As Transmission System Operator (TSO) in Northern Ireland, SONI ensures the safe, secure, reliable and economic operation of the electricity transmission grid in Northern Ireland. In co-operation with EirGrid, SONI also administrate the wholesale Single Electricity Market for the island of Ireland through SEMO.
With the uninterrupted provision of electricity being paramount, it is vital that SONI’s mission critical services delivered on the Operational Telecoms Network are always available, as any downtime could have a direct impact on services to electricity customers in Northern Ireland.
Commenting on the contract being awarded to Cable&Wireless Worldwide, Nick Fullerton, Commercial Manager, SONI said: “The security and integrity of the Operational Telecoms Network is critical to the SONI business. The fact that Cable&Wireless Worldwide did not have one single outage during seven years of the previous contract is testimony to the skills and expertise of their engineers and systems.”
Cable&Wireless Worldwide provides 24/7 management of the Operational Telecoms Network and has a team of dedicated engineers continually monitoring the network and maintaining its operation. Well known for its highly resilient systems that operate under the most arduous conditions, Cable&Wireless Worldwide works with many of the world’s top utilities. This contract win was secured through a full OJEU procurement process, and will also see Cable&Wireless Worldwide deliver a full voice and data infrastructure, including the roll out of IP Telephony to SONI’s control room and all SONI sites.
Sean Mahon, Managing Director, Enterprise, for Europe, Middle East & Africa, Cable&Wireless Worldwide, added: “Our partnership with SONI is an excellent endorsement of the skills and expertise within Cable&Wireless Worldwide and the mission critical services we offer. We understand the implications of a failure on the Operational Telecoms Network and have developed a highly flexible system that allows us to upscale, should the network come under pressure at certain times; such as inclement weather conditions. The public can rest assured that they have SONI and Cable&Wireless Worldwide working together to ensure the continued supply of electricity throughout Northern Ireland, whatever the conditions.”