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Smart Grid report

Mission-critical cellular connectivity and the journey to power grid modernization

Making the smart grid, smarter

Our smart grid report, Always on, always plugged in, describes the digital power grid and shows how private LTE networks are enabling utilities to better manage their networks and achieve their goals today.

Report
Take control of the power

This smart grid report unpacks the components of the digital power grid, including challenges faced like economic forces, security threats, natural disasters and last mile delivery. Learn how digital transformation powered by cellular connectivity is enabling safer as well as more reliable and secure smart grid management.

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Key recommendations

Power towers and lines stretch across grassy field, blue sky.

Private cellular unlocks the potential to:

  1. Increase security, reliability and resiliency of power transmission and distribution.
  2. Consolidate islands of disparate communication networks.
  3. Digitize and automate processes using the Internet of Things (IoT) and sensors.
  4. Provide a broadband backbone for real-time remote asset monitoring.
  5. Update aging mission-critical push-to-talk (PTT) solutions with ones based on cellular standards.
  6. Solve last mile challenges

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The wireless power substation: transformation towards power grid sustainability

As both society and technology evolve, the task of delivering power to industries, businesses and homes grows more complex—yet more critical. Energy utilities are investing in smart power grid technology to meet these new requirements and demands. Readers will gain a better understanding of why wireless communications are so important for the successful modernization of the power grid.

Why LTE wireless brings power grid security, convenience, and convergence to the last mile

LTE Wireless enables new technologies, power grid security, and improved efficiencies that answer many of the challenges facing utilities. As utilities continue to adopt grid modernization, the reliability and security introduced by LTE wireless will extend from power distribution to the last mile of the power delivery infrastructure.

Converging cellular and non-cellular capillary networks in the last hop of the last mile

Smart meters are getting smarter. Today’s two-way reporting on power generation and consumption will soon give way to local weather reporting, video monitoring and other applications. In the emerging smart grid, more applications also promise more multipurpose devices to manage. To properly support growing communications needs in the last hop of the last mile, a common packet core network can connect legacy, best-effort domains with an LTE-guaranteed reliable domain.

How wireless will evolve for utilities over the next five years

As the connected world moves towards a wireless internet world, an increasing number of connectivity options will become available to utilities. Wireless device ecosystems and network security is evolving to meet the reliability needs for grid modernization. This blog will expand on connectivity in the last mile, and the “last hop in the last mile” with a view on what’s next. We will explore different connectivity alternatives for IoT, how 5G/Wi-Fi 6 fits in, and how to secure a network that bridges today to tomorrow.