Alliance Formalizes Status and Names Inaugural Board

WILMINGTON, DE, USA, March 23, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In support of utility critical infrastructure, the Utility Broadband Alliance (UBBA) today announced its formalization as a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit association dedicated to advancing and developing private LTE broadband as a key communications infrastructure for a secure, resilient, digital grid. The Alliance has evolved beyond its initial goals, which focused on business drivers, use cases and technical requirements, to expand efforts to include utility network testbeds and regulatory challenges.

Since incorporation on February 5th this year, the first Board of Directors has been appointed to guide the Alliance through new growth and expansion. Ali Mohammed of New York Power Authority (NYPA) serves as the UBBA Chairman of the Board. “Successful organizations require a lot of hard work and dedication from a team of people,” Said Ali Mohammed. “As the first Chairman of the Utility Broadband Alliance, I am honored that this team appointed me to lead the Alliance through incorporation and launch. The utility-led committees and the great technology vendor-members have done outstanding work building participation and providing new learning experiences for UBBA members.”

In addition to Mohammed, other board appointees include:
• Vice-Chair: John Hughes of Ameren
• Secretary is Paul Anuszkiewicz of Palmetto Technology Associates
• Treasurer is Mar Tarres of Anterix
• Mike Rosenthal of Southern Linc
• Matt Olson of Burns & McDonnell

This Board brings vast utility industry and strategic telecommunications experience to the UBBA leadership team. In addition to Ameren, NYPA and Southern Linc, additional utilities joining this month include Evergy, JEA, NRTC, Southern California Edison, and Xcel Energy.

“We accomplished a lot in the first 18-months and have set a path forward to continue to provide outstanding member value in the years ahead,” commented John Hughes of Ameren. “There has been a great need for UBBA within the utilities industry for several years and for utilities and ecosystem companies to come together to answer the need means that many utilities across the country can get answers to strategic questions about broadband network deployment strategies.”

Innovative and forward-looking technology providers have stepped up to join the UBBA Membership, including:
• Diamond level - Anterix, Motorola Solutions and Nokia
• Platinum level - Burns & McDonnell
• Gold level - 4RF, Cisco, CrescoNet and General Electric
• Silver level - Ericsson, Hitachi-ABB and World Wide Technology
• Bronze level - Aetheros, Amdocs, Council Rock, Encore Networks, K&A Engineering, L3Harris, NovaTech Automation, Mercury Communications, Mimomax, MultiTech, Palmetto Technology Associates, Puloli, and Telit.

“As pioneers of UBBA, Anterix looks forward to sharing the depth of our experiences with 900 MHz spectrum with fellow members of UBBA, enabling them to benefit from the scale and innovation that private networks inherently offer,” said Mar Tarres of Anterix.

“I advise all utilities to join and take advantage of opportunities to contribute and learn. Take the opportunity participate in UBBA activities, working groups, and forums. Take the opportunity to be engaged and involved in the utility broadband issues that face utilities,” commented Mike Rosenthal of Southern Linc.

“This multifaceted organization is focused on bringing utility leaders and innovative vendors together to educate key stakeholders on the role private broadband networks play as a key enabler of the utility of the future,” added Paul Anuszkiewicz. “Now is the time for UBBA.”

Matt Olson of Burns & McDonnell added, “The focus that UBBA brings will allow all stakeholders to share information about strategies to build, manage and control a utility’s private LTE broadband network. UBBA will help utilities build and safeguard utility critical infrastructure through investments in broadband deployments.”

The UBBA Board also appointed Bobbi Harris to the Executive Director position after she served as the UBBA Member Engagement and Operations consultant for the last 22-months.

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About the Utility Broadband Alliance
Launched as a utility-driven organization, UBBA has developed and matured as a hub of information sharing, collaboration, and planning to advance private broadband wireless connectivity for an increasingly interconnected and distributed grid. 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 access resources that accelerate their journey towards a secure, resilient, and future-proof grid. Learn more at UBBA.com.

Bobbi Harris
UBBA
bharris@ubba.com
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