Electricity Canada convened a successful three-day meeting of its Operating Technology & Telecommunications Committee (OTTC) in Calgary, hosted jointly by AltaLink and FortisAlberta. With record attendance, the session brought together Canadian electricity utilities and key telecom vendors to advance work on the 1.8 GHz (Band 111) spectrum. This new band is designed to support the broader development of a resilient, secure telecommunications ecosystem for grid modernization.
Together, OTTC members and their vendor partners celebrated a milestone as Band 111, a band allocated to Canadian electricity companies’ for their exclusive use, will be included as part of 3GPP's Release 19. The OTTC focused on strengthening the collaboration between utilities and vendors to prepare Canadian utilities for deploying new devices on the band, which could include a PlugFest –interoperability workshop in 2027.
Participating utilities included Alectra Utilities, AltaLink, ATCO Electric, BC Hydro, ENMAX, EPCOR, FortisAlberta, Hydro Ottawa, and Hydro-Québec. The event also welcomed representatives from over 20 vendor and partner organizations, including Aviat Networks, Ericsson, GE Vernova, Itron, Network Innovations, Nokia, OneLayer, Ubiik and the Utility Broadband Alliance (UBBA).
Attendees discussed active pilot projects, device certification challenges, and cybersecurity requirements. Participants also explored innovative telecom technologies such as Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) and direct-to-cellular gateways for remote operations.
“The OTTC continues to be a vital forum for aligning Canadian electricity utilities and vendors around the future of private wireless networks,” said Sol Lancashire, OTTC Chair and Principal Engineer at BC Hydro. “The collaborative spirit and technical depth in Calgary this week have brought us closer to an interoperable and future-ready Band 111 ecosystem.”
Key sessions included a vendor led “Ask Me Anything” on tariffs, certifications, and security, as well as a technical survey review on 3GPP Band 111 use cases. Participants had the opportunity to tour AltaLink’ s telecom lab showcasing the first on-air Band 111 link in Canada, connecting a substation to the northeast of the lab located 6 km away.
“The path to building a sustainable, secure, and standards-aligned utility telecom ecosystem isn’t simple—but the participation, openness, and technical engagement we saw in Calgary proves we are on the right track,” said Shelley Levoy, Manager, Distribution & Mutual Assistance at Electricity Canada. “Our members are committed to continuing this journey together.”
Electricity Canada extends sincere thanks to AltaLink and FortisAlberta for their hospitality, and to all members and vendors who continue to support Canada’s digital grid modernization projects.
