Between February 27th and 29th, over 17,000 professionals attended this year's DistribuTECH in Orlando, Florida.
While AI generated significant buzz during the keynotes, energy remained the predominant topic on the exhibition floor. With more than 600 companies showcasing their products and solutions, the conference provided valuable insights into the future of the utility sector in this region.
Private LTE networks for utilities
Implementing a private LTE network offers utilities numerous benefits, including enhanced security, control, coverage, and standardization. By bringing the grid online, utilities can collect and utilize data from various grid assets, facilitating comprehensive digital transformation initiatives.
Moreover, a private LTE network allows for the consolidation of utility applications onto a single network, providing greater control and future-proofing a network that can continue to evolve to 5G and beyond. Anterix is a company that partners with utilities by leasing out spectrum to them and is the largest holder of licensed spectrum in the 900 MHz band throughout the United States. To date, Anterix has partnered with five utilities and critical infrastructure customers.
Leveraging unlicensed spectrum
DistribuTECH 2024 marked the inaugural experience at the event
During the conference, discussions around interoperability and standardization in the smart metering industry highlighted the importance of Wi-SUN, an open standard for mesh networks leveraging unlicensed spectrum in the 900 MHz band. Wirepas – a Finnish-based company – has on the other hand pioneered NR+, the world’s first non-cellular 5G standard ratified by the ITU.
The NR+ technology has several advantages, such as the network being self-organizing, making self-healing decisions locally, and operates on the globally designated 1.9 GHz band, a band that was originally used for fixed telephone communications. While the utility sector’s slow adoption rate poses challenges for new technologies, users are eager to monitor developments in North American utility communications technology preferences.
DistribuTECH 2024 marked the inaugural experience at the event and it is the best conference out there focusing on transmission and distribution of electricity.
