In support of America’s transforming critical infrastructure, the Utility Broadband Alliance (UBBA) has been advancing and developing private long-term evolution (LTE) broadband as a key communications infrastructure for a secure, resilient, digital grid. UBBA founding member Southern Linc hosted the UBBA’s first annual summit in Birmingham, Alabama early October, where utility executives, industry technology leaders along with representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Edison Electric Institute (EEI), and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) explored key challenges facing electric utilities and examined private broadband networks as a critical element of the transforming grid.

The highly anticipated and widely attended two-day event was held at Southern Co.’s Alabama Power facility. UBBA utility and multivendor members along with other participants gathered to discuss topics ranging from resiliency and cybersecurity in the digital utility grid of the future to a review of the various broadband spectrum options and vendor technologies that can aid in solving the challenges utility communication networks face today.

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SOURCE: Smart Energy International