EnGenius DuraFon PRO Replaces UHF Radios Providing Reliable Long-Range Telephone and Point-to-Point Communications Across Large Power Transmission Facilities ISA-CTEEP, São Paulo, Brazil Controlled by ISA, one of the largest power transmission groups of Latin America, CTEEP is one of the largest private concessionaires of public electrical energy transmission services in Brazil. The company transports about 30 percent of the electricity produced in Brazil and approximately 60 percent of the energy consumed in the Southeast. CTEEP’s main customers are other utility companies in the energy sector. The Need: Telephone and Point-to-Point Communications Throughout Large Power Facilities Keeping managers and technicians in contact with each other throughout power transmission facilities can be difficult given the size of the properties and the environmental interference generated by the high-power transmission lines. According to Jairo Duarte das Neves, Senior Operations Analyst at ISACTEEP, handheld UHF radios were sufficient for providing direct communications between users, but did not enable them to receive or make telephone calls. This inability to access telephone communications outside of the office impacted productivity and could potentially create safety concerns if an employee were to require immediate assistance while in the field. Combining the convenient point-to-point communications capability of a handheld radio with the capability of a cordless telephone into a ruggedized handset that delivered the power and range to provide reliable communications throughout the premises in this harsh environment would be a challenge. Duarte das Neves explained that the search for a new communications solution started on the Internet and led him to call EnGenius Technologies. EnGenius Technologies – 11801 NW 100th Road, Suite 4, Medley, Florida 33178 Phone: (305) 887-7378 es.engeniustech.com [email protected] EnGenius Case Study The Solution: The EnGenius DuraFon PRO Long-Range, Industrial Cordless Phone System The features, performance specifications, and affordable price point of the DuraFon PRO Long-Range, Industrial Cordless Phone System caught the attention of Duarte das Neves and he contacted EnGenius. “I was very interested in the DuraFon system because of the long range and the ability to use the handset as a radio communicator and a telephone,” Duarte das Neves explained. The DuraFon PRO system is a complementary addition to virtually any existing telecommunications platform that can provide cordless telephone extensions and 2-way radio communications through a single handset. Duarte das Neves initially purchased one unit for testing and after validating that the system was the answer to their communications issues, he purchased nine additional systems. Duarte das Neves found the range of the system to be more than adequate to provide reliable communications throughout the entire premises. “With each of our base stations, we purchased an external outdoor antenna to reach the locations where communications have traditionally been more difficult,” he explained. “We have not had to use those antennas.” The high-power DuraFon systems provide extended range to cover up to 12 floors of in-building penetration, up to 250,000 square feet of facility coverage, and up to 3,000 acres of open land coverage giving users mobility throughout the entire facility. The Results: Reliable Communications Throughout The Power Transmission Facilities According to Duarte das Neves, the DuraFon systems were quick and easy to install and provide high-reliability communications throughout the premises. He stated that the DuraFon system has provided a critical new communications capability to his team. “When we were using the UHF radios, we did not have the ability to make phone calls,” he explained. “To add that capability, we would have had to carry additional devices.” In addition to the added communication features that the DuraFon systems provide, Duarte das Neves explained that the implementation of the new system has also resulted in cost-savings for the company. “In addition to a savings of around 50 percent in just the hardware alone, the UHF radios require special licenses which we do not have to purchase with the DuraFon system,” he stated. “The DuraFon also allows us to connect the system to one phone line and provide access to that line from multiple handsets.”