Utilities
Radiocommunications ensuring the 24/7 availability of our basic amenities
Gas, electricity, water, telecom are utilities we take for granted every day, 24/7. To achieve that takes the efforts of tens of thousands of people backed by huge investment in infrastructure and supporting services.
The utilities sector works around the clock, 365 days a year to ensure uninterrupted supply to homes and business is maintained irrespective of weather conditions, natural or man-made disasters.
Disruption to electricity and telecoms distribution networks, gas supply lines and fresh and wastewater services result in far-reaching consequences that impact on the economy, health and wellbeing of those affected which makes it critical for services to be restored quickly, efficiently and safely.
With the bulk of services distributed overhead or underground in locations ranging from busy city centres to remote and isolated regions – including offshore – upgrades to infrastructure and maintenance and repair operations bring unique challenges to the workforce.
SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN
Worker safety is naturally a priority in the utilities sector as accidents and incidents not only cause reputational damage, but also delays and disruption.
In recent years, the adoption of technology and automation has significantly improved the safety of operations, however, installing, commissioning, updating, maintaining and repairing critical services will always present an unpredictable and dangerous environment for workers with ever-present risks including:
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- Adverse weather conditions |
- Plant and machinery |
There’s little doubt that balancing the requirements of increasing productivity and reducing service disruption without compromising on safety and efficiency is made easier if everyone involved in a project or dealing with a situation can communicate instantly and reliably with individuals or simultaneously across functional teams in voice and data at the push of a button, without having to take unnecessary steps and free from distractions.
Two-way radio provides full communications availability even when GSM and IP based communications systems are rendered inoperable by capacity overloads, coverage blackspots, adverse weather conditions, damage or sabotage and can make a vital contribution to the success of daily operations in addition to supporting robust Health, Safety and Environment policies, enhancing the protection of workers, equipment and infrastructure, and minimising the impact of incidents and major events.
Whether in upstream or downstream operations, KENWOOD DMR and NEXEDGE NXDN two-way radio systems can meet not only the requirement for reliable and resilient wireless voice and data communications over wide coverage areas, but also incorporate advanced worker safety features and compatibility with automation and productivity applications.
RADIO SYSTEM CONSIDERATIONS
Utilities workers and their radios work side-by-side and are exposed to the same environment, so it is critical that the radio devices used and the system that supports them will function without interruption especially in last resort situations. With all the variables in play, there are several key factors to consider when selecting the technology, system architecture and devices to be employed, including:
| Intrinsically safe: |
KENWOOD NEXEDGE NXDN digital ATEX / IECEx hand portable radios are available in VHF and UHF versions and certified for use in environments where hazardous, combustible gases and airborne particles are present. They incorporate a host of lone worker and advanced safety features |
| Temperature: |
Utilities supply infrastructure is typically located in areas subject to extreme temperatures and weather conditions that can pose a problem for effective, uninterrupted communication. This is because a radio receiver is rated for a certain sensitivity, and if thermal noise is exceeded the result is a reduction in signal to noise ratio. It is therefore important that equipment is suitable for the conditions. KENWOOD portable radio devices are designed and tested to operate in a temperature range between -30°C and +60°C |
| Dust, moisture, vibration and shock: |
Maintenance and repair operations require equipment that can withstand dust, moisture and toxic exposure. KENWOOD portable radio devices are rated to IP54/55/67 and 68 and MIL-STD 810 C/D/E/F/G to provide protection against the ingress of dust, salt, grit and moisture and resistance to vibration and shock. |
| Fit for purpose: |
It is a duty of care requirement for management to ensure that uninterrupted communication with on-site workers is maintained at all times and for the radio devices to be fit for purpose beyond IP and MIL-STD ratings, for example:
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| Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF): |
MTBF measures the average time it takes for a component failure. It is an effective indicator of how reliable and safe a product is and is typically measured in units of hours: the higher the MTBF value, the more reliable the product is. In tests, KENWOOD radios have achieved MTBF values of up to 40,000 hours making them ideal for use in the utilities industry, where radios are essential to supporting safe, efficient operations. |
| Location services: |
KENWOOD DMR and NEXEDGE NXDN radiocommunication systems managed with KAS-10 and KAS-20 AVL & Dispatch Software suites or the Trackuracy asset monitoring and tracking platform help utilities operators to implement robust safety protocols and achieve greater efficiencies by pinpointing the location of staff and vehicles indoors and out in real time. |
| Mixed Digital-Analogue Operation: |
KENWOOD DMR and NEXEDGE NXDN digital two-way radio devices are ideally suited to those operations upgrading from analogue to digital communications as all devices feature native and automatic analogue/digital mixed operation. This allows them to communicate automatically with existing analogue radios to provide a predictable and cost-efficient path to full digital implementation. |
| System flexibility: |
KENWOOD DMR and NEXEDGE NXDN radiocommunication systems can be configured in digital conventional, IP, trunked, simulcast and multi-frequency formats. |
KENWOOD RADIOCOMMUNICATION SYSTEMS ENABLING EFFICIENCY WITH SAFETY
KENWOOD DMR and NEXEDGE NXDN technologies offer highly flexible, voice and data enabled digital conventional, IP, trunked, simulcast and multi-frequency communications systems – the utility of which can be greatly extended with the addition of applications and software suites that allow you to pinpoint and assign resources as required.
Naturally, KENWOOD systems can be integrated with other applications including telephone, maintenance, fire, security, access control, telemetering etc., so offer a failsafe and future-proofed communication solution.
Resilience & Redundancy
Systems can be designed to provide the appropriate level of resilience and redundancy in coverage, capacity and availability with no single point of failure in all operating conditions.
For single and multiple sites, wider coverage areas and a host of built-in and programmable functions and advanced worker safety features, KENWOOD NEXEDGE NXDN and DMR digital systems offer much more than the ability to simply transmit voice and data instantly, including:
Productivity
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- Individual, group and all radios calls
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- Stun and Revive feature when radios are lost |
Health & Safety
In addition to the efficiency that radio communication brings to managing and coordinating daily operations above and below ground, it also serves to help you comply with health and safety requirements and regulations, for example, alerting staff to the presence of threats, calling for medical assistance, reporting incidents and accidents.
However, where radio communication really excels is in the event of a major incident where it maintains a critical communication link in support of emergency procedures and evacuation operations.
All NEXEDGE NXDN and DMR digital two-way radio devices feature an Emergency Key and Emergency Call features as standard, while more advanced models additionally offer built-in or optional GPS modules, Lone Worker, Motion Detection and compatibility with Location services, which can be programmed to deliver automated proximity triggered prompts – for example when a worker enters a hazardous area, or requires special safety equipment.
These advanced safety features offer an added layer of protection in support of first aid and emergency protocols with the ability to automatically send alerts and alarms to a control centre and/or other radio users, for example:
| Priority Call: |
The Priority Call feature ensures the availability of a radio channel in the event of an emergency and allows a dispatcher to interrupt all existing calls on a channel. |
| Emergency Key: |
An alarm is triggered along with the user ID of the sender and when the Emergency Key button is pressed. GPS equipped radios can additionally send the location (GPS coordinates) of the user. |
| Lone Worker: |
An alarm is triggered along with the user ID of the sender if a user does not respond to a status prompt within a specified time. |
| Man Down: |
An alarm is triggered along with the user ID of the sender if the radio is tilted beyond a pre-determined angle indicating that the user may have fallen or become incapacitated. Other programmable features include: - Stationary Detection: Emergency mode is triggered along with the user ID of the sender when the radio remains in a stationary position for a period exceeding a pre-set time, indicating that the user is unable to operate the transceiver, or it’s has been lost, mislaid etc. GPS equipped radios can additionally send the location (GPS coordinates) of the user to a control centre using software such as KAS-10 and KAS-20 AVL and Dispatch suites. - Motion Detection: Emergency mode is triggered along with the user ID of the sender when the radio is vigorously shaken or swung for a period exceeding a pre-set time, indicating that the user is running to or from an incident. GPS equipped radios can additionally send the location (GPS coordinates) of the user to a control centre using software such as KAS-10 and KAS-20 AVL and Dispatch suites. |
| Location Services: |
NEXEDGE NXDN and DMR radios equipped with GPS can additionally be programmed to send location information to a control centre using software such as KAS-10 or KAS-20 AVL and Dispatch suites so that the user at risk can be located quickly and response times reduced. |
| Asset Tracking and Monitoring: |
With Trackuracy, KENWOOD DMR and NEXEDGE NXDN systems can be equipped with low-energy, real-time asset monitoring and tracking across single and multiple sites, indoors and out. Alerts, alarms delivered as audible tones, voice or data messages can be programmed to trigger automatically should the user stray off course or enter restricted areas. |
| Remote Monitor: |
Remote Monitor allows dispatchers to listen in to a radio through its microphone in situations where an alarm is activated, and the radio user is unable to respond. This provides the control centre dispatcher with the intelligence to assess a situation in real time and to quickly initiate an appropriate response. |
| Intrinsically Safe Radios: |
NEXEDGE NXDN ATEX/IECEx certified radios provide the solution for workers operating in explosive atmospheres or environments where hazardous airborne particles may be present. |
EXCEPTIONAL AUDIO QUALITY EVEN IN NOISY ENVIRONMENTS
KENWOOD radiocommunication devices benefit from JVCKENWOOD Group’s 60-years’ experience in producing consumer audio and visual equipment (Trio, JVC and KENWOOD), renowned for exceptional sound quality.
This transfer of knowledge and experience has led to the development of a number of novel and innovative solutions which overcome the problem of cancelling ambient noise while improving the audio clarity of the transmitted voice - in any operating environment.
| Ultimate noise cancellation: |
NX-5000 Series hand-portable radios achieve optimum noise cancellation with the use of two integrated microphones. The main microphone is situated closer to the desired source (front of the radio), while a second microphone in the rear of the radio receives the ambient noise. In a noisy environment, both microphones receive noise at a similar level, however, the main microphone receives the user’s voice more strongly. The processor in the radio subtracts one noise source from the other so that most of the ambient noise is cancelled which effectively enhances the quality of the transmitted audio of the user’s voice. |
| Active Noise Reduction: |
Both NX-5000 and NX-3000 Series radios feature Active Noise Reduction (ANR). ANR serves to cancel the noise component of the collected audio to improve the transmitted audio quality. Noise cancellation functions can be ‘Custom’ configured to adjust the vocoder, DSP, filters, specific noises etc. to suit the operating environment. |
| Selectable Audio profiles: |
The received audio will sound different depending on the usage environment of the radio, characteristics of the device (such as the microphone to be combined with the radio and external devices), and the tone of voice and manner of speaking of the speaker. The received audio will also sound different depending on the output method, such as using the speaker of the radio or via an earphone, to hear the received audio. KENWOOD radios feature 6 customisable audio profiles which can be configured for specific scenarios and selected by the user to suit the operating environment. |
LOCATION SERVICES
In the drive to reduce costs, improve productivity and ensure worker safety, utilities operators look to radiocommunications systems which can support the implementation of automation, provide all-site mobility and traceability, the provide important data and metrics to analyse workplace productivity and adherence to SOP’s and health and safety policies.
Trackuracy Platform
KENWOOD DMR and NEXEDGE NXDN systems integrated with the Trackuracy asset tracking and monitoring platform enables you to monitor people and assets inside buildings, below ground and throughout the full extent of a site in real-time.
Its rich feature set include the ability to automatically switch views seamlessly between indoor and outdoor tracking when users are in vehicles and allows you to receive location information on multiple devices including Dispatch Positions (PC), iOS and Android Tablets and Smartphones.
Trackuracy provides Real-time Location Services (RTLS) that help you get the right resources to the right place at the right time – with information visible to you as it happens, including live-action views, reporting and analytics. Data accuracy, low-energy Bluetooth and reduced radio bandwidth consumption, coupled with the ability to automate actions and notifications form the backbone of a Trackuracy system.
Trackuracy employs simple, reliable I-beacons and smart sensors, combined with GPS and both DMR or NEXEDGE NXDN radio systems to deliver a simple, scalable and cost-effective solution to real-time tracking, reporting and recording of each person’s location and status.
KAS-10 & KAS-20 AVL/Dispatch Suites
For applications requiring lower levels of automation, the basic KAS-10 or more advanced KAS-20 software suites empower KENWOOD DMR and NEXEDGE NXDN systems with AVL and Dispatch capabilities including dispatch and voice recording, fleet management, call logging and event sharing features.
COST-EFFECTIVE MIGRATION FROM ANALOGUE TO DIGITAL
The beauty of a KENWOOD digital two-way radio solution is that your investment in new equipment when upgrading from analogue can be phased over time as all KENWOOD digital radio devices feature native automatic analogue/digital mixed operation (which allows them to communicate automatically and virtually instantly with any existing analogue radios whatever the make without the need for scanning to establish a connection with an incoming analogue call) providing a predictable and cost-effective path to full digital implementation.
SECURITY & PRIVACY
As more products are connected by IP and to networked information and automation systems, there is a growing risk of leakage and theft of personal and other information, fabrication or destruction of data, and hijacking of products.
KENWOOD is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of radiocommunication products and solutions, and we take our responsibility for ensuring the security integrity of our products and the data we hold on systems developed on behalf of our customers seriously. Click for more information on JVCKENWOOD’s Group Privacy Policy.
Product Security
Secure encryption is an essential requirement in radiocommunications to provide security against eavesdropping, jamming and other malicious attacks on a radio system.
All KENWOOD digital radio devices are equipped with a voice scrambler feature as standard, while licenced NEXEDGE NXDN and DMR radios are further protected with more advanced encryption:
| PROTALK PMR446: |
Voice inversion scrambler |
| NX-1000 Series: |
Built-in digital scrambler as standard, optional upgrade to ARC4 Encryption for DMR |
| NX-3000 Series: |
Built-in digital scrambler as standard, optional 56-bit DES encryption and upgrade to 256-bit AES (NEXEDGE NXDN and DMR) and 40-bit ARC4 encryption for DMR |
| NX-5000 Series: |
Built-in digital scrambler and DES-56 bit (4 keys) as standard, optional hardware upgrade to 56-bit DES and support to 256-bit AES |
Information Security
The Communications Systems Business, Professional Systems Business and the Healthcare Business units of JVCKENWOOD Corporation are certified to ISO/IEC 27001:2013 international standards for information security management system and JIS Q 27001:2014 Japanese industrial standards, both of which specify standards for information security management systems and establish requirements and implementation of the framework to protect information assets.
BUILT TOUGH TO WITHSTAND RAIN, DIRT AND THE ROUGH AND TUMBLE OF HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE USE
As you would expect, all Kenwood professional hand portable walkie talkies and mobile radios conform to MIL-STD-810 C/D/E/F/G for ruggedness and durability and are IP54/55/67 Water & Dust Intrusion rated, making them suited for use in any environment.
In addition, KENWOOD can offer ATEX IECEx devices for use in hazardous, explosive atmospheres.
ACCESSORIES TO SUIT YOUR OPERATION
KENWOOD offers a comprehensive range of accessories for its professional two-way radio systems and devices including covert earpieces, remote mics, headsets, cables, connectors and software packages allowing you to tailor your equipment or system to precisely meet your operational requirements.
PROVEN RADIOCOMMUNICATION SOLUTIONS
KENWOOD two-way radio communication solutions are used extensively by companies in the gas, electricity, water and telecoms sectors with digital systems employed in up and downstream operations in Germany, the Middle East, Poland, Russia, Cyprus and Lithuania including municipalities in Turkey and a major electricity supply company in Latvia.
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German Energy Utility selects NEXEDGE NXDN for radio communication in a challenging mountainous regionElektrizitätswerke Schönau Netze GmbH (EWS), together with Energieversorgung Titisee-Neustadt GmbH (EVTN) and Kraftwerk Köhlgartenwiese GmbH ensure gas and electricity supply to customers in a mountainous region covering an area of around 70km in diameter with elevation changes of up to 1000m. |
EXPLORE KENWOOD SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR HOSPITALITY ESTABLISHMENT
To discover more about the millions of KENWOOD devices in use by countless customers in hundreds of applications around the world, including the innovative, multi-protocol NX-5000 Series (NXDN, DMR, P25 and FM Analogue), NX-3000 Series (NXDN, DMR and FM Analogue) and exceptional value offered by the entry-level NX-1000 Series hand portable walkie talkies and mobiles, please click on the banners below.
For more information on KENWOOD digital system solutions, including DMR Tier 3 trunking and Simulcast, NXDN Type-C, Type-D, and Gen2 trunking, click here.
If you’d like to learn more about our TRACKURACY, our real-time Bluetooth Low Energy asset tracking and monitoring solution, click here.
Alternatively, please post an enquiry to us or contact an authorised KENWOOD Communications reseller.
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