Alcatel-Lucent and Trilliant, a global leader in smart communications platforms, are to deploy an IP-based data network for the Washington Gas Light Company that will increase the efficiency and safety of gas distribution, and help strengthen service responsiveness for 1.1 million customers in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia in the United States.

With the new network Washington Gas can use real-time remote monitoring to manage the natural gas distribution from any of its eleven operations centers, making it easier to respond to gas leaks and other pipeline problems quickly, and potentially fix many of them without dispatching a field technician.

The network is ultimately intended to automate more capabilities of the distribution network, making it smarter, more efficient and safer, helping improve service for Washington Gas customers.

Collaboration to enhance distribution

The Washington Gas network will utilize Alcatel-Lucent’s advanced IP/MPLS and 9500 Microwave Packet Radio communications technology already in use by Washington Gas and enhanced by Trilliant’s SecureMesh WAN (wide area network) broadband solutions, part of the Trilliant Smart Communications Platform. The resulting network will enable rapid communications from operations centers directly to distribution devices in the field.

This project leverages a recently established collaboration agreement between Alcatel-Lucent and Trilliant under which the companies are working together on sales, marketing and solution development to offer complete and robust smart energy solutions to other utility customers.

Trilliant has led the smart energy industry in the development and deployment of the robust Smart Communications Platform, which provides flexible and proven communication solutions that deliver benefits to their utility customers. Under the terms of the new collaboration, Alcatel-Lucent will resell and integrate components of the Trilliant Smart Communications Platform into its own solutions offerings.

Key Facts:

  • The smart energy solution deployed by Washington Gas lays the foundation for a smart distribution network that increases the utility’s efficiency, minimizing operational expenses while enhancing the reliability and safety for the more than 1.1 million customers in the Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia areas.
  • Washington Gas will deploy Alcatel-Lucent’s 7705 Service Aggregation Router (SAR-Hc), extending the 9500 Microwave Packet Radio network and upgrading the existing 5620 Service Aware Manager.
  • Trilliant’s SecureMesh WAN broadband will combine with the Alcatel-Lucent technology to extend communications from the Washington Gas’ operations centers to meters, cameras, and various other distribution control devices for real-time remote monitoring communications, including SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition), video surveillance and advanced energy distribution applications support in the future.
  • The Washington Gas project represents the first production network deployment of the recently launched Alcatel-Lucent 7705 SAR-Hc which was specifically created for the utility market.
  •  Alcatel-Lucent and Trilliant are teaming to collaborate on sales, marketing and solution development for complete, robust energy solutions. Under the terms of the new collaboration, Alcatel-Lucent will resell and integrate components of the Trilliant Smart Communications Platform into its own solutions offerings.