Utility Technology Conference 2024

Rob Jodrie, Technical Services Manager, Syncworks

Category: Telecom Networks

Day/Time: Wednesday, May 23, 9:10 AM

Topic: A Strategic Evolution To Packet-Based Timing: Leveraging Precision Time Protocol Across Your Network

Why He’s Must See: Packet timing is the present and the future. Learn how to fully leverage your current timing investments and how to evolve towards PTP.

Southern Company  faced the challenge of a SONET to packet network transition and together with Syncworks and Burns & McDonnell, designed and deployed a new MPLS system to provide system-wide transport for critical applications. While at UTC 2024, learn how this initiative introduced stringent new timing requirements and mandated a departure from the frequency BITS clocks traditionally used to synchronize TDM environments. To provide the necessary accuracy and traceability, Southern Company deployed Precision Time Protocol (IEEE 1588 PTP), Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE), and Network Time Protocol (NTP) synchronization sources to provide frequency and time of day for the MPLS, SouthernLinc LTE, and corporate IT networks.

Ron Beck, Business Development Strategist from Burns & McDonnell. 

Category: Fiber

Day/Time: Wednesday, May 22 at 10:50 AM.

Topic: Engineering and Deployment Issues for Utility Broadband Infrastructure

Why He’s Must See: Broadband to customers is the new revenue source for utilities who already have the infrastructure in place. Mr Beck will expand on how to overcome the issues facing your utility as one of our Top Five speakers at UTC 24.

Lee Ayers, VP – Engineering
Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative

Category: Broadband

Day/Time: Wednesday, May 22 at 8:30 AM.

Topic: What to Do with Your Broadband Infrastructure Beyond High Speed Internet

Why He’s Must See: Utilities have constructed and operate extensive fiber optic broadband infrastructures . These were initially built to serve varying purposes. Many of the recent builds were initiated to provide high speed internet to unserved and under served communities. The commonality in these infrastructure builds is the adaptability to other uses beyond initial purposes. This panel discussion will explore the variety of applications that can be supported via fiber optic broadband infrastructures.

Jason Smith Sr. VP & Chief Communications Officer
Blue Ridge Energy, North Carolina, United States

Category: Broadband

Day/Time: Thursday, May 23 at 9:10 AM.

Topic: Revenue Opportunities for Utilities with Fiber Optic and Pole Assets

Why He’s Must See: During the presentation, we will explain how utilities can achieve revenue benefits from fiber optic networks and how these opportunities can play a central role in developing the use case for building a private utility network. Learn about the different approaches utilities can employ to extract additional revenue from a fiber network, what important issues need to be considered and how to protect yourself from a legal and regulatory perspective. Join him as one of our Top Five Speakers at UTC 24 this year.

Brett Kilbourne,Senior Vice President of Policy & General Counsel
Utilities Technology Council
Lawrenceville, New Jersey, United States

Category: UtiliSite/Operations Issues

Day/Time: Thursday, May 23 at 4:10 PM.

Topic: Fiber Leasing: A Deeper Dive from the Utility Perspective

Why He’s Must See: Why Fiber Leasing? Is getting in the business right for me? What resources are available? What have other utilities done? These are some of the questions that will be answered during this presentation. The group will also have a preview of the fiber rate study and some of the results.