A dedicated communication system has been designed to ensure failure-free communication between all facilities along the pipeline with control centres in Warsaw, Poznań and Białystok. The system ensures that the pipeline is operated effectively, safely and efficiently.

The core of the communication system is the transmission system consisting of five fibre optic/radio link circuits built with 155 Mbit/s SDH devices. The nodes linking the transmission network circuits are located in the compressor stations. All compressor stations and valve stations are connected to the fibre optic part of the circuits. The radio link is a back up communication channel between the compressor stations. This configuration of the transmission network is used by:

• Telephone exchanges providing for voice communication between all facilities and interconnection with public networks;

• Mobile radio communications sub-system providing for communication with operating and maintenance teams moving within 5 km on either side of the pipeline;
• The SCADA system used for the pipeline monitoring and control.

The contractor for the turnkey communications system for the entire transit pipeline system in Poland is Alcatel Polska SA. This company supplies equipment for the fibre optic line built alongside the pipeline, equipment for the radio line providing for communication between the gas pipeline system and the PGNiG (Polish Oil and Gas Company) control centres as well as telephone exchanges and radio-telephone communications for the O&M teams. It is also the contractor for the fibre optic line for the Włocławek-Kondratki section. The fibre-optic line along the Górzyca-Włocławek section is provided by C.B.W. Optotrakt Sp. z o.o. from Lublin.