The Utility Broadband Alliance (UBBA) has announced that its annual Summit & Plugfest will be hosted by Duke Energy in Charlotte, North Carolina, from Nov. 4–6, 2025. The event will bring together utility leaders, technology providers, and broadband experts to explore how high-speed communications can support the evolving needs of the energy sector.
Richard Donaldson, Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Duke Energy, will deliver the opening keynote, framing the discussion around how private broadband networks are enabling grid modernization amid rising demands from artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and distributed energy resources.
Broadband at the Heart of Grid Innovation
As utilities look to modernize operations and ensure reliable service in a rapidly shifting energy landscape, secure and scalable broadband networks are becoming essential. The 2025 UBBA Summit & Plugfest will offer sessions focused on real-world applications, technical lessons, and strategic insights for deploying private LTE (PLTE) networks and other broadband technologies.
Key sessions will include:
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Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure – A former national security officer will provide insights into the evolving threat landscape and strategies for securing critical communications.
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AMI 2.0 and PLTE Bandwidths – Presenters from Nokia and Southern California Edison will discuss new use cases and considerations as utilities transition from AMI 1.0 to AMI 2.0.
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Case Study: TECO and ComEd on PLTE Deployment – A look at the implementation journey, lessons learned, and recommended strategies for deploying private LTE networks.
Hands-On Demonstrations and Networking
The event will feature the return of the UBBA Plugfest, a live demonstration where participating utility and vendor teams will test private LTE capabilities across real-world scenarios. This year’s Plugfest will focus on two use cases: Critical Communications for Mutual Aid and IoT Innovations, allowing attendees to see how these networks perform under practical conditions.
Another highlight will be the Women of UBBA breakfast workshop, designed to support networking, mentorship, and leadership development for women working in broadband and utility sectors.
A Forum for Collaboration
UBBA Executive Director Bobbi Harris emphasized the urgency and opportunity of broadband deployment in today’s utility landscape. “As energy systems grow more complex, reliable communications are no longer optional — they’re foundational,” Harris said. “The Summit & Plugfest creates space for peer learning, experimentation, and advancing solutions that help utilities build more resilient, future-ready networks.”
Registration for the 2025 UBBA Summit & Plugfest is open. For more information or to register, visit www.UBBAplugfest.org. Learn more about UBBA and its membership at www.UBBA.com.
