Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) and the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) have signed a multi-year agreement to implement a private LTE network across parts of 68 Texas counties. The advanced network will support grid modernization efforts, provide reliable, low-latency communications and help safeguard utility operations against growing threats.

“A private LTE network will provide LCRA with additional capacity, control and security capabilities that are essential to our role as a leading public utility in Texas,” said Stephen Kellicker, LCRA executive vice president of Enterprise Resources. “We are committed to enhancing our operational capabilities while helping to ensure the highest levels of security and reliability in our service to Texans.”

The private LTE network will be a foundational element in LCRA’s long-term strategy to maintain reliable and resilient wireless communications for its own operations and the communities it serves. The mission critical private LTE network provided by Ericsson includes the 5G-ready, geographically redundant Ericsson dual-mode 5G Core solution, radio access network (RAN) solutions, network management, and security management solutions. By implementing the private LTE network, LCRA will gain additional visibility and control over its utility operations with essential applications such as mission-critical push-to-talk (MCPTT), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), and supporting electric cooperatives, and municipal, school, transit and other governmental entities with their critical communication needs.

With 24/7/365 monitoring and support from Ericsson’s dedicated Network Operations teams, the private LTE network will be strengthened against risks stemming from extreme weather and malicious actors; supporting LCRA’s efforts to provide robust and resilient utility services.

"This agreement with LCRA demonstrates Ericsson's commitment to securing and modernizing America's critical infrastructure," said Eric Boudriau, Vice President and Head of Customer Unit Regional Customers & HCP, Ericsson North America. "By implementing a mission critical private LTE network, LCRA is taking proactive steps to enhance grid resilience, strengthen cybersecurity, and prepare for future technological advances that will benefit millions of Texans."

Initial operations, scheduled to begin in Q1 2025, will establish a future-focused, 5G-ready mission-critical network throughout LCRA's area.

With a long-standing presence in North America since 1876, Ericsson continues to lead in secure, reliable network solutions for critical infrastructure.