supports 8 or more wavelengths. It is designed
for long haul networks.

DWDM combines multiple optical signals so that they can be

amplified as a group and transported over a single fibre to increase
capacity.

Each signal can be at a different rate and in a different format.

Optical amplifiers operate in a specific band of the frequency

spectrum and are optimized for operation with existing fibre.

Difference between SDH and DWDM:-

SDH, or Synchronous Digital Hierarchy is a standard

for data transmission. DWDM, or Dense Wavelength Division
Multiplexing, is a new technology to carry data in fiber optic cables.
DWDM does not replace SDH, but may make it unnecessary.

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History

The telephone industry developed a technology called Time-Division

Multiplexing, TDM, which allows multiple conversations to share one
wire by giving each conversation its own short time period to use the
wire. SDH is a technical standard that allows TDM to be used for
data.

More Capacity

TDM was designed for wires, and there are limits to how fast the
data stream can be sent. DWDM was designed for optical cable, and
sends multiple data streams simultaneously by splitting the streams
into different wavelengths of light. DWDM is at least 32 times more
efficient than TDM. DWDM is an enhanced version of Wavelength
Division Multiplexing, WDM, but the terms may be used
interchangeably.

Other Benefits

SDH was designed to be used with TDM technology. DWDM can also
carry SDH data. This backwards compatibility reduces the costs of
implementation for existing networks. For future networks, SDH may
not always be used since DWDM can carry a wider range of data
types; additionally, other standards may be more efficient for some
networks.

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 MULTI-PROTOCOL LABEL SWITCHING

Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) is a dynamic routing technique

in telecommunications networks that directs data from one node to
the next based on short path labels rather than long network
addresses, thus avoiding complex lookups in a routing table and
speeding traffic flows.

The labels identify virtual links between distant nodes rather than
endpoints.
‘Multi’ in the name itself, signifies that it can support a range of
access technologies, thus ensuring full compatibilities between users
using any kind of technology at their end, e.g. – ATM, Frame Relay,
DSL, etc.
MPLS operates at a layer generally considered between OSI layer 2
(data link layer) and OSI layer 3 (network layer); thus often called the
Layer 2.5 protocol.
MPLS is scalable and protocol-independent. In an MPLS network,
data packets are assigned labels. Packet-forwarding decisions are
made solely on the contents of this label, without the need to
examine the packet itself. This allows one to create end-to-end
circuits across any type of transport medium, using any protocol.

An MPLS router that performs routing based only on the label is

called a label switch router (LSR) or transit router. This is a type of
router located in the middle of an MPLS network. It is responsible for
switching the labels used to route packets.

When an LSR receives a packet, it uses the label included in the

packet header as an index to determine the next hop on the label-
switched path (LSP) and a corresponding label for the packet from

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a lookup table. The old label is then removed from the header and
replaced with the new label before the packet is routed forward.

Ingress router – The router which first prefixes the MPLS header to a
data packet.
Egress router – The last router in a label-switched path, which pops
the label from the packet.

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 NETWORK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (NMS)
An NMS is a system designed for monitoring, maintaining, and
optimizing a network. It includes both hardware and software, but
most often an NMS refers to the software used to manage a
network.

Network management systems provide multiple services. These

include, but are not limited to:

1. Network monitoring - NMS software monitors network

hardware to ensure all devices are operating correctly and are
not near or at full capacity. Alerts can be sent to network
administrators if a problem is detected.

2. Device detection - When a new device is connected to the

network, the NMS detects it so that it can be recognized,
configured, and added to the network. This is also called device
provisioning.

3. Performance analysis - An NMS can gauge the current and

historical performance of a network. This includes the overall
performance of the network as well as individual devices and
connections.

4. Device management -An NMS can provide a simple way to

manage multiple devices from a central location. It may be
used to configure a device or modify settings based on the
performance analysis

5. Fault management - If a device or section of a network fails, an

NMS may be able to automatically reroute traffic to limit
downtime. This action may be performed on the fly or may be
accomplished using a set of preconfigured rules. When a fault

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 occurs, a network alert or notification is usually sent to one or
more network administrators.

Centre has a rack mounted equipment with power equipment room.

The allotment of different slots and different ports for transmission
and reception was taught. Heavy air-conditioning is provided to
withstand the heat which is dissipated by the machines. The DC
operation is at -28V. The system has two supplies so that in case of a
power failure of one system, the other starts to function. There are 2
MCBs, 4 columns with multiple slots which are interconnected with
proper labels for easier identification.

Fig. Data Centre at Maharani Bagh Substation

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 PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN
NOFN – National Optical Fibre Network

Government of India Project to connect approx. 2,50,000 Gram

Panchayats (GPs) in the country to form a seamless optical fibre
network, utilizing the existing optical fibre network of BSNL,
POWERGRID and RAILTEL.

 NOFN will be executed by “Bharat Broadband Network Limited

(BBNL)”
 POWERGRID has successfully completed the Implementation
of the Pilot Project in Parawada Block in Visakhapatnam District
(AP), utilizing existing fibres of BSNL & POWERGRID and laying
incremental fibre wherever required. The Pilot project was
completed by 15th Oct 2012.
 POWERGRID has received an allotment letter from BBNL, for
development & maintenance of NOFN network in four States
viz. Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand & Orissa
covering about 35,791 GPs on deposit work basis. The work is
to be carried out in about 89 districts covering 1769 blocks
across these four states. The approx. budgetary cost for the
same is `2434 Crore.
 There is a requirement of 2 km incremental fibre for every
Gram Panchayat (GP).
 Star shared topology is used to connect every block to GP.
 A single block is connected to multiple GPs through fibres.

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NKN – National Knowledge Network:

 POWERGRID has successfully completed the prestigious NKN

(National Knowledge Network) project devised by Govt. of
India.
 It connects all knowledge centres across the Country such as
Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institute of
Sciences (IISCs) etc., on a high-speed connectivity Company has
signed an agreement with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited
(BSNL) to improve the telecommunication connectivity with the
North-Eastern States including Sikkim.
 It envisages the provisioning of bandwidth on optical fibre
media laid over existing high-tension electric transmission
network.
 After completion of the proposed connectivity, the reliability
of the telecom services improves substantially in North-Eastern
region including Sikkim.

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