Network Investment Research Articles

Spectrum assignment for connected vehicles: Local licensing versus coopetition

The deployment of 5G urban networks is often described as a disruptive phenomenon since it enables new emerging Internet of Things (IoT) applications such as connected vehicles. Such applications demand new spectrum regulations to decrease network investment requirements by incentivizing operator cooperation. However, currently, no clear consensus exists on the appropriate regulatory regime for such an urban deployment. This work explores two main alternative regulatory scenarios for a connected vehicle use case. Both alternatives lower implementation costs while promoting competition. The first alternative is to maintain the current scheme of spectrum assignment while facilitating additional flexibility for infrastructure sharing (ex-post competition). The second alternative is to define local areas for monopoly 5G provisioning and define the conditions for competition ex-ante. Through agent-based simulations, this work shows that a local licensing of spectrum scenario may achieve better performance than alternative scenarios with traditional spectrum assignment. Additional sensitivity checks also help detail the practical trade-offs.

Optimal Urban Transit Investment Model and Its Application

We present a new urban transit investment model, integrating transport economic theory regarding optimal investment with transport modeling, planning, and network design. The model expands on the theory of optimal transit network planning and investment, accounting for the effects of the investment on accessibility, level of service, and speed. The model seeks long-term optimal transit investment and optimal road pricing simultaneously in an integrated, unified model. To illustrate the advantages of our approach, we applied our empirical model to two case studies, Tel Aviv and Toronto, integrating our theoretical contribution into practice. Our results demonstrate the model’s ability to indicate the optimal transit mode and investment on a corridor level and the total investment required for the city transit network. The model results were compared to the actual and planned transit networks of Tel Aviv and Toronto and showed the model’s capability to produce a good balance of strategic design and network details. The research concludes that applying the right toll with the applicable transit investment is crucial for obtaining an efficient network and performance. This research can direct planners and policymakers in planning urban transport and provide a comprehensive set of guidelines for optimizing the simultaneous investment in mass transit and the congestion toll toward more sustainable cities and transportation systems.

Research on Improving the Precision Investment Level of Distribution Network Based on the Whole Process Control Means of Big Data

With the continuous and stable growth of China’s national economy, the demand of the whole society for the total power supply is higher and higher, which requires the power enterprises to continuously improve the power supply. However, if the total power supply is increased, the power enterprises need to invest a lot of power transmission facilities, which requires a huge investment in the distribution network. Therefore, different economic development levels among regions will lead to the difference of distribution network investment, which is also an important content of distribution network investment decision. Therefore, we must control the whole process through big data, which will provide a better evaluation system of distribution network investment benefits. Through the whole process management and control mode, the State Grid can build a systematic and complete distribution network investment decision-making system, which will improve the accuracy of distribution network infrastructure project investment. By analyzing the income ratio, the power grid can get scientific economic investment analysis report. Through big data technology, the power grid can realize a variety of data of distribution network operation, such as maintenance plan optimization, distribution network operation process optimization, project investment income, equipment health status analysis, etc., which can provide auxiliary decision support. Through the three aspects of technical benefit, social benefit and economic benefit, we can evaluate the operation efficiency of equipment, which can construct the index system of project investment benefit. Firstly, this paper constructs the whole process management and control system of distribution network based on big data. Then, this paper constructs the accurate investment index system of distribution network. Finally, some suggestions are put forward.

Multi-period transportation network investment decision making and policy implications using econometric framework

Transportation infrastructure projects take numerous years of planning before they are scheduled for construction. Prioritization of such projects over a multi-period planning horizon (under a limited budget) is a difficult task, as it is usually formulated as a bilevel network design problem (NDP). Although multi-period network investment is studied in the literature, its application by public agencies is limited because of the complexities involved in network design problems and the computational time needed to analyze large scale networks (i.e., performing the traffic assignment at the lower level of the NDP). The contribution of this research is two-fold. First, it extends a previously published single year discrete network design formulation to a multi-period discrete network design problem (MPNDP) to capture both the spatial and temporal patterns of multi-period network investment decisions. Second, using the MPNDP investment results; and the network characteristics, this research develops and evaluates a new econometric model the Multi-Period Econometric Network Investment Model (MENIM). MENIM can be used by agencies in place of MPNDP to approximate network investments. The proposed model is calibrated and validated using medium to large scale networks and results show that it provides comparable results to MPNDP within acceptable computational times. Patterns of multi-period network investments from these numerical experiments are also extensively discussed along with policy recommendations for public agencies.

An ecosystem health assessment of the Detroit River and western Lake Erie

The Canada-U.S. State of the Strait Conference is a biennial forum with a 22-year history of assessing ecosystem status and providing advice to improve research, monitoring, and management of the Detroit River and western Lake Erie. The 2019 conference focused on assessing ecosystem health based on 61 indicators. Although there has been considerable improvement in the Detroit River since the 1960s, much additional cleanup is needed to restore ecosystem health. Western Lake Erie is now at risk of crossing several potential tipping points caused by the interactions of a variety of drivers and their stresses. This assessment identified eight environmental and natural resource challenges: climate change; population growth/transportation expansion/land use changes; chemicals of concern; human health/environmental justice; aquatic invasive species; habitat loss/degradation; nonpoint source pollution; and eutrophication/harmful algal blooms. Specific recommendations for addressing each challenge were also made. Climate change is the most pressing environmental challenge of our time and considered a “threat multiplier” whereby warmer, wetter, and more extreme climatic conditions amplify other threats such as poor air quality effects on vulnerable residents, species changes, and nonpoint source runoff and combined sewer overflow events that contribute to eutrophication and can manifest as harmful algal blooms. Our assessment found that investments in monitoring and evaluation are insufficient and that the region's intellectual and environmental capital is not being leveraged sufficiently to address current challenges. Continued investment in this transnational network is essential to support ecosystem-based management.

Cost reduction for energy loss and capacitor investment in radial distribution networks applying novel algorithms

Cost reduction for energy loss and capacitor investment in radial distribution networks applying novel algorithms

A validated method to assess the network length and the heat distribution costs of potential district heating systems in Italy

The evaluation of the district heating network investment costs requires knowledge of its topology. However, when assessing district heating potential, the topology is not known a priori and a simulation is required. One method for the generation of simulated networks involves the use of Minimum Spanning Tree, from the graph theory. In this work a method that simulate the network through MST is presented. The census sections borders and local road networks are used as inputs for the identification of the MST. The method has been validated by running experimental simulations in areas where the district heating is already present, allowing the comparison of the respective lengths. The validation showed a variable but systematic overestimation. The study of the error has brought to defining correlations correcting the length of the MST. The MST has been then used together with real networks lengths to elaborate a novel equation describing the effective width in correlation with the number of building ratio instead of plot ratio. The new expression confirms the exponential tendency of the effective width and gives higher results for Italian cities then for Scandinavian ones, showing an important impact of city structure in the curve. The city of Milano is finally used as a case study to show the effects of using the updated effective width curve.

Stochastic network investment in integrated gas-electric systems

Power and gas systems are large interdependent infrastructures because of gas-fired power production facilities. This study presents a transmission expansion planning model considering the interaction between power and gas markets in a bi-level structure. The transmission investment decisions are made in the upper level power market problem considering the construction and operating costs. The lower level problem clears the gas market and determines demand and supply quantities of gas-fired units and of gas wells using a mixed integer linear program. The uncertainty of gas and power demands in both markets are considered using a scenario-based approach. A stochastic bilevel mixed integer optimization program is thus developed which is computed in an exact fashion by applying a customized reformulation-decomposition method. An example system and a test system are provided to illustrate the application of the proposed scheme.

Forward-looking distribution network charges considering lumpy investments

Many regulators are pushing for more cost-reflective distribution network charges to inform end users of the grid infrastructure costs their behavior causes. Since future investment costs can be avoided by reducing simultaneous peak loads, forward-looking, coincident peak charges are often proposed. Under the assumption of convex network costs, it has been shown that optimal charges signal long-run marginal network costs, triggering an optimal trade-off between network expansion and peak load reduction. In practice, however, network investments are lumpy, requiring engineering methods to estimate ill-defined marginal costs based on long-term peak demand forecasts. In this paper, we derive the optimal forward-looking network charge set by a social welfare maximizing regulator, endogenously considering investment lumpiness and uncertain consumer demand. While the optimal tariff still equals marginal network costs in essence, it now depends on a multitude of network- and demand-related parameters. Our results demonstrate that forward-looking network charges require accurate information on willingness to pay for peak demand, which currently is typically unknown to regulators.

Analysis of power distribution network operation without power cut based on actual engineering data

Distribution Network operation without power cut has gradually become the trend of the future distribution network construction, the investment in distribution network has increased year by year, carrying out the study on the analysis of distribution network operation without power cut, analyzing the benefit of distribution network operation without power cut, it is of great significance to provide suggestions for the future distribution network operation cost lean management. Based on the technical analysis of non-outage operation in distribution network, combined with the social benefits of non-outage operation, this paper gives some suggestions on strengthening the management of non-outage operation.

Optimal Configuration Method for EV Charging Station in Distribution Network Considering User Adjustment under V2G mode

The existing charging piles planning method of distribution network does not consider the influence of user participation in regulation. Hence, an optimal planning method of electric vehicle charging piles in V2G mode is proposed, considering users’ influence of regulation. An EV charging pile planning model is established to minimize the investment and operation cost of distribution network and charging station, and the genetic algorithm with elitist retention strategy is used to solve the model. The examples show the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Optimization Decision Method based on Nonlinear Analytic Hierarchy Process for Active Distribution Network Planning

Aiming at the investment environment of the distribution network, this paper deeply analyses the investment conditions of the distribution network, introduces the analytic hierarchy process and modern investment theory, establishes the analytic hierarchy of the investment conditions in the distribution network project, and proposes an optimization decision-making method of investment plan in distribution network. This paper also establishes two new concepts: condition score and correlation score, uses the improving analytic hierarchy process to calculate the weights, proposes a priority ranking method for distribution network projects, and gives detailed process. to formulate distribution network investment plans. The application of the proposed method to optimize the distribution network planning scheme shows that the optimization investment scheme given has better investment benefits under the condition of the power supply reliability requirements of the distribution network and investment capital constraints.

Mobile Broadband for Inclusive Connectivity: What Deters the High-Capacity Deployment of 4G-LTE Innovation in India?

The global market uptake of the fourth generation-Long-Term Evolution (4G-LTE) Mobile Broadband (MoBro) services are steadily rising, leading to higher capital investments by mobile network operators (MNOs) to scale-up their infrastructure for meeting the impending demand for MoBro data the world over. However, MNOs face uncertainties about financial returns from such investments, owing to a host of technological and market-related factors, which impact the enablement of such 4G-LTE MoBro services. These challenges are clearly evident in the Indian market. Firstly, 4G-LTE subscribers in the rural India contribute to less than one-third of the overall market size. Secondly, India performs poorly in terms of minimum capacity requirements of the 4G-LTE MoBro services. Thirdly, the rise in per-user consumption of MoBro data does not translate into a similar rise in the MNOs’ revenue. Fourthly, the socio-economic-geographic segregation of India into twenty-two administrative zones (referred to as telecom circles) add to the complexities in the capital investment decisions of MNOs. To address the above challenges, we model various cost and profitability scenarios of a hypothetical MNO providing universal 4G-LTE deployment across the twenty-two telecom circles in India using the available spectrum bands. Our proposed model is firmly established in the “network investment economics” framework for telecom innovations. We adopt a technology diffusion-based approach to forecast the 4G-LTE subscribers in India. We focus on the requirements of 4G-LTE MoBro infrastructure investments, including the spectrum selection decisions by MNOs, and show that, for valuation of the spectrum, the policymakers in India need to take into account the potential of the spectrum in terms of financial returns to an MNO deploying 4G-LTE using that spectrum, as against merely valuing the spectrum based on primarily the technical characteristics of its carrier frequency and benchmarks of prior spectrum auction prices in a particular telecom circle. Finally, we also show that a nationwide 4G-LTE network, which is universal, inclusive, and adhering to the global standards in terms of service quality, can be financially lucrative for MNOs, if enabled by appropriate policies instituting collaborative frameworks for infrastructure sharing, and price rationalization of spectrum bands across the twenty-two telecom circles.

Designing on Optical Wireless Communication for 5G Mobile Applications

The emphasis of this paper is on designing 5G networks infrastructure, offering a better wireless and optical network segment transport scheme with domains for applications for mobile phones. Identify the appropriate set of power grid wireless (optical/optical) technologies) and processing modules needed to facilitate 5G mobile services in an energy-efficient a two-stage optimization framework and the premium way is suspected. A multi-objective method in the first iteration is for optimization, where reflects on the element of the transport network strives to jointly reduce the expenditures on investment of the 5G mobile network. This is done to determine the minimum mobile technologies for wireless and optical power grids. The second stage focuses on the branch of the web server and aims to define effective modules of processing to which 5G operational systems need to be distributed. The performances of the proposal are investigated using separate clustering algorithms, reasonable traffic statistics choices such as mm-wave and optical passive networks (PONs) for optical grid transport, fixed, and elastic networks in Bristol, UK, via a city-wide topology. To give more advantages to 5G applications, our paper proposed a 5G communication using optical wireless technology.

Uncertainty Reduction on Flexibility Services Provision from DER by Resorting to DSO Storage Devices

Current trends in electrification of the final energy consumption and towards a massive electricity production from renewables are leading a revolution in the electric distribution system. Indeed, the traditional “fit & forget” planning approach used by Distributors would entail a huge amount of network investment. Therefore, for making these trends economically sustainable, the concept of Smart Distribution Network has been proposed, based on active management of the system and the exploitation of flexibility services provided by Distributed Energy Resources. However, the uncertainties associated to this innovation are holding its acceptance by utilities. For increasing their confidence, new risk-based planning tools are necessary, able to estimate the residual risk connected with each choice and identify solutions that can gradually lead to a full Smart Distribution Network implementation. Battery energy storage systems, owned and operated by Distributors, represent one of these solutions, since they can support the use of local flexibility services by covering part of the associated uncertainties. The paper presents a robust approach for the optimal exploitation of these flexibility services with a simultaneous optimal allocation of storage devices. For each solution, the residual risk is estimated, making this tool ready for its integration within a risk-based planning procedure.

The Challenges of Estimated Billing on Electricity Consumers in Nigeria: A Review

Despite Government efforts, over 4.6 million Nigerians are on the estimated billing system. Nigeria has one of the highest aggregate technical, commercial and collection losses at 43.65%, which has been attributed to low investments in distribution networks exacerbated by the slow progress of metering of customers which has posed a protracted liquidity challenge to the industry. There is a need to reduce these losses; hence this paper examined the Nigerian electricity billing system through meta-analysis of literature, with a focus on estimated billing, the metering situation, and its challenges in Nigeria. Finally, solutions such as the implementation of a cost reflective tariff scheme are proffered through recommendations to distribution companies and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Transmission Network Investment in a Time of Transition

Transmission Network Investment in a Time of Transition

On performance analysis of multioperator RAN sharing for mobile network operators

Enhancing the coverage and eliminating the poor performance is key to balance end-user experience andfuture network investments for mobile network operators (MNOs). Although vast amounts of infrastructure investmentsare provided by MNOs, there are still coverage and capacity planning problems at remote locations. This is because,in most cases, the population density and return-of-investments are low in those areas. In this paper, radio accessnetwork (RAN) sharing paradigm is utilized on experimental sites in Turkey to accommodate user equipment of multiplenetwork operators under the same cell sites. We first investigate characteristics, benefits, and limitations of two differentRAN sharing deployment scenarios. Then, a city-wide experimental RAN sharing study is conducted on live long-termevolution (LTE) networks between two MNOs in Turkey. Through experimental tests, we show overall performance gainsof enabling RAN sharing feature in terms of observing various key performance indicators that are obtained from sharedbase stations. Our experimental results demonstrate that both downlink and uplink average user throughput valuesincreased by 17.8% and 42.85%, respectively. After RAN sharing was enabled between MNOs, increase in the number ofuser equipment due to higher 4G coverage yielded a higher number of interradio access technology (inter-RAT) handoverattempts. This caused inter-RAT handover out success rate to decrease by 70.66%. Intrafrequency handover out successrate, which indicates if the subscriber is using the same RAT type, increased by 358.33% and service drop rates droppedby 86.1%, respectively, after RAN sharing was enabled. Finally, we discuss and summarize the main takeaways of theoutcome of the considered large-scale RAN sharing experiments.

Stochastic Geometry-Based Analysis of Heterogeneous Wireless Network Spectral, Energy and Deployment Efficiency

For quite a while, it has been evident that homogeneous network architectures, based on cells with a uniform radiation pattern, cannot fulfill the ever increasing demand of mobile users for capacity and service quality while still preserving spectrum and energy. However, only with the introduction of the Fourth Generation mobile communication networks to deal with the surging data traffic of multimedia applications, have smaller cells been widely used to break down service zone areas of macro base stations into multiple tiers, thus improving network performance, reducing traffic congestion, and enabling better management of spectrum and energy consumption in a macro network. In this paper, we present an analytical model for assessing the efficiency of bandwidth and energy usage, as well as of network deployment, taking into account overall network investment and maintenance costs. This paves the way to the improved planning of network coverage, and its capacity and reliability, thus preserving its spectrum and energy, as well as the environment. The analysis considers the downlink of an arbitrary heterogeneous cellular network by using tools of stochastic geometry that adopt the distribution of base stations in the form of a Poisson Point Process. The proposed analytical model is verified by the according software simulations using the ns-3 network simulator. The obtained results closely match the theoretically predicted values and boundaries, clearly indicating that, in all three analyzed aspects: spectral, energy, and deploymental, the efficiency of small-cell networks was higher with respect to traditional large-cell networks and increased even further for heterogeneous (two-tier in our tests) networks.

A Model for Developing Existing Ports Considering Economic Impact and Network Connectivity

This study discusses the problem of determining which container port should be developed within an existing network and when this should be carried out. A case study of Indonesia’s port network is presented, where several new ports are to be improved to ensure smooth interisland transportation flows of goods. The effects of the investment on economic consequences and increased network connectivity are assessed. When improving the ports, we consider that the available budget limits the investment. The network connectivity is evaluated by considering the number of reachable ports from the developed ports or transportation time required from other ports within the same port cluster. Based on our knowledge, our study is the first one that discusses the investment problem in multiple container ports under single management, as well as its effects regarding the increase in container flows. The problem is introduced and three mathematical models are proposed and used to solve a real problem. The results show that different models have different improved aspects of container transportation flows—e.g., a balanced improvement of the whole port network (Model 2) and appropriate investment priority for port clusters (Model 3).