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World Wide Technology at UBBA Summit & Plugfest: Building the Utility Network of the Future

World Wide Technology is a proud to sponsor UBBA Summit & Plugfest in Charlotte, NC. We'd be delighted to have you join us for our Track Sessions on Wednesday, November 5th and Thursday, November 6th.

In this blog

  1. About Utility Broadband Alliance (UBBA)
  2. WWT's Track Sessions

 About Utility Broadband Alliance (UBBA)

The Utility Broadband Alliance (UBBA) is a collaboration of utilities and ecosystem partners dedicated to advancing private broadband networks that power America's critical infrastructure. World Wide Technology (WWT) has been an active UBBA member since 2021, with a representative serving on the Board of Directors for the past two years. We're proud to have supported every UBBA Plugfest and Summit—contributing as speakers at the last three events and earning an award in 2023 for our support of the Plugfest.

 WWT's Track Sessions

 Wednesday, November 5th at 11am | Track 3: "Victory Lane & Beyond"

AI Driven NOC - The Modern Utility NOC: Enabling Operational Intelligence Through Observability and AI

The rapid adoption of Private LTE (PLTE) networks across electric utilities is accelerating the need for transformation of Network Operations Centers (NOCs). As utilities integrate new User Equipment (UE) devices and expand Core and Radio Access Network (RAN) infrastructures, NOCs must evolve beyond traditional dispatch models to operate with modern visibility, intelligence and agility.

This presentation examines how utilities can leverage this transition to holistically modernize their NOC capabilities across people, process and technology—aligning with a unified Monitoring and Observability platform vision. Rather than adding systems in isolation, utilities can seize this moment to build an integrated operating model that enables proactive first-tier troubleshooting, unified data correlation and actionable insights.

Recommendations will focus on establishing strategic starting points, capturing quick wins and avoiding technology lock-in, all while maintaining alignment with long-term modernization objectives. By embracing this integrated approach, utilities can build resilient, efficient and future-ready NOCs that enable the next generation of grid operations.

 Thursday, November 6th | Track 1: "Start Your Engines"

Making the $$$ Work: the Business Case for PLTE - Field Area Networks Advanced Topics

Many utilities are rethinking their Field Area Network strategies. Several have taken steps to build Private-LTE. Cat-M is shaping up to be a leading contender to transition between 4G and 5G. SGP.32 emerged, changing the SIM landscape. SDWAN is now being deployed in OT environments, and SDWAN might be next. Or will it be SSE?  

Sean Chambers of Avista and Mike Robinson of World Wide Technology address some of the key issues utilities are facing in their FAN environment.

 Session Speakers

Matthew Nezat, System Architect at WWT

Mike Robinson, Utility Solutions Architect at WWT

Sean Chambers, Network Architect at Avista