Transpower refreshes fibre optic telecommunications network

Transpower, New Zealand’s national grid owner and system operator, has selected telecommunications and digital services company Spark to undertake a refresh of its TransGO network and provide services and support for its critical New Zealand energy infrastructure.

TransGO is Transpower’s fibre optic telecommunications network, connecting substations and sites with critical services including protection signalling, SCADA control system architecture and communication technology services.

The network enables Transpower to protect, monitor and control grid assets and run the wholesale electricity market in real time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Explaining in a release was Transpower executive general manager Information Services and Technology Cobus Nel: “TransGO is a critical tool for Transpower to be able to move power from where it’s generated to where it’s needed, as well as being able to run the market systems that match supply and demand in real time.

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“To enable reliable power at the flick of a switch TransGO must be able to perform in scenarios where other commercial telecommunications or internet services are not able to keep running.

“Our TransGO network refresh will boost digitisation and enhance mobility and cloud services. Faster connectivity speeds will enable closer to real-time information, helping to ensure Transpower can continue to meet the changing needs of energy consumers across Aotearoa.”

For the project, Spark will work with Nokia to provide IP and optical networking solutions to help deliver a scalable foundation for future growth and innovation.

Said Mark Beder, Enterprise and Government director at Spark: “We are pleased to support Transpower with the connectivity and expertise for its network, a core part of New Zealand’s critical infrastructure.

“We already support Transpower with security, data centre and managed services expertise, and we look forward to applying our proven technical depth and capability to this significant and complex project.

“Our proposed network architecture for the project offers an innovative solution that is based on our own network design and will be deployed and managed by the same team that will support the TransGO refresh programme, demonstrating our experience and expertise in operating similar network solutions in real-world environments.”

The refresh programme begins this month and is expected to conclude in 2028.