Emtelle’s technology streamlines installation of Intelligent Transport Systems in Australia
Emtelle’s technology streamlines installation of Intelligent Transport Systems in Australia
June 2009, Sydney NSW
Emtelle is involved in three Intelligent Transport System (ITS) projects in Australia, the aim of which is to create high-bandwidth systems that will improve the monitoring and management of traffic flow and provide motorists with vital traffic information. With Emtelle’s renowned fibreflow blown fibre solution, such fibre-based systems can be established with minimal initial disruption and modified with maximum ease, speed and cost-efficiency.
The three projects are the new Perth Bunbury Highway, the Gold Coast Highway (13 km of Direct Install product) and the Brisbane Gateway upgrade (46 km of Direct Bury product). In these, as in similar projects, Emtelle’s fibreflow technology is being deployed to create ITS that can automatically detect traffic-related incidents and congestion, allowing proactive traffic management. Motorists can also be provided with up-to-the-minute information about delays, accidents, detours and journey planning.
The equipment involved in these systems includes emergency phones, CCTV cameras, vehicle detection systems and variable messaging signs, all of which require reliable, high-speed information transfer. Such equipment can help optimise traffic flow, while minimising the risk of further incidents and congestion. The effects on people’s lives (and on the environment) are clear: people get to their destination safely and as quickly as possible, and vehicle emissions are reduced.
“These three ITS projects underline the numerous advantages of blown fibre over traditional technologies,” says Bill Mavridis, Business Development Manager, Emtelle Australia. “Other methods involve opening trenches, installing ducts, backfilling soil, testing duct systems, placing cables and covering ducts. With fibreflow, excavation, installation and backfill can be combined into one procedure, which cuts time and costs.” Blown fibre therefore causes little-to-no disruption to traffic flow during installation. In addition, testing is easier, quicker and less prone to problems. Blown fibre also requires comparatively lightweight equipment and lower manpower requirements. Blown fibre also allows long installation distances (up to 4km), the number of splicing points and manhole/pit requirements is drastically reduced, resulting in less cost and fewer risks.
Also fibreflow, does not require that fibre be installed at the same time as tube bundles, fibre is not damaged during tube bundle installation, thereby eliminating costly and time-consuming repair work that traditional methods require. Fibre minicable or fibre unit can be easily blown in (or out) at any time, initial fibre deployment is restricted to what is actually needed – not what might be needed in the future. This elimination of redundant fibre increases flexibility, reduces fibre investment at start-up, and maximises the revenue-to-investment ratio associated with future network modifications.
“Another important benefit of fibreflow is that Emtelle can provide its customers with all the high-quality products, accessories and resources needed to design, construct and maintain a fibre-based high-bandwidth system,” says Bill Mavridis. “This is a lot more convenient than having to shop around for parts, accelerates turnaround times, and ensures that the elements of a network are immediately compatible with each other – an important consideration in time-critical applications such as ITS.”
The benefits of Intelligent Transport Systems and fibreflow blown fibre technology share certain characteristics: faster response times, superior management capability, increased flexibility, greater ease of use, and increased cost-effectiveness. With these three Australian projects – and similar ITS projects conducted worldwide, including the M8 motorway between Glasgow and Edinburgh, Scotland – Emtelle is deepening its involvement in an increasingly important sector, applying its proven technology, expertise and equipment to ensure that both information and traffic move as efficiently as possible.
