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ATMB chooses 1Telecomms to manage its fibre optic network

Updating systems to increase capacity

In order to control the numerous communications equipment on the Autoroute Blanche located in Haute Savoie (tolls, variable message signs, video surveillance circuit, workstations, etc.), ATMB manages a telecommunications network, including more than 400 km of optical fibre. With the passage of the links of some historical operators and the local loop with the Sallanches and Chamonix authorities to supply the companies installed near the motorway, the current fibre network was reaching saturation. ATMB is carrying out work to lay a new network under the motorway pavement, allowing an increase in capacity and a reorganisation of the operating and rental activities.

The business GIS, 1Telecomms, allows ATMB to inventory and accurately capture the location and characteristics of the new civil engineering infrastructures, equipment and all the connectivity of the fibre optic network as the work is carried out, while initialising an exhaustive and accurate asset database, which will lead to greater efficiency in the operation and maintenance missions in the future. Eventually, the fibre network should reach 800 km.

Having a single source of geospatial reference data

1Telecomms offers a multi-scale cartographic representation of the 580 km of network assets and centralises all the asset and equipment data through specific views (detailed information sheets, synoptic view of the optical routes displaying the route of the cables and the position of the chambers, fibre and box connection matrix, predefined reports, etc.). The software provides batch data entry tools that are very useful in the deployment phase of the physical network. It allows data to be maintained over time by supervising update operations so as to preserve the topology and connectivity.

Knowing in a few clicks the optical routes taken by the fibre, knowing how the equipment is connected in order to be more reactive in the event of a breakdown, carrying out a cartographic assessment of fibre allocation (occupied fibres, available fibres), as well as associating the operators' contracts with the fibre and knowing the rental periods are the critical and priority issues covered by the solution.

Patrice GREGORI, Head of Equipment Projects in the Information Systems and Technologies Department of Autoroutes et Tunnel du Mont Blanc explains : « We want to have a map of all the equipment on the fibre. For each piece of equipment, the company wants to know on which fibre strand it is connected and through which site it transits. In the event of a breakdown, this makes it possible to quickly find out where the equipment is connected, by which route it transits, and to quickly generate an intervention form enabling a service provider to intervene as quickly as possible. »

A native interface with Road Asset GIS

ATMB, being already equipped and satisfied with the GIS solution for Road Asset Management (arcOpole PRO GPV) installed in 2019, has chosen to rely on the IT infrastructure already in place and thus to retain 1Spatial technologies on ArcGIS for the Telecom GIS. The advantage offered by the 1Telecomms software is that it communicates directly with the road heritage GIS and shares the information. Thus, a user who connects to the legacy GIS can visualise the fibre optic networks along the motorway route and all the equipment associated with the network.

A tool shared by all departments

Shared by about 50 web users, ATMB sees the Telecom GIS as an essential tool for collaboration between the administrative, commercial and maintenance departments. Knowing the existing assets and contracts in progress facilitates commercial management (marketing capacity, monitoring of agreements, monitoring and renewal of rental contracts, etc.). Having the characteristics of the equipment speeds up the interventions of the technical teams who want to know who is affected and how to repair an incident.

"Eventually, the aim will be to interface the Telecom GIS with the CRM software. This will enable the technical department to provide the CRM with quantitative data to facilitate invoicing. Conversely, the administrative department will be able to communicate billing information to the technical departments. The software can already automatically generate quantities by operator," says Patrice GREGORI.

Data Migration and Integration

The data migration process consisted of the qualification, recovery, structuring and integration of Civil Engineering and Optical Fibre data in the Bonneville and Cluses areas. The data recovery was done in conjunction with 1Spatial project managers who have a high level of expertise in structuring complex business data.

For the integration of the newly created data, the process is simple. All civil engineering information is collected by the surveyors, who use a pre-defined graphic chart to provide the plans in SHP format. These plans are checked via scripts made with the ETL DataInterop for validation and error detection. Finally, the data is pushed into the production database. The layout of the cabling and the entry of the optical fibre up to the connector is entered directly into the application by ATMB's external service provider in charge of the installation, via secure remote access.

Value-based results

1Spatial supplied, installed, mocked up and parameterised the software solution, integrated the data, installed the 1Telecomms solution and the ArcGIS Enterprise base, and supported the customer with the transfer of skills and training required for the success of the project.

The solution, open and highly customisable, was customised to meet the project specifications. The customer was able to express its functional and technical requirements and the 1Spatial project manager translated these requirements into a configuration, in order to deliver a complete and ready-to-use solution.

About ATMB :

The Autoroutes et Tunnel du Mont Blanc (ATMB) company is constantly on the lookout for new modes of transport. By crossing the mountains and narrowing the territory, it brings its drivers closer together by reducing their travel time, while ensuring their safety.

Located in the heart of the Alps and at the foot of Mont Blanc, ATMB has more than 340 employees for the Autoroute et Route Blanches (A40 and RN205). It also serves Switzerland via two cross-border motorway links (A411 and A41) and Italy via the Mont Blanc Tunnel, for which it holds the concession with its Italian counterpart SITMB.

ATMB is owned by the State, local authorities and private shareholders. It holds a concession contract with the French State until 2050.