Starting with January 1st 2003, the date established in the privatization contract of Romtelecom, Romanian telecommunication market will be totally free. This will represent the start of a great number of the companies on the voice, data and images telecommunication market among which we can mention SNRadiocomunicatii, Transelectrica, RCS, Astral or PCNet. Next to these ones we can place CFR-SA Telecommunication Agency.
Digital Telecommunication network CFR-SA has been conceived in order to provide, first of all, modern telecommunication services (voice, data and images) for National Railway Company CFR-SA, as well as for the other transport and rail management companies resulted after the reorganization of the rail system in 1998.The investment that CFR-SA had done in order to modernize its telecommunication network is based on the loan offered by BIRD, which is also guaranteed by the Government. The projects drawn up in order to obtain the loan contained a digital transmission equipment surplus, so that CFR-SA can enter the Free market of the telecommunications by renting some data fluxes, starting with 64 Kbps to 155 Mbps, of the operators in the field at local level telecommunication services, also regional and national level.
According to Mr. Lucian Milea's opinion, the manager
of CFR-SA
Telecommunication
Agency, once the installation works will be finished, digital telecommunication network
owned by the company "will have a 4,100 km covering, with a five operational rings
structure and numerous ramifications in order to reach the 550 railway stations, among
which over 85% are placed in district residencies. The investment made by CFR-SA also
provides total replacement of its own analogic phone network with a modern network of
integrated services for voice, data and images".
This modernization program has been conceived in order to obtain the following objectives:
• replacement of an important part of the analogic telecommunication network, which is physically and morally worn out;
• providing a wide range of data and images services for rail activities;
• providing the transmission support for IRIS project;
• setting the necessary technical conditions interconnected with modern telecommunication networks of the rail administrations from the neighborhood countries, aiming to integrate CFR telecommunication services in the European similar network, in accordance with UIC recommendations and with the world standards aligning in this field;
• providing necessary technical conditions for the interconnection between CFR telecommunication network and Romtelecom network and with those of other telecommunications operators;
• selling on the free market of telecommunications some data transmission services, electronic trade support, bank services, local and central public administration, assurance activity, virtual private networks, interconnection between some local telecommunication operators networks, regional and also national, in order to increase CFR-SA benefits.
The three sections of the modernization program of the rail telecommunication network are presently in different stages of finalization. News about these matters we obtained from Mr. Lucian Milea, manager. Thus we found out that the fiber optics cables network is finalized, presently being in the development stage the reception activities of the works performed and taking over these actions in the CFR Telecommunication Agency administration. This covers the rings and the ramifications achieved in the main areas of Romania: Muntenia, Moldova, Transilvania and Oltenia. Main fiber optics network (FO) achieved in collaboration with Siemens firm is placed in the rail area, underground and on the external side of the electric contact line that supplies electrical locomotives. Placement mode of this type of network offers a strict safety during operation, as well as the operational intervention possibilities in case of some troubles occurrence.
Fiber optics cable network represents the support for the transmission and digital commutation equipment and is not meant for fiber optics renting, the remaining available fibers being used for the future extension of transport and commutation capacities of the rail telecommunication network.
In point of Main digital transmission network, it is presently in the stage of mounting the power supply sources and digital equipment for synchronic transmission SDH. Siemens AG firm proposed an improved solution of the data network that provides the operation of transport SDH network management, access and synchronization, with the obvious advantages for CFR. The equipment supply will end in August 2001 so that the mounting and setting in operation activities will be more effective. Presently there are in operation the following operational transmission lines: SMT 16, Bucharest Brasov, and STM- 1, Bucharest Titu Pitesti. CFR Telecommunication Agency personnel, being provided with technical assistance from Siemens AG firm according to the contract perform equipment mounting and setting in operation.
Setting in operation the telecommunication network and, especially data transmission, imposed settlement of a management center of the digital telecommunication network. This body was placed in CFR palace, at the eleventh floor and is part of CFR-SA Telecommunication Agency.
The personnel who works within this center supervises, assisted by the equipment supplied by Siemens, network operation at national level being realized, from the distance, configurations and reconfiguration of the equipment for the rail network stations. This is the place where the troubles are tracked during the network operation and send in territory specialized teams for the replacement of the subassemblies that are out of order. Being built in a rings system, the telecommunication network also allows information transmission, automatically, on other routes than the initial one, when on this one occur malfunctions.
Through this management center of the digital telecommunication network can be achieved configurations and reconfigurations of the network, in construction stage, as well as later on, when concrete operation situations require them.
The third project Integrated Services Network, ISDN-, achieved in collaboration with Alcatel, stipulates, besides the special equipment supply, also the training of the personnel within ATCFR who will be in charge with the implementation of this project. Soon, the pilot test will be performed with all types of equipment that is supplied within the contract concluded with Alcatel firm.
CFR SA proposed to set in operation the integrated services network ISDN on January 1st, 2003. This network will allow the necessary communications for the trains circulation safety, as well as the telecommunications for the rail exploitation activities.
Fiber optics cable network dimension is placing CFR on the second place at national level, after the one owned by Romtelecom. This fact, joint with the performances and the quality of the equipment represents the features that allow National Railway Company CFR SA to enter the market in telecommunications field, fact that will also increase the profit.
In order to operate as a data transmission operator at national level, CFR-SA will have to obtain the necessary authorization from the Ministry of Communication and Information technology, in accordance with Telecommunication Law previsions. The company has already submitted the demand for authorization obtaining and they are waiting for a favorable answer from MCTI.
In point of a possible privatization of CFR Telecommunication Agency, its manager, Mr. Lucian Milea, declared that "this problem will be decided at the management of the company and MLPTL level, after the drawing up of a well founded study by a consulting firm specialized in this field".
CFR-SA is interested in new collaborations in telecommunications field, Not so long ago, a meeting with the representatives of Nokia Cables firm took place, and presented their availability for future collaborations.
In their turn, the representatives of Nokia Cables are not for the first time in touch with CFR, Mr. Pentti Kortelabti, informing the reporter of Railway Journal that he proposed to promote the name of the firm, as well as its products in Romania, and a client as CFR-SA could be a good business partner. It is also good to be mentioned the fact that Romanian specialists from rail sector are well-prepared in point of technical features, fact that represents a trump in case of a future collaboration settlement.
Silvia Mirea
