High-Density IoT VPN

Telemetry acquisition through smart IoT networking

An energy network operator was looking for a long-term solution for the digital networking of its 7,000 distribution substations (ONS). Under the term "Intelligent Substation", a mobile radio-based OT data network should be created that will advance the network operator in his Smart Grid strategy. Smart sensors collect and process telemetry data directly in the substations of the cities and communities and transmit them to a central SCADA network control system.

To transfer this IoT data, a compact and powerful router from the Cisco IR800/IR1100 series was installed in the ONS and connected to two dedicated APN in the LTE network of Deutsche Telekom via dual 4G. The LTE antennas required for this were installed directly in the ONS by the system manufacturer.

Redundant Cisco ASR gateways in conjunction with Firepower Next-Generation Firewall appliances were used as the central infrastructure, which are connected to the routers flexibly and with failover capability via a Cisco VPN mesh based on DMVPN (Dynamic Multipoint VPN).

BEUL supports the customer with the fulfillment, rollout and commissioning of the IoT routers in the stations as well as with the support of the central infrastructure and the VPN mesh.