Empowering utilities with LTE/5G private wireless
Power utilities are being asked to do more with less as their grids become more complex and difficult to operate. Factors such as extreme weather, aging assets, growing use of distributed energy resources (DERs), wildfire risk and stringent reliability targets demand faster decisions, tighter coordination and better field visibility. And now a new factor—the AI supercycle—is poised to double data center electricity usage in the next five years, which will put tremendous pressure on power grids.
To meet these demands, utilities need communications networks they can trust and rely on in extreme conditions. That’s why many utilities are putting LTE/5G private wireless networks at the heart of their grid modernization efforts. These networks deliver connectivity engineered for the demands of grid operations traffic.
It’s time to rethink grid communications
Today, most power utilities use a mix of legacy radio, fiber and public cellular services for grid communications. Each makes a key contribution but has limitations. Utilities need all three to address their connectivity needs:
- Legacy narrowband radio offers dependable performance for limited telemetry and voice capabilities, but it can’t scale for data-intensive applications such as video, dense sensing and advanced automation.
- Fiber networks are an ideal choice for connectivity, but extending fiber to every substation, pole-top device and remote corridor is a slow, expensive process.
- Public cellular services offer convenient connectivity, but utilities can’t control coverage, prioritization, congestion or outages.
This best-effort approach to connectivity puts power grids at risk. It’s time for utilities to deploy predictable, resilient networks that they can control.
How private LTE/5G networks simplify grid operations
Introducing LTE/5G technology into a field area network allows a utility to replace or augment legacy radio and public cellular with a private wireless network that can connect:
- Distribution automation devices such as reclosers, capacitor banks and faulted circuit indicators (FCIs)
- Distributed energy resources (DERs)
- Secondary substations and other critical locations that lack fiber connectivity
- Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI 2.0)
- Mission-critical push to talk, text and video
- Mobile workforce applications
- Connected utility vehicles
- Hard-to-reach corridors.
The key advantage of private wireless is control. The utility has total control of everything from device access and security policies to coverage priorities and traffic handling.
Built for LTE today, ready for 5G anytime
An ideal solution will provide the foundation for an LTE/5G private wireless network that can enable utilities to address their connectivity challenges as they digitalize and automate their operations. It will also support multiple rollout paths so utilities can tackle grid modernization in phases for different scenarios, including:
- Starting with LTE, then upgrading to 5G as their needs expand.
- Launching LTE and 5G simultaneously to support mixed device generations.
- Deploying a 5G-only network from day one.
This flexibility enables utilities to modernize grid communications at their own pace, without a disruptive all-at-once transition.
Meeting essential utility communications needs
Private wireless networks provide the five-must haves for current and future utility communications:
1. Resiliency and reliability
Electricity infrastructure is critical infrastructure that depends on reliable communication. With private wireless, utilities can trust the network to perform when the grid is under stress and use their policies to govern access and device behavior. A private wireless network is designed to ensure redundancy and resiliency.
2. Capacity and scalability
Grid communications traffic is diverse and varies in importance. A private wireless network lets utilities start with a few use cases (e.g., distribution automation) and then scale to support potentially millions of devices (e.g., AMI 2.0). The network can scale to optimize performance per use case.
3. Cyber and network security
Utilities have stringent security requirements and must comply with standards such as NERC CIP, NIST, ISO and IEC. To protect their operations and maintain compliance, they need to leverage a multilayered defense that identifies and eliminates attacks. A private wireless network can help utilities address these needs by implementing:
- End-to-end encryption of mission-critical data.
- Controlled access to grid systems, assets, devices and workers.
- Automated reporting for security audits.
4. Improved visibility and simplified operations
Power utilities serve large areas and operate thousands of endpoints. A network that is hard to run reduces reliability and increases cost. A private wireless network simplifies operations by addressing all connectivity needs with one standards-based platform. The inherent low latency of LTE/5G provides real-time visibility of operations, in contrast to legacy radio technologies.
5. Supply chain security and future-proof evolution
Private wireless networks leverage interoperable technology based on LTE/5G standards. These networks integrate and interoperate with existing IT/OT environments and support a broad ecosystem of utility devices. This helps ensure supply chain security.
Utilities use grid assets for decades, so they need a clear evolution path for their communications investments. By choosing an LTE/5G private wireless network, a utility can benefit from a large ecosystem of infrastructure suppliers and chipset/module device vendors. LTE and 5G support billions of devices today and offer a future-proof technology evolution path.
Private LTE/5G improves power utility outcomes
An investment in private wireless provides a platform for safer, more responsive and more resilient utility operations. A private LTE/5G wireless network can enable a variety of high-value outcomes for utilities:
- Robust and reliable field area network connectivity improves visibility across the grid and helps utilities respond to operational challenges faster.
- Real-time capabilities allow utilities to respond outages quickly and reduce service interruption times.
- Inherent security, cost-effective operations and easy scalability make private wireless an ideal foundation for new digital tools.
- Better connectivity for crews helps keep them safe in difficult coverage areas and makes storm and outage operations more effective.
How utilities can evaluate private LTE/5G
Utilities can begin assessing a move to private wireless by answering five practical questions:
- Which grid outcomes are you targeting? These could include improving resilience, restoration speed, security, safety or automation.
- What use cases do you need to support now and in the future? These might include distribution automation, DERs, mission-critical push to talk and advanced metering. The utility can introduce them in a phased approach.
- What are your mission-critical requirements? These could include coverage locations and latency and throughput requirements.
- What is your deployment and operating model? The answer might specify who deploys and monitors, updates and troubleshoots the network.
- What is your LTE-to-5G roadmap? The answer could indicate phased builds, mixed 4G/5G operation or upgrade timing.
Answering these questions can help utilities choose a private wireless solution that will deliver the trust, capacity, security, simplified operations and interoperability they need as their grids evolve. The right solution will also provide the connectivity utilities will need to keep pace with the fast-growing power demands of the AI supercycle.
Find out more
Download our e-book, “Empowering utilities with LTE and 5G private wireless networks,” to find out more about how private wireless connectivity can accelerate your grid modernization journey and give you a competitive edge.
