Utilities
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Utilities Objectives
The primary business objectives or drivers for deploying a private wireless network in utilities organizations are largely focused on network reliability improvements and service quality.
The most common objective (for 50% of utilities respondents) is “enhanced network reliability and performance", followed by the objective to “enhance product / service quality”. Among those respondents seeking the latter, 73% have already achieved improvements of more than 10% (including 18% achieving improvements of more than 20%). “Enhanced product / service quality” and “enable / improve mission-critical communications” were tied at 28% for “greatest benefit so far”.
Improvements to other utilities-specific operations were also among the top objectives for utilities deploying a private wireless network. For example, 37% were prioritizing “improved meter / asset telemetry and load balancing”. Among those looking to private wireless, in part, for this reason, 78% achieved at least a 10% improvement. Another operational objective, “reduced unplanned production downtime”, was prioritized by 48% of respondents, among whom 90% achieved at least a 10% improvement.
Top 10 primary business objectives for deploying private wireless
Enhanced network reliability and performance
Enhanced product / service quality
Reduced unplanned production downtime
Enable / improve mission-critical communications
Improved meter / asset telemetry and load balancing
Increased process / production line productivity
Increased employee satisfaction
Safer autonomous / remote equipment operation
Faster grid / asset fault detection and isolation
Reduced equipment failures / reduced maintenance cost per asset
Qualitative Insights
During in-depth qualitative interviews, utilities decision makers cited objectives around reliability, quality, and uptime. These were discussed in the context of operational visibility, resiliency, and driving operational innovation.
Quantitative Insights
Top 10 desired benefits achieved
When asked in which areas they have achieved measurable benefits after deploying private wireless, 100% of utilities organizations cited at least one.
When comparing desired benefits (as chosen by respondents as objectives / drivers for deploying private wireless), against measurable benefits achieved, the survey shows that measurable benefits from “operational efficiencies (e.g. automating complex tasks)” and “enable / improve mission-critical communications” were achieved by 100% of organizations that prioritized it.
Other areas in which desired benefits were measurably achieved by 75% of utilities organizations include “energy savings”, “compliance with regulation”, “improved cybersecurity”, and “improved real-time data for better decision-making”.
Operational efficiencies (i.e. automating complex tasks)
Enable / improve mission-critical communications
Energy savings
Compliance with regulation
Improved cybersecurity
Improved real-time data for better decision-making
Reduced unplanned production downtime
Manual task automation
Improved worker safety
Increased employee satisfaction
Top 5 unexpected benefits
Utilities organizations also achieved benefits in areas which they did not expect. This chart reflects the percentage of organizations that did NOT select each benefit as an objective / driver for private wireless which achieved that benefit, nonetheless.
For example, 67% were surprised by the “improved meter / asset telemetry and load balancing” resulting from their deployment of private wireless, because it was not one of their stated objectives. Similarly, “increased employee satisfaction” and “improved cybersecurity” were unexpected benefits for 56% and 47% of organizations, respectively, which had not initially prioritized them.
Improved meter / asset telemetry and load balancing
Improved cybersecurity
Enable / improve mission-critical communications
Increased employee satisfaction
Enhanced network reliability and performance
Total benefits expected
Respondents were also asked about the extent of improvement they expect to achieve from each benefit resulting from their private wireless deployment. This includes the level of improvement achieved so far, combined with further benefits expected, ranging from 1 to 5% total benefit improvement at the low end, to more than 30% at the high end.
Organizations which have benefited from “faster grid / asset fault detection and isolation” expect those benefits to be greater than any other: in this area, 86% of those that have achieved benefits expect the total benefit will result in improvement of more than 30%.
Note: the list of benefits is ranked by the number of respondents achieving each measurable benefit.
“We’re already using private communications to connect and control critical assets end-to-end — smart meters at scale, substation and switchgear control, renewable generation sites (including offshore wind), pipeline pressure and valve monitoring, and even CCTV and EV charging infrastructure — and we’re expanding as new assets come online.”
Utilities Use Cases: Deployed & Planned
Among utilities that have deployed private wireless, “handheld devices (e.g. scanners / laptops / tablets)” is the use case most commonly deployed and / or planned for deployment (53% deployed, 40% planned within two years). “IoT sensors (for equipment and environment monitoring)” is the use case most deployed already (58%), while “cameras for security / worker safety purposes” follows close behind at 55%.
“AGV / AMRs” is among the top two use cases planned for deployment within two years (58%), while “industrial automation / robotics” is next, with 53% of utilities organizations with private wireless networks planning to deploy them within that time period.
