Category: Telecommunications,: Utilities and Energy

NET, a Subsidiary of Faroese Telecom

Tórshavn, Faroe Islands

Also known as Føroya Tele, Faroese Telecom is the leading telecommunications company in the Faroe Islands and is located in the North Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and the Shetland Islands.

Challenges

  • Limited network visibility - No detailed access to asset data across 200+ telecom sites, leading to major incidents
  • Manual site management - Slow, inefficient processes for adding new sites with menus, graphics, and alarms
  • Reactive maintenance - Unable to detect equipment issues before they became major problems affecting customers

Results

  • Real-time monitoring - Gained operational overview to monitor problems in real-time and react much faster than before
  • Rapid site deployment - New sites with menus, graphics, and alarms can now be added in just 10 minutes
  • Proactive issue detection - Online equipment monitoring allows detection of issues before they become major incidents

“Before, we did not have detailed access to asset data, which occasionally led to major incidents. Now with GENESIS, our operational overview allows us to monitor problems in real time and react much faster than before. For example, we are online with our equipment, so we can detect issues before these turn into major incidents. And since we are only a few people operating the sites, we need the overview and rapid access we get with Mitsubishi Electric Iconics Digital Solutions. We have built a solid foundation, so it is amazingly fast to add new equipment to GENESIS. We plan to keep adding more assets to the system.”

— NET

About NET

Also known as Føroya Tele, Faroese Telecom is the leading telecommunications company in the Faroe Islands and is located in the North Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and the Shetland Islands. Operating from their head office in Tórshavn Municipality, Faroese Telecom is a prominent business in the country with 230 employees and an annual turnover of around 40 million euros.

With support from NET—a subsidiary responsible for operating and maintaining the telecommunications network—Faroese Telecom has been providing telecommunications services for more than 100 years. The company continues to focus on continuous development and improvement to meet market demands and enhance customer satisfaction. One of its core objectives is to connect people through simple, reliable telecommunications while remaining the leading provider in the Faroe Islands.

“Before, we did not have detailed access to asset data, which occasionally led to major incidents. Now with GENESIS, our operational overview allows us to monitor problems in real time and react much faster than before. For example, we are online with our equipment, so we can detect issues before these turn into major incidents. And since we are only a few people operating the sites, we need the overview and rapid access we get with Mitsubishi Electric Iconics Digital Solutions. We have built a solid foundation, so it is amazingly fast to add new equipment to GENESIS. We plan to keep adding more assets to the system.”

— NET
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Key Points

  • Visualization, monitoring, and control of the Faroese Telecom network across 200 sites.
  • Monitor and control of the DC power supply systems and general-purpose input modules.
  • Easy and quick addition of new sites which includes menus, graphics, and alarms.
  • More efficient teamwork and workflows allowing for the highest level of customer service.
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Project Summary

To modernize operations and manage a complex telecom infrastructure spread across 200 distribution sites in the Faroe Islands and several more in the United Kingdom, NET needed automation software that could integrate seamlessly with existing systems while supporting future growth.

The solution had to connect through the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), handle custom graphics and alarm management, and monitor critical equipment such as DC power supply systems, generators, and general-purpose input modules.

In short, the required capabilities included:

  • Connection through the SNMP
  • Support for custom graphics and alarm management
  • Coverage of approximately 200 telecom network distribution sites across the Faroe Islands, plus a few in the United Kingdom
  • Monitoring of critical systems, including DC power supply systems, generators, and general-purpose input modules

To meet these requirements, NET partnered with El Teknik, a leading automation company and comprehensive system integrator in the Faroe Islands. Based in Leirvik, El Teknik specializes in the design, construction, and maintenance of electrical installations for industrial facilities, buildings, and homes.

For this project, El Teknik collaborated with Heptagon, the distributor of the GENESIS suite of products from Mitsubishi Electric Iconics Digital Solutions in Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Heptagon selected the GENESIS automation software for several reasons:

  • Mitsubishi Electric Iconics Digital Solutions has been a trusted partner for many years.
  • Heptagon has successfully worked with El Teknik to deploy GENESIS in previous projects, consistently fulfilling customer requirements.
  • The software’s flexibility allows integration of both building and telecommunications information, creating a unified asset management solution.
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Software Deployed

  • GENESIS64™
  • MobileHMI™
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Realized Benefits

NET realized substantial benefits using GENESIS automation software, including:

  • Fast customization: Within just two weeks, the team set up asset/equipment classes according to the ISA-95 standard and created the graphics.
  • Streamlined deployment: By implementing Mitsubishi Electric Iconics Digital Solutions’ Bulk Asset Configurator (BAC), the time required for the system integrator to roll out the system was reduced significantly.
  • Standardization and scalability: The BAC drives standardization and ensures fast, incremental updates to the application in the future.
  • Comprehensive visibility and control: NET can visualize, monitor, and control their network across 200 sites, as well as DC power supply systems and general-purpose input modules.
  • Rapid site expansion: Adding a new site—including menus, graphics, and alarms—now takes only ten minutes.
  • Improved team efficiency: Staff can work more effectively, enabling them to provide the highest level of service to customers.
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Conclusion

NET is extremely satisfied with GENESIS. The platform provides a solid foundation for growth, with the flexibility to easily and quickly add new equipment as their network expands. This scalability ensures that NET can continue to adapt seamlessly to evolving operational needs and maintain the resilience of its telecommunications infrastructure across the Faroe Islands and beyond.

By relying on GENESIS, NET can deliver top-quality service to its customers through an advanced, highly functional, and responsive network. The software not only supports the company’s technical requirements but also aligns with its commitment to continuous improvement. With these capabilities, NET is well-positioned to meet increasing market demands, enhance customer satisfaction, and uphold its long-standing reputation as a leader in telecommunications.