Li Shuzheng: "Four nets" is completely a "gimmick."

"21st Century Business Herald," recently released news that: The State Grid "engages in" triple play, snatch the "last mile," and quoted the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Development Research Institute of China Electronic Information Industry Development Co., Ltd. General Manager of the semiconductor research center Li Shujun as saying "The 'four network convergence' is completely a 'gimmick'."

The 21st Century Business Herald article states:

Not too soon afterwards, at a time when triple-play convergence was hot, the State Grid proposed the integration of the power grid with the other three networks and was called “four-network convergence” by the outside world.

“Our work is to support triple play.” On August 18, 2010, Liu Jianming, general manager of State Grid Information and Communication Co., Ltd. (hereafter referred to as Guoxin ICT) talked about the concept of “four network convergence” when interviewed by this newspaper. Its unit, State Grid ICT, is the executive responsible for the integration of the national grid with the power grid and telecommunications networks, radio and television networks, and the Internet.

At the end of July 2010, Liu Zhenya, the general manager of the State Grid Corporation of China, said at the "International Forum on Smart Grids" that "through the implementation of smart grid projects such as the power fiber to the home, the grid will be integrated with the telecommunications network, radio and television networks, and the Internet." This statement was immediately interpreted as that the national grid will use the development of smart grid to cut into the "four network convergence."

In fact, the ongoing "triple play" is difficult and the interests of all parties are fierce. Now, it is not surprising that the State Grid has "plugged in" and caused other stakeholders to rebound.

Yang Peifang, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Industry, Telecommunications and Economic Experts Committee, stated that "four-network convergence concept is unreliable." Li Shujun, general manager of CCID Consulting's semiconductor research center under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said that "four-network convergence" is completely a gimmick. '".

Suspected "four network convergence"

In the PPT presented by the “Smart Grid International Forum”, Liu Zhenya has a diagram showing that the power grid and telecommunication networks, radio and television networks, and the Internet are also called public networks, and are connected to OPLC (fiber-optic composite low-voltage cable, ie, in low-voltage cables). A composite fiber optic cable is used to realize power fiber access.

This was viewed as an intention by the outside world that the State Grid intends to achieve "four-network convergence" through "fiber-to-the-home", but Liu Jianming denied that the State Grid had mentioned "four-network convergence" and "four-network convergence."

He explained: “The State Grid is talking about powering fiber to the home to support the convergence of the three networks. The power of fiber to the home can also serve the sensor network, the Internet of Things, and the ubiquitous network. This is the direction of development. We are testing, The goal is to provide 300 MB of bandwidth to every citizen."

The integration mentioned by the State Grid, Liu Jianming explained that refers to the access to the people's home through the OPLC. "In this way, people do not need to put a lot of wires in their homes. All other network equipment can use fiber-optic composite low-voltage cables."

Liu Zhenya said that the power grid network is rich in resources, and through integration of the power grid with telecommunication networks, radio and television networks, and the Internet, it is possible to drastically reduce redundant construction and investment.

Liu Jianming said that the State Grid Corporation has more than 400,000 kilometers of optical fiber, mainly for the safe and stable operation of the power system. The integration of the grid and other networks is to achieve a high degree of integration and comprehensive application of energy flows and information flows. To meet the needs of strategic emerging industries such as clean energy, electric vehicles and triple play. "That is, the national grid can provide a new public service infrastructure platform.

According to the introduction of the State Grid, integration of the power grid and other three networks has begun pilot projects, such as Beijing’s Lianxiangyuan Community and No. 95 Yuancheng Road, Shenyang Sanwang Temple’s Shengshuiyuan Community, and Shanghai’s more luxurious community.

It is learned from the State Grid that OPLC will be directly used for newly built residential areas. The purpose is to use OPLC to eliminate the installation of other telecommunications and TV cables, making the overall cost of the new building lower, and also reducing the maintenance work of multiple cables. As for the already-established residential areas, the State Grid will, through self-revision or cooperation with third parties, transform the relevant facilities to meet the OPLC standards.

Liu Jianming said that, as a whole, the integration of the power grid and other three networks is also part of the strong smart grid construction, and the overall progress is in line with the state grid's smart grid construction.

According to the "Smart Grid" development plan promulgated by the State Grid in 2009, the pilot phase is planned from 2009 to 2010, and the comprehensive construction phase will be from 2011 to 2015. From 2016 to 2020, China will fully build a unified "strong Smart Grid ".

Compete for "Last Kilometer"

Obviously, the concept of “four-network convergence” in the home-grid network avoids conflicts of interest with telecommunications networks, radio and television networks, and the Internet. However, its concept has still been criticized by other parties.

Yang Peifang said that triple play is a socialized information and communication network with three different structures and different services in telecommunication networks, television networks, and the Internet. By complementing each other and sharing resources, it provides richer, more convenient, and cheaper prices for society. The service, and "the so-called formation of a fourth network using the self-built optical fiber of the power sector, is in no way different from a modern telecommunications network in terms of technology and business scope," and is inconsistent with the true meaning of convergence.

Li Shuzheng said that triple play is a matter of national level, and that “four nets” should not be discussed at the national level.

Without wind and waves, the fierce criticism from all parties is precisely because once the national power grid envisages the successful implementation of the “new service platform”, it will pose a threat to the interests of other parties. It means that telecom and radio and television operators must rely on the access of the national grid to reach end users. .

For this "last kilometer" competition has always been a bayonet see red. Li Shuzheng said that telecommunications operators are rushing into the home because one building may not be able to get in if there is one or the other. "There is no line, but also talk about business."

However, Liu Jianming believes that telecommunications and radio and television operators will not worry that the "last mile" channel falls on the hands of the national grid. He said: "Each operator can receive the people's home through fiber-optic composite low-voltage cables, and their own investment has also decreased. After the triple play, the people who want to use whoever they use, the key lies in the operator's price and service quality. “

Liu Jianming also introduced that the State Grid is also a user of China Telecom [3.81 0.00%], China Mobile [84.300.24%], and China Unicom [5.28-0.94%]. For example, meter information is transmitted using GPRS and TD-CDMA, but Due to the large amount of information such as distribution automation and power safety production and high real-time requirements, the telecom or television network cannot meet the requirements of the power grid. Therefore, it is necessary to meet the needs of the power grid itself through self-built OPLC.

In the specific operation mode of integration, Liu Jianming stated that the State Grid can negotiate with various operators. For example, the State Grid Corporation of China has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with China Telecom. "There are various ways of cooperation. At present, we are in the same country as China. Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom have achieved the sharing of resources between the two sides through sharing costs."

Liu Jianming compared the fiber-optic access of the State Grid to a “highway”, but what kind of car to run on it is not determined by the person who builds the expressway. It is up to the person who drives it. “We hope that operators can use this expressway. ".

National Grid Strategy

However, the fiber-optic connection of the State Grid is not just an “expressway” in the eyes of the outside world. Perhaps the “railway” is more appropriate. Although Liu Jianming does not agree with the metaphor of fiber-to-the-home and railway, according to the current state policy, the construction of telecommunications and radio and television channels requires special qualifications, and not everyone can build it.

According to the reporter from the State Grid, the difficulty of integration of the power grid and other three networks is mainly due to qualification issues. Prior to the telecommunications operations of China Telecom, China Electric Fidelity Co., Ltd. has already carried out telecom operation related work, but its qualifications have been limited, resulting in many business constraints. .

Compared with operators such as telecommunications and broadcasting, the rich user resources of the national grid are its advantages, but the relevant license plates have always been the constraints of the national grid, and related work can only be piloted in the name of the smart grid.

Solving the issue of licenses is a top priority. In early July, the State Grid Corporation of China and China Telecom signed a strategic cooperation agreement, saying that both parties will cooperate in the field of power grids and communications, and will focus on building a joint-use fiber-to-the-home project. It appears to the industry insiders that "This is the curve to get a license."

However, competitors’ “giving” license plates eventually became unstable, and a national grid source told this reporter that the national grid has been looking for support from the central government, but “there is no possibility. With radio and television, there will be four full-service operations in China. Business, but the central government believes that the four are more."

Regarding the question of becoming a telecom and broadcasting operator, Liu Jianming does not want to answer directly. “We mainly provide the people with a strong smart grid, a stable operation of the power grid, and a safe and reliable power grid.” For FibrLINK, its It is said that "Feihua is just doing its job as an ISP (Internet Service Provider) according to the requirements of the country."

In addition, the triple-convergence market of up to RMB 1 trillion is also considered to be a “big cake” that the State Grid sees. At the same time, some analysts believe that triple play as a national policy has won the support of governments at all levels in China. , National Grid Leveraging triple play is undoubtedly possible? Quot; Building a strong smart grid "strategy plus points.

According to estimates from the chairman of China’s Internet of Things Expert Committee, Qi He’e, triple play can lead to investment and consumption of 688 billion yuan in the next three years, while the long-term market is immeasurable.

Li Shuzheng said that through the concept of "four-network convergence" and fiber-to-the-home operations, the State Grid can fully enter the triple-play market. However, in front of the National Grid is the opposition of the telecommunications industry.

Yang Peifang said that due to historical reasons, China's major departments of self-built optical fiber network, there are railways, highways, oil, banking, and even the strength of the industrial sector, no less than dozens. However, in addition to certain symbolic significance, the effect is disappointing, such as the construction of the railroad sector.

In response, Liu Jianming retorted that the operation mode and operation mode of China Railcom are not the same as those of the State Grid. The State Grid is merely using the extra fiber to build a broadband transmission platform for the people and a carrier platform for the operators.

In addition to being unwilling to give birth, another simple reason that telecommunications opposes is that the power grid can enter telecommunications and broadcasting fields, but in turn it does not work, and as Li Shuyin said, "Three networks merge is not easy to have a look, the national grid is coming in , is likely to affect triple play ".