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UBBA 2025 Takeaways

Building Smarter Utility Networks

The energy at the UBBA Summit & Plugfest 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina was tangible. From November 4–6, more than 600 utility executives, engineers, and technology partners gathered to exchange ideas on how connectivity is reshaping America’s critical infrastructure.

For Sequans Communications, it was a showcase, an active plugfest participation, and a listening session. Our role in this ecosystem isn’t only to deliver cellular technology — it’s to understand the operational realities that shape how utilities communicate, measure, and modernize their grids.

Connectivity Is Evolving — But Not Uniformly

One clear message from this year’s summit: there’s no single connectivity path for utilities.

Some are pioneering private LTE networks, building their own broadband infrastructure for secure, wide-area coverage and grid resilience. Others are relying on public carrier networks, benefiting from mature LTE-M coverage and decades of commercial experience. And many are preparing for a hybrid future, where private, public, satellite, non-cellular, and non-wireless connectivity coexist.

And this diversity is not a weakness — it’s a reflection of the sector’s complexity. Utilities differ in size, geography, and regulatory frameworks, and their communication needs evolve over time. That’s why Sequans designs its modules and chipsets to support all these models — ensuring flexibility, security, and long-term viability regardless of how each utility connects.

At UBBA, we saw this variety first-hand: from large multi-state utilities testing private LTE pilots to smaller co-ops optimizing their existing public-network deployments. Each scenario validates the need for connectivity solutions that adapt, not dictate.

Maximizing Today’s Networks — Preparing for Tomorrow’s

Our discussions and presentations in Charlotte centered on a simple but strategic principle: Maximize what works today, while preparing for what’s next.

For utilities, that means using LTE-M (Cat M1) — the established workhorse of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI 2.0) — while preparing for a smooth transition to 5G NR eRedCap as networks evolve.

LTE-M remains a proven and stable choice, supported by virtually every major operator worldwide. It provides deep coverage, low latency, high reliability, and ultra-low power — all essential for battery-powered endpoints such as smart meters, sensors, and field devices. Sequans’ Monarch 2 platform, for instance, achieves sleep currents around 1 µA, enabling devices to operate for over 20 years without battery replacement.

At the same time, 5G NR eRedCap (enhanced Reduced Capability) is emerging as the natural evolution path for utilities that will require higher bandwidth, lower latency, or dedicated spectrum over time. With data rates up to 10 Mbps and new power-saving modes (going beyond eDRX and PSM) — small data transmissions, RRM Measurement Relaxation, SSSG Switching — eRedCap promises LTE-M-like power efficiency on modern 5G standalone networks.

Our advice: deploy LTE-M today, but choose hardware designed to evolve seamlessly to eRedCap tomorrow. That’s exactly the principle behind our Calliope and Monarch families — a foundation for connectivity that grows with the grid.

Smarter eSIM Strategies: Simplifying Logistics and Strengthening Flexibility

Another key conversation at UBBA 2025 revolved around operational simplicity — especially how to manage connectivity at scale across regions and technologies. That’s where embedded SIM (eSIM) is becoming a real differentiator.

Together with partners such as Itron and Kigen, we’re demonstrating how utilities can deploy a single hardware design and manage connectivity dynamically through remote provisioning. Using standards like SGP.32 and SGP.42, utilities can:

Manufacture meters once, without pre-selecting carriers or geographies.
Activate carrier profiles remotely — during installation or post-deployment.
Switch networks in the field when coverage or business needs change.

This flexibility makes large-scale deployments simpler, more resilient, and more cost-efficient — whether the connectivity relies on public LTE, private LTE, or a mix of both.

What We Heard From Utilities

Walking the floor at UBBA confirmed what we see every day in the field:

Complexity is real.

Utility rollouts are shaped as much by logistics and regulation as by technology.

Timelines stretch because networks cross vast territories, and coordination spans IT, operations, and engineering departments. The lesson: providers like Sequans must keep solutions robust and practical to deploy.

Outcomes matter more than specifications.

Utilities care about uptime, security, and long battery life — not whether a device uses LTE or 5G. One executive summed it up: “We just need the meter to report — reliably.”

That’s why we translate features like eSIM flexibility or ultra-low-power consumption into what they deliver: fewer truck rolls, lower maintenance costs, longer product lifecycles.

Resilience isn’t optional.

The recent Hurricane Helene reminded everyone of the need for redundancy. Private LTE, public networks, and even satellite backups all played roles in restoring service. The takeaway: multi-path connectivity is key to ensuring data reaches operations centers when it matters most.

Change takes time.

The biggest barrier to innovation isn’t technology — it’s transformation. Utilities cite internal processes, ROI justification, and device onboarding as major challenges. For Sequans, that reinforces our mission: not just to sell modules, but to partner in long-term modernization.

Preparing for the 5G Era — Responsibly

Every conversation in Charlotte made one thing clear: utilities are interested in 5G NR eRedCap, but they need a responsible migration path. Public carriers will progressively refarm spectrum, and utilities need technology that can bridge today’s LTE-M deployments to tomorrow’s 5G without costly hardware swaps.

That’s where Sequans’ roadmap is headed. We’re developing next-generation eRedCap platforms with EU-funding support, ensuring customers benefit from a Western-developed, secure, and future-ready foundation — while maintaining backward compatibility and long lifecycle support.

The Power of Collaboration

The UBBA Summit reaffirmed that real innovation in utility communications happens through collaboration, not competition. The event brought together spectrum holders, network providers, module makers, and integrators — all working toward resilient, modernized grid connectivity.

At Sequans, we participate in this ecosystem not just to showcase products but to listen, learn, and refine our roadmap. Our partnerships with companies like Itron, Nokia, Anterix, and Kigen exemplify this spirit: combining strengths to solve real operational challenges for utilities.

Our Commitment

Our takeaway from UBBA 2025 is simple:

Utilities don’t need one more technology pitch — they need confidence. Confidence that their connectivity will work today, adapt tomorrow, and remain supported for decades.

That’s the principle behind every Sequans platform — from Monarch 2’s proven LTE-M performance to our upcoming 5G NR eRedCap line. Whether your deployment is powered by public LTE, private LTE, or both, we’re here to help you design, optimize, and future-proof your network.

We’ll continue to listen to utilities, collaborate with partners, and deliver the secure, efficient, and flexible connectivity solutions that power America’s critical infrastructure.

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