A group dedicated to supporting private broadband networks for critical infrastructure, including the power generation sector, is marking five years of accelerating private broadband adoption to enable power grid modernization.
The Utility Broadband Alliance (UBBA), a collaboration of utilities and solution providers, is celebrating the milestone at the Distributech (DTECH 2026) event in San Diego, California. POWER is a media partner of the conference. UBBA on February 2 said the group is ushering in its next phase of growth with new members and a newly elected board of directors, which will strengthen its role in advancing communications networks for critical infrastructure.
UBBA was incorporated in 2021. The agency has grown to more than 115 utility industry stakeholders. The group on Monday said its work is focused on the goal of helping utilities use private broadband communications to enable a more resilient, modern grid.
The alliance said its mission “extends across the utility value chain, with dedicated initiatives and efforts centered around creating awareness for the benefits of private LTE with C-suite executives, network managers, IT professionals and other utility stakeholders across all levels of their organizations.”
New member organizations joining UBBA this year include:
- Energy Sciences Network (ESnet)
- Future Technologies Venture, LLC
- Jackson Electric Membership Cooperative
- Lerman Senter, PLLC
- Tesco Metering
- Texas A&M University Center for Applied Communications and Networks
New board members for UBBA include:
- Chairman: Russ Ehrlich, senior manager, Digital Grid, Exelon Utilities
- Vice Chairman: Tim Spyers, senior manager, OT networking & PLTE, Ameren
- Secretary: Adam Nathan, area sales director for Utility & Energy industries, World Wide Technology
- Treasurer: Mar Tarres, vice president of commercial operations, Anterix
- Elaine Allyn, senior manager, enterprise infrastructure, San Diego Gas & Electric
- Tom Bedics, manager of engineering and operations, SouthernLINC Wireless
- Travis Blalack, director, networking & telecommunications, Southern California Edison
- Jason Ervin, senior vice president, telecommunications, Lower Colorado River Authority
- Ron Griffith, information technology manager, Xcel Energy
- Jon Conway, vice president and managing director, utility telecommunications & automation, Burns & McDonnell
- Dana Jaber Diab, vice president of sale, utilities, Ericsson
- Jeff Pittman, head of enterprise market unit for mobile networks, Nokia
“UBBA has evolved from an industry consortium into a global movement with real benefits for utilities and their customers,” said Russ Ehrlich, chairman of the UBBA Board. “In just five years, the Alliance’s momentum has been extraordinary, as utilities increasingly recognize private LTE as a cornerstone of grid modernization, operational excellence and digital transformation. I am excited to work with the UBBA board and its leadership to help steer UBBA into its next chapter as we accelerate innovation across the entire utility value chain.”
UBBA, in addition to welcoming new board members, is launching multiple initiatives this year to spearhead its continued innovation and industry impact. These include in-person showcase events at member utilities across the U.S.; the upcoming launch of its “Utility Broadband Revolution: Insights from the Utility Broadband Alliance” research program; and a half-day executive roundtable event at the annual UBBA Summit & Plugfest, taking place October 13-15, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas.
“Utilities around the world are deploying private LTE networks to strengthen cybersecurity, power AMI 2.0 systems, accelerate outage response and support countless other critical initiatives,” said Bobbi Harris, executive director of UBBA. “The benefits of these networks extend well beyond utility operations, delivering measurable bottom-line business value. Our five years of sustained growth underscore the return utilities are realizing from these investments, and we look forward to another exciting year as we continue to build momentum.”
—Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.
