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 Oncor Electric Delivery Company (Oncor) and Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) will serve as the host utilities for the 2026 UBBA Summit & Plugfest, Oct. 12-15, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas. Malia Hodges, senior vice president and chief information officer for Oncor, will deliver the keynote address for the annual event.
The need for a modern and more resilient grid has never been more urgent as population growth, artificial intelligence (AI), electric vehicles and expanding renewable energy continue to reshape demand. At the same time, cyber threats, extreme weather and increasingly dynamic load patterns are creating new challenges for grid reliability. Utilities are seeking to deploy innovative applications, such as AI-enabled grid monitoring and controls and next-generation advanced metering infrastructure (AMI 2.0), that can deliver both operational and service improvements. Yet the ability to realize these improvements can only be achieved with communications infrastructure capable of meeting the speed, security and low latency demands of these applications.
At the 2026 UBBA Summit & Plugfest, utilities and solution providers will gather to share use cases and best practices for using advanced communication to achieve operational and business outcomes. Sessions will include:
- Annual Plugfest testing showcasing four distinct use cases for AMI 2.0 over private LTE infrastructure in utility operations: waveform capture and post-event control; load disaggregation and scheduling; local DER/flexible load control; and fault detection and location.
- Presentations and panel discussions, including a presentation from Southern Company on successes and lessons learned from operationalizing an AI-enabled weather station fleet over private LTE.
- Fireside chats, including a panel from General Session Premier Sponsor Black & Veatch and Grain Management that provides a practical framework for how utilities can build a clear business case for private LTE ownership and acquire the spectrum for a successful deployment.
- Case studies and technical sessions, including a case study from LCRA and Burns & McDonnell on delivering enhanced worker safety, grid reliability and flood preparedness amid rising demand, extreme weather and high customer expectations.
Throughout the event, experts will share lessons and use cases for leveraging private LTE technology that delivers the high-performance communications needed for modern grid and water operations.
In addition to Oncor and LCRA, scheduled utility presenters for this year’s UBBA Summit & Plugfest include Ameren, ComEd, Evergy, Southern California Edison, SouthernLinc, Tampa Electric and many more. Infrastructure and solution providers scheduled to speak include Anterix, AT&T, Ericsson, GE Vernova, Nokia, Palo Alto Networks, Sitenna, Verizon, West Monroe and many more.
Also, at the UBBA Summit, utility industry veteran and analyst Mike Smith will moderate a panel discussion on the results from UBBA Insights: The Utility Broadband Revolution, a research program launched in early 2026 to identify lessons and opportunities from high-speed network deployments in utility communications.
“Today’s utilities have a tremendous opportunity to redefine the future of energy,” said Bobbi Harris, executive director, UBBA. “High-speed communications networks will be foundational to that transformation and realizing their potential requires collaboration across the industry. With Oncor and LCRA as our hosts, this year’s UBBA Summit & Plugfest will deliver some of the most compelling insights and demonstrations in the event’s history.”
Registration for the 2026 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.
The Utility Broadband Alliance (UBBA) is a collaboration of utilities and ecosystem partners dedicated to championing the advancement and development of private broadband networks for America’s critical infrastructure industries. Members have access to resources that accelerate their journey toward a secure, resilient and future-proof grid. To learn more, visit www.ubba.com.
