Why now?
Smart-grid automation, distributed energy resources, remote assets, video analytics, digital twins and connected field teams all depend on secure and resilient communications. As more decisions move closer to assets, network design directly affects response time, reliability and safety.
At the same time, IT and OT are becoming increasingly connected, expanding the cybersecurity considerations surrounding critical operations. Utilities therefore need architectures shaped by operational requirements such as latency, coverage, resilience, sovereignty and autonomy, rather than by any single technology.
