Download What is NRTS – technical description

What is the National Roads Telecommunications Service (NRTS) project
and what services will it deliver?
The National Roads Telecommunications Services project is being delivered
through a 10 year PFI contract. In the first two years of the contract (Oct 05 to
Oct 07) the contract is building a new core telecommunications network
across the HA’s motorway network. Over the subsequent 8 years the contract
allows services to be called off from this network using a catalogue of fixed
prices (covering the cost of local connections from the core network to
roadside devices/applications). The new telecommunications network will be
based on the Internet Protocol (IP) but will support existing legacy
arrangements plus a new generation of roadside devices (message signs,
MIDAS etc.) that are being developed to connect directly to an IP network.
Types of transmission service offered by NRTS
The main types of transmission service offered by NRTS are as follows:
Service Service description
Category
1
A bespoke service to support
Legacy Signals and
Message Signs
2
A bespoke service to support
Legacy MIDAS
3
A bespoke service to support
Legacy Emergency
Roadside Telephones (ERT)
4
A bespoke service to support
Legacy CCTV
5
No longer used
6
4 wire and 2 wire Analogue
circuits
7
8
9
Types of devices & applications
supported by service Comment
Supports the current NMCS2
implementation of signals.
Supports the current NMCS2
implementation of MIDAS.
Supports the current NMCS2
implementation of ERT.
This service will cease to be used
after Dec 07.
Only ever used in exceptional
circumstances where applications
require an analogue circuit.
Public Telecoms services
Service bought in from Public
such as PSTN, ISDN, Packet Telecommunication Operators,
radio connections, leased
typically to support applications on
lines
APTR.
IP (packet switched) digital
New applications requiring data
connections to the roadside
transmission are expected to be
and between central
designed to use this service.
locations.
A range of IP services are
available offering different
bandwidths and
performances.
Point to point (circuit
Only ever used in exceptional
switched) digital
circumstances.
connections.
Service Service description
Category
10
Switched digital video services
Types of devices & applications
supported by service Comment
Supports connections from roadside
cameras to CCTV monitors. Service
provides anywhere to anywhere and one to
many connectivity i.e. a single camera can
be viewed in any RCC/NTCC or 3rd party
location concurrently.
All existing HA cameras will be transferred
to this service by Dec 07
11
Switched Voice Over IP (VOIP)
The HA are currently evaluating the option
telephony services
of transferring its current ERT systems onto
this service. There are currently no plans to
implement this service within the first 3
years of the NRTS contract.
Some types of services are only available on roads categorised as having an
“A” rated “Service Provisioning Capability” (known as SPCA), i.e. roads with
fibre optic cables1. Non SPCA roads can be upgraded to SPCA capability.
Network Resilience
The network that will deliver the NRTS services is designed to be highly
resilient. This is achieved in a number of ways, the most significant being as
follows:
 Every transmission station (150 nodes on the network) will have
generators to protect against power outages.
 All Services2 will have multiple routes from source (typically an RCC)
to the nearest transmission station.
 Some IP service types provide end to end diverse routing direct to
roadside device.
 The core network uses carrier class routers with hardware redundancy
built into the design and spare bandwidth allocated for peaks in traffic
and network failures.
Operational Support Systems
The NRTS network is monitored and supported by a 24/7 Network Operations
Centre (NOC) located in the West Midlands. The NOC uses network
management systems to monitor the services carried over the network. The
NOC will also support a NRTS web site which provides a portal to a number
of applications allowing access to the following:
1
2
Over 75% of motorways are rated at SPCA, contact Genesys for locations of SPCA roads.
Except CCTV on spur motorways




Information on ordered services e.g. Status of orders
Performance data for the network
Documents relating to the network (including roadside “as built”
drawings)
Asset data for the network