Unlike carrier networks which offer limited visibility, a proprietary private LTE network empowers organizations with unparalleled access to critical data. But what do utilities do with all of that data?
J.J. Stutler, Sr. Manager of Wireless Engineering and Operations for Evergy, will speak on this and more at DTECH (formerly known as DISTRIBUTECH) March 24-27, 2025 in Dallas, Texas.
Stutler will participate in two sessions:
- How Southern Company and Evergy utilize all that private LTE data, taking place March 25 from 1 PM – 1:50 PM.
- What Evergy learned from deploying private LTE, taking place March 26 from 2 PM – 2:50 PM.
How Southern Company and Evergy utilize all that private LTE data
In this session, attendees will get a look into the transformative impact of owning and operating a private LTE network. The session will explore the data-gathering process and its utilization for predictive analysis and fault prevention.
Two pioneering utilities will be engaged — Southern Company and Evergy — that have meticulously built out their private LTE networks. These utilities leverage the vast amount of data delivered to them as network operators, gaining deeper insights into their infrastructure. Beyond being mere network users, they embrace the opportunities that arise from network ownership.
By harnessing data from their private networks, these utilities can proactively detect trends and conditions before failures occur. This foresight enables strategic decision-making and risk mitigation that was once considered unattainable.
What Evergy learned from deploying private LTE
Designing and deploying a private LTE utility network presents challenges. This presentation reviews private deployment from two distinct perspectives, those of the utility operator and the user equipment (UE) vendor.
For utilities, like Evergy, these challenges span technical, regulatory, and operational domains. Factors such as spectrum allocation, network architecture design, legacy system integration, cybersecurity considerations, build, and rollout all demand careful attention. As utilities progressively adopt private LTE solutions to bolster operational efficiency and security, UE vendors shoulder the responsibility of providing essential endpoint devices. The unique challenges posed by private LTE utility networks include unique private spectrum support, SIM choice, ensuring interoperability with diverse utility distribution automation (DA) equipment, addressing ruggedness and environmental factors, navigating network security and routing complexities, and aligning with evolving standards like 5G and aligned services such as GPON.
By examining these challenges from both utility operators and UE vendors’ perspectives, this presentation aims to offer insight into collaborative solutions.
J.J. Stutler is the Sr. Manager of Wireless Engineering and Operations for Evergy, an Investor Owned Electrical utility in Kansas and Missouri. Evergy serves over 1.6 million customers and covers an area of 60,000 square miles. J.J.’s team manages all aspects of Evergy’s wireless infrastructure including the implementation of private LTE for grid modernization. J.J. has over 30 years of experience in the telecommunications industry with the last 10 years focusing on RF and network design in the electrical utility space. J.J. is also a board member of the Utility Broadband Alliance.