There’s endless talk about how the utility sector is evolving and being redefined on every level. Meeting ever-increasing energy demand while maintaining reliability has never been more challenging, yet the underlying infrastructure of these systems is often overlooked. The fact is, you can’t build a next-generation grid on legacy communication infrastructure, which is a reality that the Utility Broadband Alliance (UBBA) was created to further highlight. We’ve previously explored how the organization enables utilities to better transform their telecom infrastructure, but UBBA’s most recent announcement of an expanded roster showcases how such efforts are foundational to industry-relevant successes that are about much more than any single team or organization.
The newest UBBA members represent a broad range of organizations, from utilities to solution providers, who bring an invaluable diversity of viewpoints to the organization. Ultimately, the momentum UBBA is seeing with this development is about maximizing technology investments to deliver tangible benefits for both utility operations and end-use customers. But what does that look like in practice?
“Next-gen AMI is a great example,” said Bobbi Harris, executive director of UBBA. “Meters are becoming smarter and more powerful, with the ability to enable advanced applications such as time-sensitive grid functions, edge computing capabilities, and near-real-time, data-driven decision-making via AI and machine learning. But without a high-speed private network to deliver the AMI data, the utility simply won’t have the level of security, reliability, bandwidth, and speed these applications demand.”
The newest members joining this global movement to advance grid innovation through high-speed communication include Array Digital Infrastructure, Connect 5G, Eversource Energy, Hawaiian Electric, PingThings, Sierra Wireless America (a Semtech company), Telsasoft, and Teltech Group. It’s an expansion that reinforces the unique collaborative spirit of the utility space.
Organizations like UBBA provide an environment where utilities can peer-share, exchange best practices, and collaborate on how to harness communication networks for repeatable, real-world success. This focus has allowed the organization to prove that the shift toward advanced communication networks isn’t just a trend but can instead be seen as a necessity that is being driven by the volume of data modern utilities need to manage. It’s a challenge that is connected to a much bigger endeavor that impacts the entire utility sector.
“There’s an industry-wide realization that the opportunities our industry faces to modernize the grid are bigger than any one utility,” Harris told Factor This. “Communication must play a role in this effort, since a communication network is the connective tissue for utility operations. While existing networks may be capable of managing today’s use cases, future applications will be more data-intensive and latency-averse. The more utilities can join together to identify and share use cases for these networks to deliver meaningful innovation, the better equipped they’ll be to make smarter decisions to address tomorrow’s challenges.”
Private, high-speed communication networks are proving to be the essential backbone of grid transformation. These new members are set to bring fresh insights to the UBBA ecosystem, underscoring what is clearly on the minds of teams across the sector. By supporting the deployment of these communication networks today, UBBA is ensuring the infrastructure is in place to address and resolve the grid-related challenges of tomorrow.
