What does it take to keep an entire nation’s power grid connected, from bustling cities to remote islands? In Vietnam, over 3,000 M!DGE routers are doing just that—quietly powering the country’s SCADA backbone, one recloser at a time.
https//www.racom.eu/eng/case/3000-mdge-units-running-vietnams-powergrid
Challenge: Reliable SCADA Connectivity Across a National Power Grid
Vietnam Electricity (EVN), the country’s largest state-owned power company, is responsible for electricity generation, transmission, and distribution across Vietnam. As part of an ongoing modernization of its SCADA telemetry infrastructure—particularly to connect and manage reclosers—EVN faced the challenge of building a reliable and secure communication network over a vast and diverse geographic area.
The solution had to meet strict performance criteria while remaining within budgetary constraints. After evaluating multiple communication technologies, cellular routers emerged as the most suitable option due to their flexibility, availability, and cost-effectiveness.
Solution: M!DGE Routers Delivering Secure and Stable Performance
Following comprehensive testing, RACOM’s M!DGE cellular routers were selected as the best fit for EVN’s needs. M!DGE demonstrated exceptional performance, maintaining high link integrity and offering advanced networking features such as IPsec, VPN tunneling, and reliable end-to-end data handling in varied environments.
The SCADA network is built around a central control system equipped with VPN concentrators from vendors such as Cisco, Vigor, and Juniper. M!DGE routers at remote sites connect to this core via encrypted IPsec tunnels or NAPT configurations, depending on the topology and security requirements.
One of the key benefits of the M!DGE platform is its ability to support both serial and Ethernet-based communication simultaneously. The EVN network utilizes IEC 101 over RS232 for legacy devices, alongside modern IEC 104 over TCP/IP for newer equipment—providing a smooth migration path and ensuring compatibility across generations of reclosers.
Long-Term Success and Ongoing Expansion
Since the initial deployment in 2017, EVN has continually expanded its network using all generations of the M!DGE product family, including the latest M!DGE3. The routers have proven to be easy to install and configure, allowing the local teams to manage ongoing installations with minimal support from RACOM.
The project stands as a testament to the reliability, flexibility, and future-proof design of RACOM’s cellular routers in large-scale SCADA applications.
