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      Join us at the 2026 UBBA Summit & Plugfest

      Utility Broadband Alliance - Summit & Plugfest

      Oct 13, 2026 10:00
      to Oct 15, 2026 17:00 (CST)
      The Worthington Renaissance
      200 Main Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102
      HASHTAGS
      #privateLTE #gridmodernization #utilities

      Join Ericsson at the 2026 UBBA Summit & Plugfest in Fort Worth, Texas. This year’s event brings together utility executives, innovation leaders and ecosystem partners from across North America to explore the future of private broadband networks for critical infrastructure.

      The 2026 program will feature technical sessions, case studies, and panel discussions focused on how advanced communications infrastructure can support grid modernization, resilience and security.

      Discussion topics are expected to include private LTE ownership, spectrum strategies, AI-enabled grid monitoring, AMI 2.0, worker safety, grid reliability and flood preparedness.

      Explore the future of utility broadband

      Featuring industry practitioners, utility leaders, and solution providers, the 2026 UBBA Summit & Plugfest delivers insights grounded in real-world experience. Attendees can expect engaging discussions on today’s most pressing industry challenges and emerging opportunities shaping the future of utility broadband.

      Visit Ericsson at our booth just outside the Plugfest Zone and join our sessions below to explore the latest advancements in connectivity, grid modernization, resilience, and security.

      Speaking sessions

      Day 2 - Oct 14, 2026

      Location: West Fork II

      After the key utility requirements have been met during the initial phase of PLTE, we explore how the PLTE network is expanding to mission-critical services and latency critical use cases.

      Speakers:

      Ravindra Dongre, Ericsson
      David Woodham, SouthernLinc

      Location: Trinity Room

      The digital grid investments in PLTE advanced communications are laying the foundations to solve utility modern communications requirements for the digital grid ensuring system resiliency.

      Speakers:

      Dana Jaber, Ericsson
      Mike Childers, ONCOR

      Day 3 - Oct 15, 2026

      Location: Post Oak

      Wildfire mitigation is now an urgent operational and regulatory priority. The convergence of Falling LineConductor (FLC) protection, cost-effective Private LTE (PLTE), and increasing regulatory and insurance pressures makes this the moment for utilities to act.

      Speakers:

      Gautam Talagery, Ericsson
      Dmitri Litvine, Nokia
      Caleb Murphy, Sempra
      Bobby Saddler, LCRA
      Michael Fox, Texas A&M

      Location: Trinity Room

      Neighboring utilities collaborate today for emergencies and mutual aid. The same applies to the next generation of communications with PLTE to ensure reliable service across overlapping utility service territory. Working with common spectrum across boundaries increases collaboration among utilities.

      Speakers:

      Callan Kirschner, Ericsson 
      Jason Ervin, LCRA

      Location: West Fork I

      As utilities customers start producing energy and requiring demand/response from the grid, the grid needs upgrades to become bidirectional and real-time.  These upgrades are an opportunity for the utility to address existing opex by bringing in private networks, while leveraging the DER ecosystem to help offset modernization costs. This session will address many of these considerations on why utilities[AB2.1] need PLTE to build and defend a successful business case for PLTE.

      Speakers:

      Gautam Talagery, Ericsson (Moderator)
      Spencer Burks, LCRA
      Tim Spyers, Ameren

      Visit us near the Innovation Zone

      Connect with Ericsson just outside the Innovation Zone to learn how secure, resilient and high-performance connectivity can help utilities modernize operations and prepare for emerging grid demands.