High Voltage Tunnels Rely On ViaLite RF over Fibre Links For Mobile Radio Coverage

A new tunnel complex carrying high voltage power lines under the Thames in East London will help supply the city’s growing demand for electricity. Built for UK Power Networks and carrying 132,000 volt cables, the tunnels will bring an extra 400 megawatts of electricity into the capital.

The system integrator supplying the mobile radio system for the tunnels is Stockport-based CommTrack, who designed the overall system and its integration with commercial PMR base stations and repeaters. They asked ViaLite to provide RF over fibre links to extend the range of the critical maintenance and blue-light communications system so that it operates throughout the 8 km length of the tunnels.

ViaLite is seen by CommTrack as the industry standard for RF over fibre links in critical communications systems. "If the communications don’t work, you can’t work safely in the tunnel complex," commented Paul Birbeck, Technical Director at CommTrack.

The equipment supplied included ViaLiteHD 1U rack chassis units and cards, providing slim line integration into the communications racks.

"Following successful testing by CommTrack, we were able to fine tune the gain settings to reduce or eliminate any weak points along the tunnels," said ViaLite Director of Sales Richard Jacklin.

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ViaLite is a trading name of Pulse Power & Measurement Ltd. Registered office: 65 Shrivenham Hundred Business Park, Watchfield, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN6 8TY, UK. Registered number: 2963819

ViaLite will be exhibiting next at NAB (Las Vegas) in April 2018. Booth #C11147.

ViaLite designs and manufactures RF over fibre links/systems, support modules (including an SNMP Monitor & Control module), rack chassis and outdoor enclosures (the ODE range).

New products include the L-Band HTS – HWDR (Hyper-Wide Dynamic Range) link and Horizons SNMP.

ViaLite products are used in a variety of markets, including: Satcom, Broadcast, Cellular and Network Timing, Telemetry, Maritime, Government, Mining and Public Safety.

Website: www.vialite.com

Customers include: Intelsat, Eutelsat, Telesat, Broadcast Wireless, Vislink Communications, Videosys, Canam, Airbus and Motorola.

ViaLite Communications is a division of Pulse Power and Measurement Ltd (PPM). PPM was founded in 1994 and has three further divisions: PPM Power, PPM Test and PPM Systems. PPM’s hub website: www.ppm.co.uk.