Balancing Network Demand with Ubiik’s Dual-Band Solution
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Modern utilities face modern challenges. At the forefront of a rapidly evolving landscape, the utility industry’s need for innovative solutions has never been greater. To address these issues, Ubiik’s CTO Fabien Petitgrand, together with pLTE expert Larry Powers, and wireless telecommunication expert Andrew Knepler from Oncor Electric, conducted a tech talk titled "Leveraging Dual Spectrum for Cost-Effective Utility LTE Network Expansion." and highlighted strategies for balancing network demands and showcased how dual spectrum technology can help utilities optimize their operations in today’s competitive environment.
Leveraging Spectrum for Modern Utility Challenges
According to one of the panel experts, Andrew Knepler of Oncor Electric, the utility industry is experiencing rapid growth, particularly in regions like Texas. This is driven by an influx of data centers and residential development. The accelerated growth brings with it the need for smarter, more efficient grid management and a communication network capable of supporting next-generation applications. With the number of connected devices soaring and data throughput demands escalating, utilities are facing a complex challenge in meeting these requirements while ensuring grid modernization and resiliency.
As these developments unfold, Andrew emphasized the need for utilities to integrate intelligent systems that can communicate effectively and manage growing device counts. The future of utility communication relies on addressing these evolving needs with strategic infrastructure and modern technology.
The Value of Dual Spectrum: Licensed and Unlicensed Bands
As grid modernization drives an increasing need for more advanced applications, Oncor Electric has taken a significant step forward by investing over $100 million in acquiring Band 106 to enhance their ability to support high-bandwidth, low-latency applications that are critical for the future of the utility industry.
As device counts grow and the demands for smart grid technologies like AMI 2.0 increase, Oncor recognizes the need to balance network efficiency with spectrum management. With the potential to integrate new technologies like NB-IoT and gradually transition traffic over time, the utility is preparing to handle future capacity challenges.
Optimizing and Combining Licensed and Unlicensed Bands
The utility industry’s increasing demand for connectivity, driven by applications like smart metering, EV chargers, and distributed energy resources, calls for a more strategic approach to spectrum management.
According to Ubiik’s CTO, Fabien Petitgrand, Ubiik’s approach embraces dual-band strategy. Unlicensed band, particularly the 915 MHz ISM band, offer a valuable solution for non-critical applications. These bands have been used by utilities for decades, primarily for smart meter communication. However, the true advantage lies in leveraging the proximity of the 915 MHz ISM band to licensed bands like Band 106. By combining these bands, utilities can balance the need for higher priority applications in Band 106 with the cost-effective, scalable capabilities of the unlicensed 915 MHz band for less critical traffic.
goRAN+ Base Station supports both licensed and unlicensed spectrums, allowing utilities to efficiently manage traffic and optimize network resources. Seamlessly switch between two bands with one hardware.
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