Utility Industry Leaders Applaud FCC 900 MHz Decision

MCLEAN, Va., May 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In support of America's transforming critical infrastructure, the members of the Utility Broadband Alliance (UBBA) appreciate Chairman Pai and the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) decision to make spectrum available for utilities to maintain critical infrastructure.  UBBA includes multiple utilities, technology providers and service companies with a mission to provide its members with a forum to collaborate and share best practices in private Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology.  After the May 13^th FCC approval of a Report and Order to realign the 900 MHz band, UBBA members offered following comments:

"Ameren could not be more pleased that the Chairman and the other Commissioners have paved the way for this company to deploy a smarter, stronger and more secure communications network with far greater bandwidth," said John Hughes, Director of Network Engineering for Ameren. "We thank the FCC for all its hard work in crafting a decision that will support a future where broadband plays a key role in the control and management of our network, thereby allowing us to provide enhanced service to our customers."

"Motorola Solutions applauds the FCC for creating a broadband opportunity in the 900 MHz band that will meet utilities' evolving needs for long-range data communications, video and IoT," said Scott Schoepel, Vice President, Global Enterprise, Motorola Solutions. "As a founding member of the Utility Broadband Alliance, we are proud to have worked alongside industry partners to advocate for the private, secure and resilient broadband that is essential to the continued modernization of the electrical grid. We look forward to delivering infrastructure, networks and devices that will fulfill this promise." 

"Nokia thanks the FCC for opening the 900 MHz band for broadband communications. Today's action, which will turn underused narrowband spectrum into prime broadband spectrum, represents the type of innovative spectrum policy that continues to power U.S. economic leadership," said Brian Hendricks, Vice President of Government Relations Americas.

"Ericsson is pleased to see the full FCC approve Chairman Pai's proposal to make new spectrum in the 900 MHz band available for new services. The newly reconfigured 900 MHz band will help support existing LTE networks and new 5G networks, enabling a broad range of use cases among many industries," said Kevin Zvokel, Head of Networks, Ericsson North America.  "We look forward to working with our customers as they roll out innovative applications and services that take advantage of this new broadband allocation."

"Private LTE enables utilities to build a wireless communication network for today, tomorrow, and beyond supporting numerous solutions such as AMI, Volt/Var optimization, distributed generation, micro-grids, wildfire mitigation, and more," said Mike Brozek, Senior Vice President, Technology & Engineering at Anterix.  "What's lacking is broadband spectrum to build these networks.  The FCC recently took a major step forward to provide that spectrum in the 900 MHz band, offering the ideal foundation for wireless communication networks the future requires."

"The Utility Broadband Alliance aims to assist its members in planning, designing, and deploying secure, reliable, and resilient private broadband networks to support America's changing critical infrastructure. As grid modernization and digitization are driving utilities to move beyond legacy communications, we are happy to see the FCC enable the 900 MHz band for broadband to meet this growing need," said Bobbi Harris, Head of Member Engagement and Operations for UBBA.

About the Utility Broadband Alliance

The Utility Broadband Alliance (UBBA) is a collaboration of utilities and ecosystem partners dedicated to championing the advancement and development of private broadband networks for America's critical infrastructure industries. Members access resources that accelerate their journey towards a secure, resilient, and future-proof grid. Learn more at: https://www.ubba.com/

Media Contact:
Bobbi Harris
UBBA Member Engagement & Operations
919-609-8185

SOURCE Utility Broadband Alliance