The implementation of the energy transition demands far-reaching technological changes from the energy industry. The importance of 450 MHz technology is repeatedly underscored in this context. What are the reasons for this assessment?

In the future, operators of electricity and gas grid networks will have to manage their infrastructure differently to be able to guarantee secure operation. In particular, they must be able to deal with volatile loads and volatile feed-in from renewable energies. And for that, they need a secure communication link. Today, however, very many assets in electricity, gas and water grid networks cannot be monitored and controlled remotely, especially in the event of a blackout. What is needed is a communications technology for a decentralized, renewable energy world, the radio network of the energy transition.

The legal framework for critical infrastructures increasingly requires that the communication link be blackout-proof, meaning that it functions for at least 72 hours even if the energy supply in Germany collapses and is specially protected. Since there was no alternative to blackout-proof fiber optic connections to connect transformer stations or wind turbines, but also consumer installations for renewable power generation, e-charging points, heat pumps, across the board given this background, the Bundesnetzagentur (German Federal Network Agency) attributed a dedicated mobile communications technology to the suppliers, which is now being designed.

What characterizes this special network and what exactly will it be used for?

A dedicated mobile network is being set up for the electricity, gas and water suppliers, which is heavily secured. Emergency voice communications for critical infrastructure operators will take place on this network. The network will also be used for transporting highly confidential data for the operation of critical infrastructures, which needs to be specially protected. This primarily involves data on the operating states of grids and facilities, but also other important data, such as from smart meters.

Naturally, the suppliers do not want third parties to know where critical network points and facilities of their infrastructure are located, nor do they want the operating states, and especially vulnerabilities, to be known. This is because an attacker could, for example, cause a power plant to fail where a network is already at its load limit and bring about a network collapse. Physical security and cyber security therefore receive special attention in the construction of this mobile communications network.

From a technical perspective, the mobile network will be based on a modern LTE technology standard. The relatively low frequency of 450 megahertz is ideally suited for building penetration. Owing to the wave length, a relatively small number of mobile communication sites is required to deploy the network, each of which is equipped with an emergency power supply for 72 hours. At the same time, the technology offers sufficient capacity for the requirements of operators of critical infrastructures.

Which regulatory aspects are crucial for the establishment of this mobile network?

One example is the “Commission regulation (EU) 2017/2196 on establishing a network code on electricity emergency and restoration”. This results in the aforementioned need to provide 72 hours of emergency power supply. Certification of the information security management system (ISMS) also plays an important role.

To prevent misuse of licensed mobile communications technology as far as possible, the Bundesnetzagentur (BNetzA (German Federal Network Agency)) has restricted the user group to operators of critical infrastructures, especially in the energy and water sectors. The decisive factor here is the allocation notice issued by the BNetzA, which regulates by whom and under which conditions this network may be used.

This means that modern technology is available for data communication, which may also develop into an industry standard. Besides data communication, data use also needs to be planned. And this is where things get exciting: Which services will use the available data? How can the data be processed efficiently in such a way that a clear picture of the critical infrastructure is created for operators, but not for unauthorized parties?

How do you assess the implementation of 450 MHz technology from a pan-European perspective?

It is to be expected that many European countries will move towards the use of LTE technology with the same frequency spectrum for the energy and water industry. These are important steps for a pan-European transformation of the energy industry.