In
telecommunications
Telecommunication, often used in its plural form or abbreviated as telecom, is the transmission of information over a distance using electronic means, typically through cables, radio waves, or other communication technologies. These means of ...
, the term inside plant has the following meanings:
*All the cabling and equipment installed in a
telecommunications facility, including the
main distribution frame (MDF) and all the equipment extending inward therefrom, such as
PABX or
central office equipment, MDF
heat coil protectors, and grounding systems.
*In
radio
Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...
and
radar
Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...
systems, all
communications-electronics
In telecommunications, communications-electronics (C-E) is the specialized field concerned with the use of electronic devices and systems for the Data acquisition, acquisition or acceptance, processing, Computer data storage, storage, display, a ...
(C-E) equipment that is installed in buildings.
Around the turn of the 21st century,
DSLAM
A digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM, often pronounced ''DEE-slam'') is a network device, often located in telephone exchanges, that connects multiple customer digital subscriber line (DSL) interfaces to a high-speed digital co ...
s became an important part of
telephone company
A telecommunications company is a kind of electronic communications service provider, more precisely a telecommunications service provider (TSP), that provides telecommunications services such as telephony and data communications access. Many t ...
inside plant. Inside plant will also have
distribution frame
In telecommunications, a distribution frame is a passive device which terminates cables, allowing arbitrary interconnections to be made.
For example, the Main Distribution Frame (MDF) located at a telephone exchange, telephone central office te ...
s and other equipment including
passive optical network
A passive optical network (PON) is a fiber-optic telecommunications network that uses only ''unpowered'' devices to carry signals, as opposed to electronic equipment. In practice, PONs are typically used for the '' last mile'' between Internet ...
(name depends on the Service Provider).
Power
A typical power system for a switching office in an inside plant consists of the elements listed below:
*AC power system
**AC input switch gear
**Standby AC plant (where appropriate)
**AC distribution system (essential and non-essential loads)
**AC backup systems for uninterruptible loads and protected loads
*DC power system
**Rectifiers and plant controls
**
Storage batteries
A rechargeable battery, storage battery, or secondary cell (formally a type of Accumulator (energy), energy accumulator), is a type of electrical battery which can be charged, discharged into a load, and recharged many times, as opposed to a ...
**DC distribution system.
For safety and reliability reasons, it is desirable that all telecommunications loads be DC powered with minimal AC-powered devices used. Telcordi
GR-513, Power Requirements in Telecommunications Plant (LSSGR Section 13) contains detailed industry requirements for using power in an inside plant.
Both integrated and isolated bonding networks as per Telcordi
GR-295, Mesh and Isolated Bonding Networks: Definition and Application to Telephone Central Offices are a technically viable means to ground and bond the equipment in a safe and effective manner. However, the integrated or mesh bonding schemes are preferred over isolated bonding networks because of the added costs and efforts required to manage, control, and maintain the isolation for the equipment, particularly during equipment upgrade and modifications to the plant. This preference is based on a pragmatic desire for lower costs and ease of management, and to simplify operations during plant modifications/upgrades.
For a comprehensive analysis of the energy efficiency and environmental soundness of a power system, one should ideally consider a wider range of factors than strict energy conversion AC-to-DC power efficiency. These environmental factors cover a wider vision known as
Industrial Ecology
Industrial ecology (IE) is the study of material and energy flows through industrial systems. The global industrial economy can be modelled as a network of industrial processes that extract resources from the Earth and transform those resource ...
within which each manufacturing step of the products need to be considered from a
Design for Environment (DfE) factors standpoint.
See also
*
Outside plant
Sources
*
Telecommunications infrastructure
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