The infrastructure of poles of the existing electric energy networks of the distributors in the cities is shared with other companies that also use cables and wires to deliver their services, such as telecom companies such as telephone, internet and pay TV. In order to ensure that this sharing of poles is safe and efficient, Neoenergia carries out a series of actions to organize wires, besides identifying illegal operations and raising the companies awareness of the importance of following the necessary occupation rules with safety.
Neoenergia’s concessionaries planning – Coelba (BA), Celpe (PE), Elektro (SP e MS) and Cosern (RN) – is carried out as follows: the company discloses an occupation plan in which it informs which of its structures are shareable and which space the companies can occupy. This document complies with the joint regulation of the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL), the National telecoms Agency (ANATEL) and the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP), wichi provides that all distributors should share the infrastructure of the poles with telecom companies.
"With this, telephone, internet and TV operators are required to present a technical project to the energy concessionaire with the route and the number of poles they wish to occupy. Based on this project, the distributor assesses the technical feasibility and prepares a sharing agreement in which the fees to be paid by the telecom company to the energy company for mutual use are defined", explains Elektro’s Customer Relations Superintendent, Maica Oliveira.
ORDERING ACTIONS
There are three types of infrastructure sharing occupation. One of them is the regular occupation,whereby the companies have a sharing agreement and duly comply with the technical and safety rules defined by Neoenergia. Sometimes, these same companies expand their network without the concessionaire authorization, besides using the space improperly, resulting in an occupation in default. The latter happens in situations of unlawful occupation, when companies do have not entered into a sharing agreement and occupy the poles without complying with technical safety standards. In this event the distributors' teams perform the total removal of the cables and equipment, as recommended by regulation.
This is the point when ordering services come into play. "These are routine initiatives and are carried out according to Neoenergia's planning or upon request. Before sending teams to the field, the distributor is required to notify the companies with which they have an agreement in force, so that they are able to provide adjustments”, says André Luiz dos Santos, Celpe’s Technical Superintendent.
The notice is delivered in compliance with the contractual or regulatory term, which ranges from 15 to 30 days, except in safety events where immediate action is required or a term reduction to 24 hours. Only after the expiration of the term, Neoenergia's employees start the organization actions, which range from the wiring suitability to the total removal, applicable in events of critical safety situation and unlawfull occupation. When starting the activities in the field, Neoenergia also notifies operators, inviting them to join the action. This aims to ensure as much partnership as possible in order to minimize possible damage to the services.
DATA
Neoenergia figures showcase how its distribuidoras work in order to promote safety and efficiency by organizing the wires. From January to September 2020, Coelba, Neoenergia’s concessionaire in Bahia, has performed safety, inspection, ordering and maintenance actions in 14,612 poles, resulting in the removal of 61.5 tons of clabing. The initiatives are carried out in the cities of Feira de Santana, Salvador and metropolitan region, Itabuna, Juazeiro and Vitória da Conquista.
"Coelba uses a mobile platform for registrations, notifications, inspections and monitoring of all regularizations, which allows shared management and control among all players involved: distributor, telecom companies and teams in the field”, says Coelba’s Technical Superintendent, Ricardo Robles Leite.
For Celpe, from January to September 2020, 6,033 interventions in poles and network spans were performed, including technical improprieties, removal of unidentified networks as well as networks from illegal occupations. Actions were performed in 16 cities in the state and resulted in 41.5 tons of materials - cables, hardware and equipment - removed from the distributor’s poles
For Cosern, in the nine month period this year, approximaterly 31 thousand poles were inspected, through projects submitted by telecom companies. This inspection is required whenever a new project is submitted in order to check the status of each pole and assess the possibility of authorizina a new occupation. In addition, initiatives in Rio Grande do Norte aimed at rising telecom companies awareness on the importance of avoiding non-compliances. An example was seen during the 2020 Carnival, when undue wiring removals contributed to the prevention of occurrences during the parties, a period in which several trios pass by near the network.
In cities where Elektro operates, between São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul, the inspection is carried out based in the number of projects approved. From January to August 2020, the concessionaires accounted for over 100 thousand new points added to the pole structure. With this study on hand, the company was able to compare what is registered with the company with the revenue earned from pole sharing fees. When an undue occupation is identifies, the companies are notified in order to provide the appropriate measures for the execution of an agreement.
IMPORTANCE OF THE INITIATIVES
The main result of an organized infrastructure sharing is safety. This is reflected among customers, distributor’s employees and telecom companies, in addition to preserving equipments and the quality of service supply.
When occupation does not comply with the operation rules, the risks are associated with events such as excessive occupation of wires on the pole, which leads to a traction force that shortens theinfrastructure useful life and installations in non-comliance with the rule provision can cause short circuits leading to risky situations. In addition, installations of telephone, internet and TV cables outside the occupation band, installed at inadequate height, represent danger to the population and may jeopardize the continuity of energy service.
“Currently, challenge is to obtain the adherence of telecom operators in order to make the necessary adjustments. As to the illegal occupation, we act in order to inhibit the replacement of undue networks after the removal, always seeking the good standing of these companies”, concludes Cosern’s Customer Relations Superintendent, Júlio Giraldi.