Algoma Power Improves Operational Efficiency & Employee Safety by Keeping Staff Connected
Delivering power to over 11,000 residents and businesses in Northern Ontario, Algoma Power Inc. operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The company oversees the distribution of electricity for the rural areas around Sault Ste. Marie and manage and monitor over 1,800 kilometers of electrical lines covering 14,000 square kilometers.
The challenge?
- Covering an expansive physical territory and faced with the complex balancing act of being responsive to customers, while ensuring employee safety, Algoma Power needed a reliable solution to communicate with their crew members from head office.
- The need for a radio system that is capable of supporting day-to-day operations while also being able to handle emergency situations connecting users directly to 911 was identified.
Because of our rural nature and the topography of our service territory, there are areas where cell phones and satellite phones don’t work. – Dave LaRochelle, Operations Technician
Objectives?
- Update their aging analog radio system.
- Implement an independent radio network able to unite their employees at the main office and two satellite locations.
How were the objectives achieved?
- Specializing in communication challenges inherent to Northern Ontario, Spectrum Telecom Group, a Motorola Solutions Radio Channel Partner, was tasked with providing Algoma Power with an all-inclusive communication solution.
- A MOTOTRBO IP Site Connect system, linking Algoma Power’s three offices in Sault Ste. Marie, Desbarats, and Wawa and their two satellite locations, was installed.
- Five repeaters were distributed throughout the region to provide complete coverage from Thessalon to Wawa.
- Teldio’s advanced telephone interconnect, Radio Branch Exchange (RBX) was added to the radio network and interfaces with Algoma Power’s Mitel PBX telephone system to connect radios to the world of telephony giving users the ability to make and receive phone calls on their MOTOROBO two-way radios no matter their location.
The results?
With this solution, Algoma Power now has a reliable, stand-alone radio network, and has enabled phone and radio users to communicate seamlessly throughout the entire service territory. This solution:
- Enhances worker safety
- Increases productivity
- Reduces outage times
- Provides reliable communication, anytime, anywhere
- Reduces operational costs
The use of radios to get a quick exchange of information is important to us and contributes to productivity and lowering costs. – Dave LaRochelle, Operations Technician
Interested in learning more? Contact our team to learn more about the Teldio Edge Gateway and our custom solutions.