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W AT E R E N E R G Y L I F E LaRIVERSIDE PUBLIC UTILITIES W& Board Memorandum P U B L I C U T I L I T I E S BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES DATE: JANUARY 23, 2015 ITEM NO: 5 SUBJECT. APPROVAL OF WORK ORDER NO. 1407582 AND PURCHASE OF COMMUNICATION SYSTEM EQUIPMENT FOR RADIO SITES ISSUES: The issues for Board of Public Utilities consideration are: 1) approval of Work order No. 1407582; 2) approval of a Purchase order to General Electric Company for Synchronous optical Network (SoNET) equipment and 3) approval of a Purchase order to General Electric Company for Microwave equipment. RECOMMENDATIONS: That the Board of Public Utilities: 1. Approve Work order No. 1407582 in the amount of$770,000; 2. Approve the award of a Purchase order for$165,051 to General Electric Company's Lentronics Fiber optic Multiplexers division located in Burnaby, Canada for SONET equipment; and 3. Approve the award of a Purchase order for $325,976 to General Electric Company's MDS Industrial Wireless division located in Rochester, New York for microwave equipment. BACKGROUND: Riverside Public Utilities (RPU) operates two microwave systems to carry voice and data communications. RPU's primary microwave system operates between the Box Springs Radio site, La Colina Substation and Riverside Substation. RPU's secondary microwave system operates between the Utilities operation Center (UOC) and Tilden Radio site. RPU, Police, Fire, Public Works and Parks & Recreation departments use these microwave systems for day-to-day operational needs such as voice dispatch for field crews and remote control of field devices. Both microwave systems have reached the end of their life and the original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) has stopped supporting the existing product line. Spare parts are not available, which can result in operational disruptions if the systems were to fail. This can be troublesome for the RPU, Police and Fire departments' land mobile radio system for their dispatch operations. RPU is planning to implement new technologies for its operational requirements. These new systems such as wireless fault current Indicators, distribution automation devices and automated metering infrastructures will require extensive communication networks. Adding two Synchronous optical Network (SoNET) nodes with the microwave system creates a flexible communications network with secure and reliable connections that supports different communication topologies required for the planned new technologies. General Electric Company's (General Electric) SoNET system has been the standard equipment for RPU's fiber optic network since 1996. Both microwave systems will tie into the SoNET system and form a vital part of the communications network.