ComEd has made significant investments in advanced communications infrastructure to support its clean energy and grid modernization goals—building a high-speed, high-bandwidth, secure, and resilient network capable of enabling a broad range of utility use cases. Initial deployment focused on fiber optics to support backbone and distribution networks. As ComEd refined its communications strategy, Private LTE (pLTE) emerged as a powerful complement to fiber—addressing deployment challenges while unlocking new use cases not previously possible. After validating pLTE capabilities through lab and field testing and making key decisions around deployment strategy, ComEd is now implementing pLTE into its hybrid network buildout. This session walks through ComEd's experience in that initial deployment: the business use-case drivers that shaped the strategy, how tower locations and initial use-case devices were selected, core equipment design considerations, and the project and program management approach used to bring it all together. Attendees will leave with a practical, real-world perspective on what it takes to plan and execute a hybrid fiber-pLTE communications strategy at utility scale.

Session Takeaways:
-How ComEd structured its advanced communications network strategy and why Private LTE became a critical complement to its fiber deployment plan
-Which use-case applications pLTE enables—including those not previously achievable with fiber alone
-The processes, tools, and decision frameworks ComEd used to select tower locations, design core equipment, and manage the program from validation through initial deployment