Anterix, which is the largest holder of licensed spectrum in the 900 MHz band in the United States, reached an agreement with Nokia to accelerate the deployment of 900 MHz private LTE across the U.S. utility sector.
The companies will work together to combine Anterix’s “beach-front” 900 MHz spectrum with Nokia’s industrial-grade private LTE/4.9G wireless infrastructure so that utility companies can more easily deploy private LTE solutions that support advanced communications for modernizing their grids. Nokia is also a charter member of the recently announced Anterix Active Ecosystem Program that brings together technology innovators to support Anterix customers deploying and operating private LTE on 900 MHz.
“Utilities who oversee critical infrastructure systems must insist on maintaining network control if they’re going to manage the delivery of services effectively and efficiently,” said Anterix Chief Operating Officer Ryan Gerbrandt. “Our low-band, licensed spectrum can provide utilities with the capabilities they need to build their own 900 MHz private LTE networks with Nokia’s state-of-the-art infrastructure.”
The joint solution will include the Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) platform and Nokia Modular Private Wireless (MPW) solution. The Nokia DAC is a compact application platform, comprising cellular network equipment and a cloud-based operation monitoring system offering reliable high-bandwidth, low-latency private wireless connectivity, local edge computing capabilities, and a catalog with applications such as voice and video services. Nokia MPW includes indoor and outdoor solutions that enable utilities to build private 4.9G/LTE networks for small to very large industrial sites and field area networks. Both DAC and MPW can be upgraded to 5G.
