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Memphis Light, Gas and Water and Nokia have deployed the nation’s first full-scale standalone private 5G network for a municipal utility.

Source: Noah Wire Services

Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW), the largest three-service municipal utility in the United States, is set to become a trailblazer by deploying the country’s first full-scale, standalone private 5G wireless network specifically for a municipal utility. Partnering with Nokia, MLGW aims to modernize and unify communications across its electric, gas, and water services, enhancing data connectivity, resilience, and operational efficiency for over 420,000 customers in Tennessee. This ambitious initiative aligns with MLGW’s long-term grid modernization strategy, aiming to reduce unplanned outages and improve power restoration times across Memphis and Shelby County.

The new private 5G network promises to facilitate real-time communication and automation across MLGW’s operations, bolstering critical applications like automated meter reading, grid monitoring, fault detection, and remote field operations. Such enhancements will support the utility’s ability to deploy more automation and smart control operations, especially crucial during severe weather or cyber events, as explained by Doug McGowen, president and CEO of MLGW. He emphasized the network’s potential to support future technologies such as electric vehicles and battery storage, highlighting its role in creating a smarter and more resilient electric grid infrastructure.

Nokia will deliver a comprehensive solution incorporating its AirScale radio access equipment and 5G Core Enterprise Solution, alongside a microwave backhaul system and dedicated towers. The deployment will also feature Nokia’s NetGuard cybersecurity measures to proactively detect and respond to threats, ensuring enhanced security and operational continuity. According to Jeff Pittman, Nokia’s head of North America enterprise mobile networks, the collaboration marks a significant milestone in MLGW’s digital transformation journey and underscores Nokia’s leadership in providing end-to-end private wireless networks for utilities.

Reflecting a broader trend

While MLGW sets a notable precedent with this standalone 5G private network, the move reflects a broader trend in the utilities sector, where private wireless technologies are rapidly being adopted to support grid modernization and sustainability agendas. For example, Southern California Edison (SCE) has also launched a private 5G Field Area Network (FAN) designed to enable real-time grid monitoring, remote asset management, and integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DER). This network leverages Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum, permitting network slicing — a capability that supports prioritized network performance for latency-sensitive applications during peak demand periods. Though SCE’s network currently focuses on LTE technology with planned future upgrades to 5G, it demonstrates how private wireless networks are becoming central to modern utility operations.

Similarly, other utilities like Xcel Energy have invested in private LTE networks to enhance grid automation and integrate renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, into their grids. These networks support real-time outage response and sustainable asset utilization on a broad scale, covering multi-state service areas. Nokia’s ongoing projects with Xcel and other global utilities highlight its extensive experience – spanning over 30 years and more than 200 utilities worldwide – in delivering mission-critical communication solutions that improve operational efficiency, reliability, and safety.

5G deployments gain traction in smart city pushes

Beyond utilities, private 5G deployments are also gaining traction in smart city initiatives, as seen in Brownsville, Texas, where Nokia and NTT DATA have collaborated to build a turnkey private 5G solution. This infrastructure supports critical public safety and operational efficiency applications while enabling future scalability for urban innovation.

MLGW’s pioneering adoption of a standalone private 5G network thus marks a significant step forward in utility digital transformation, offering a model that combines high-performance connectivity, robust security, and scalability. It promises to enhance power delivery reliability, operational responsiveness, and the integration of emergent technologies, playing a vital role in shaping the future of municipal utility services in the U.S.

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