Power utilities benefit from advancing fiber optic technologies

Earlier this year, I blogged about the increasing demands on the power grid and how communication networks can help power utilities ensure reliable, secure service delivery. Adding power generation and distribution capacity is a significant undertaking, and utilities should complement it with a communication network that monitors, controls and secures the grid with ease. 

Utilities now commonly place fiber optic cables along their rights-of-way so they can construct networks for these purposes. These networks enable real-time grid monitoring, substation control, and efficient integration of renewable energy sources, line conditioning systems and protection mechanisms. They also provide corporate wide area network (WAN) connectivity for offices and data centers. In some cases, such as Chattanooga’s EPB, utilities also use their fiber optic networks to deliver broadband services to their customers. All these functions must be connected with a high degree of resiliency and security. 

The evolution of optical transport equipment nicely complements the wide assortment of applications supported by utility networks. For a long time, we spoke of optical advancements mostly in terms of capacity and span reach. But then came simultaneous, astonishing innovations in physical miniaturization, switching (optical and electrical), software control and security. The optical transport systems of 2025 bear little resemblance to those of a few years ago.

How do these advances benefit power utilities?

A few examples come to mind. Fiber capacity optimization, optical link health, data security and new revenue sources driven from data center demands are all potential benefits. Let’s explore some key optical network advancements that can be difference-makers for power utilities.

Coherent optical modernization

Optical transponders translate electrical signals to light for transmission on optical fiber, and have improved by orders of magnitude in the past few years. We now have transponders that can be selected by software to match line rates of 1.2 Tb/s and higher over distances of thousands of kilometers, eliminating the need for expensive optical signal regeneration along the way. We also can use small form-factor pluggables (SFPs) in applications where less functionality is required. 

Together, these various transponder options make optical span engineering a far less onerous task than it once was. For example, we no longer need racks of equipment to add network capacity. We can do it using much smaller packages, speeding time to market because we have simpler materials handling, installation and commissioning processes. This translates to delivering new fiber network capacity at the lowest cost per bit, which is essential for keeping up with the unprecedented capacity requirements of new AI workloads. 

Optical network reliability

Advances in the way light is detected on fiber optic cables and the related telemetry management software allow us to very closely monitor the health of optical links. Known as fiber sensing, this technology does more than just watch link error rates. It can also detect minute movements in the fiber span and correlate them to physical events such as nearby construction, seismic episodes, fiber bends, connector insertion issues or fiber probing and tampering. We can use this data to trigger alarms and take steps to remediate the network before service quality or communication connectivity is negatively impacted.

Data security

The increased economic reliance on continuous access to data and critical infrastructure, means that grid communication networks are targets for malicious actors. Advancements in the way we secure data in flight offer protection against the most sophisticated attacks, including attacks powered by quantum computers. The deployment of Quantum-Safe Networks allows utilities to mitigate the risk of data breaches into the future. 

Data center interconnect

Recent innovations in coherent optical platforms can enable utilities to open new revenue sources through data center interconnect (DCI) services. Utilities can use these platforms to capitalize on some of their unique advantages—such as their inherent proximity to excess power and existing fiber rights-of-way—to address the power, space and fiber optic connectivity demands of enterprise data center operators. Much like offering gigabit fiber broadband service to businesses or residences, it could be relatively straightforward for utilities to offer 100G, 400G and 800G DCI services to enterprises that need to support AI workloads.

Explore optical network innovation with us

These are just a few ideas of how utilities can benefit from recent optical networking innovation. We will offer more thoughts on each of these topics in future posts as well as in an upcoming webinar, How optical transport technology advancements benefit utilities, scheduled for Tuesday, 4 November at 10 a.m. EST. 

Register here for the webinar. We look forward to your participation!