Utilities companies around the world are responding to the need for smarter ways to control the flow of energy. To thrive, utility companies must harness the power and possibility of connectivity to build more reliable, secure, and flexible digital infrastructures. At Ericsson we are dedicated to working with utilities and ecosystem partners to solve real-world challenges. Through collaboration with our customers and partners, we can develop and try new use cases using real-world equipment, measuring improvements in security, resilience and efficiency.

The Utilities Innovation Center is an end-to-end lab dedicated to power, gas and water utilities, with two locations in Texas, in Plano and Richardson.​

In Plano, we have created a sandbox to enable innovation. Simulating the real-world utility network, from power generation, transmission, distribution and substations to the end-users, the lab showcases how the cellular network can support an ecosystem of industry-specific use cases and devices. The Plano lab has a private LTE network deployed, with radios on Band 8 and Band 48 (CBRS).

In Richardson, we perform device testing and validation for 4G and 5G devices and applications, ensuring devices are certified for operation on the network and pass performance, cybersecurity and compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards. Once devices are certified in Richardson, they are installed in the Plano lab to demonstrate specific use cases​.

Watch Koustuv Ghoshal, Vice President and Head of Utilities, Energy & Industry at Ericsson North America, as he introduces the Utilities Innovation Center, where utilities, Ericsson, and device partners come together to run experiments showing how utilities devices work on our private wireless networks.

Ericsson is your partner for the grid modernization journey, from current use cases through opportunities for innovation enabled by LTE, 5G, 6G and beyond. Some of these include:

A cellular-connected video camera with embedded AI software can identify switchgear fault and detect arcs. The video captures and processes video in real-time, flagging abnormal activity and automating alarm responses.​

Distribution poles affixed with sensors will automatically detect fallen poles and fallen lines. This setup uses certified devices from Ubicquia including: UbiGrid TVM to sense pole tilt, vibration and impact, Ubigrid DTM+ to sense power output, oil team , pressure and level for transformer health, and a new environmental sensor for air quality and noise​.

Mission critical push-to-talk ensures workers and emergency personnel of instant communication with crystal clear voice quality in critical circumstances where every second counts.

Microwave connectivity can extend millisecond responsivity beyond the substation to more central location. Its low latency makes it ideal for teleprotection, which requires a responsiveness of 5–10ms one-way from the network to protection equipment and switching gear.

The Utilities Innovation Center is designed as an operational environment where our customers and device partners can come test their utilities devices for compatibility, security and reliability on a real cellular network. Built on Ericsson's private LTE solution, industry partners can see the actual performance of their devices on our network and pioneer new use cases with confidence.

The Private LTE Network used at the Utilities Innovation Center includes Ericsson Radio System access and Router 6000 series transport, powered with Private Network packet core. Ericsson differentiates with cross-sector antenna sharing redundancy that provides reliable coverage across neighboring sectors.

Utilities need to be able to access and analyze real-time data from sensors and devices across the grid. To accomplish that, utilities, Ericsson, and our device technology partners are all working together in evolving utilities’ connectivity infrastructure. Ericsson private LTE creates wide-ranging, umbrella coverage across the entire utilities ecosystem, from power generation, transmission, and distribution, to metering and asset management, so we work closely with leading OEMs to test their devices on our cellular network. Partners whose equipment and technology have been tested on Ericsson private LTE at the Utilities Innovation Center include:

John Hughes, Director, IT Network Engineering & Operations, Amren Corporation

Alan McIntyre, Engineering Director, Southern Linc

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