The Utility Broadband Alliance (UBBA), a collaboration of utilities and solution providers dedicated to championing private broadband networks for critical infrastructure industries, today announced that Duke Energy will play host to the 2025 UBBA Summit & Plugfest, taking place Nov. 4-6, 2025 in Charlotte, N.C. Duke Energy Vice President and Chief Information Officer Richard Donaldson will host the opening keynote presentation for the annual event, setting the stage for utility and technology stakeholders to align on challenges and opportunities to leverage high-speed communications to shape tomorrow’s grid innovations.

The energy grid is undergoing a transformation as utilities continue to serve customers amid the growth of artificial intelligence (AI), electric vehicles, renewable energy sources and more. High-speed broadband communication serves as the backbone of grid modernization, enabling technology for a wide range of innovations in a rapidly evolving energy landscape. This year’s UBBA Summit & Plugfest will provide a forum for utility thought leaders to learn from industry peers and share best practices for deploying, using and maximizing the value of these networks in their own organizations.

Sessions and topics at the 2025 UBBA Summit & Plugfest will include:

• Cybersecurity Threats to Critical Infrastructure: A former U.S. government national security officer will provide insights into the evolving cyber-physical threat landscape and practical strategies for securing communications networks and private cellular infrastructure against emerging threats.
• Exploring AMI 2.0 Use Cases with PLTE Bandwidths of 3 MHz and 5MHz: Leaders from Nokia and Southern California Edison will present on key uses cases and considerations for utilities adopting advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and the evolution from AMI 1.0 to AMI 2.0. 
• A Case Study in PLTE Deployment with TECO and ComEd: This insightful session will examine TECO’s private LTE journey, including valuable lessons learned, strategies that have proven successful and recommendations for different approaches to success.

The 2025 UBBA Summit & Plugfest will also feature the Women of UBBA breakfast workshop, which will provide attending women with the opportunity to network, share their stories and gain new insights into opportunities for industry advancement.

Additionally, this year’s event will feature the return of the live UBBA Plugfest, showcasing teams of UBBA Member participants as they provide real-world tests of private LTE networks across two critical use cases: Critical Communications for Mutual Aid and IoT Innovations. Attendees can network with Plugfest participants and learn more about leveraging private broadband to meet unique challenges within their organizations.

“The utility industry is changing faster than ever as advancements in energy innovation have made grid modernization an imperative,” said Bobbi Harris, executive director, UBBA. “The UBBA Summit & Plugfest has grown into one of the industry’s premiere opportunities for leaders seeking to better understand how they can leverage private broadband communications in their modernization efforts. This year’s event will showcase real-world private broadband solutions in action, foster critical collaboration and empower utilities to build smarter, more resilient networks for the future.”

Registration for the 2025 UBBA Summit & Plugfest is currently open. To learn more and register, visit the event website: www.UBBAplugfest.org. For more information on UBBA and to inquire about potential membership, visit www.UBBA.com.