FortisBC Inc. (FortisBC) Application for a Certificate of Public ...

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FortisBC Inc. (FortisBC or the Company)
Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity
for the Advanced Metering Infrastructure Project
Response to British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC or the Commission)
Information Request (IR) No. 1
• First Level application support - 1 resource.
63.0 Reference: Project Costs and Benefits
Response:
Exhibit B-1, Tab 5.0, Section 5.1.2, p. 75
New Staffing – Communications Technician
Submission Date:
October 5, 2012
Page 149
For staffing, FortisBC has anticipated adding an additional 9.5 FTEs to support the AMI
system and new processes. The breakdown of these resources is as follows:
• Communications Technician – one additional field resource required to
troubleshoot, fix, replace and/or install AMI-related network devices;
63.1 Please detail the number of existing FortisBC IT resources, including staff,
contractors and consultants, that fix, replace and/or install network devices.
FortisBC currently has 9 FTEs troubleshooting, fixing, replacing and installing network devices.
FortisBC has interpreted this question as referring to network devices and infrastructure
supporting field communications, SCADA and operations (not office IT equipment). FortisBC
notes that the FTE number above also supports telecommunications devices, including
data/voice multiplexers, Ethernet switches, data radios, modems, RTUs, power meters and
relays that make up the operations network.
Response:
63.2 Please provide the number of network devices at FortisBC and the number that
will be installed by the AMI project.
FortisBC has approximately 1,650 devices operated and maintained by Communications
Technicians and expects 287 additional devices to be installed as part of an AMI deployment.
FortisBC has interpreted this question as referring to network devices and infrastructure
supporting field communications, SCADA and operations (not office IT equipment). FortisBC
notes that the existing number of devices identified above also includes telecommunications
devices, including data/voice multiplexers, Ethernet switches, data radios, modems, RTUs,
power meters and relays that make up the operations network.