Nokia announced that it has been selected by Memphis Light, Gas, and Water (MLGW), the largest three service municipal utility company in the United States, to deploy a comprehensive private 5G wireless network. This project will support MLGW’s long-term, multi-year grid modernization strategy spanning Memphis and Shelby counties in Tennessee, ultimately enhancing its customers’ power distribution, which will reduce the risk of unexpected power outages and customer impact, and enable MLGW to more effectively restore services to the public.
This milestone project makes MLGW the first municipal utility company in the United States to implement a fully independent 5G dedicated wireless network to better serve its over 420000 customers. Nokia’s state-of-the-art solution will unify and enhance the communication of all MLGW power, gas, and water services, improve data connectivity, resilience, and operational efficiency, and provide secure, scalable, and high-performance networks for critical applications and future mobile needs.
MLGW President and CEO Doug McGowen said, “5G network deployment is a fundamental aspect of MLGW’s grid modernization plan. Having the conditions to build a modern power grid. Realize fast and reliable communication between power grid equipment; Improve reliability during storms or network events to help us restore power faster after power outages. This can enable more automation and intelligent control operations, and support future technologies such as electric vehicles and battery storage. ”
This solution will enable real-time communication and automation in MLGW operations, supporting key applications including automatic meter reading, grid monitoring, fault detection, and remote operation, while laying the foundation for innovation in interconnected mobile, voice, and video services. Nokia’s technology will also enable secure interoperability with existing infrastructure and modern IoT devices, including grid sensors, smart meters, automation systems, and field devices, to ensure continuity while expanding functionality.
Jeff Pittman, North American Enterprise Head of Nokia Mobile Networks, stated that this collaboration is an important milestone in advancing the modernization of the MLGW power grid and their commitment to building a smarter, more resilient, and future oriented public utility infrastructure for the community. It also emphasizes Nokia’s leadership position in providing end-to-end dedicated wireless networks, enabling utility companies to accelerate their digital transformation and improve the reliability of their customer service. ”
Nokia will provide a dedicated 5G wireless network, including its AirScale wireless access devices and 5G core enterprise solutions. The contract also includes microwave backhaul solutions and transmission towers supported by Nokia Management Services, as well as Nokia’s NetGuard network security product for proactive threat detection and response, and privileged access management.
