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Reliable communication is critical for utility providers, especially when substations are distributed across a large service territory. South Louisiana Electric Membership Corporation (SLEMCO) relied on aging 900 MHz radio infrastructure and point-to-point radio links mounted on towers as high as 100 feet. Severe weather, lightning strikes, line-of-sight issues, and even environmental conditions could disrupt communications, creating outages that sometimes affected multiple substations at once. Maintaining the network required costly tower climbs and placed a heavy burden on a lean IT team.

Solution

To modernize its communications infrastructure, SLEMCO partnered with Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions and Stratix to replace its legacy hub-and-spoke network with a cellular-based architecture. Each substation became an independent communications node, eliminating single points of failure that could impact entire regions.

Stratix provided consultation and deployment expertise, helping SLEMCO identify the right combination of Ericsson Cradlepoint routers and Parsec antennas for its environment. Stratix also coordinated AT&T FirstNet connectivity, including SIM provisioning, activation, static IP configuration, and asset management to simplify ongoing support.

The solution enabled secure transmission of SCADA data from substations back to headquarters while providing centralized monitoring and management through Ericsson NetCloud. SD-WAN connectivity, network segmentation, and security controls helped ensure reliable and secure operations across the utility’s network.

Results

The modernization effort delivered immediate operational benefits:

  • 98% device uptime across approximately 130 substations.
  • Reduced antenna heights from up to 100 feet to 25 feet or less, eliminating many tower-climbing expenses and safety concerns.
  • Improved visibility and faster troubleshooting through centralized monitoring and real-time alerts. Issues that once required phone calls and truck rolls can now often be diagnosed in seconds from a mobile app.
  • Greater network resilience by removing hub-and-spoke dependencies and eliminating cascading outages across multiple substations.

Business Impact

By combining Ericsson’s wireless WAN technology with Stratix’s deployment, connectivity, and lifecycle management expertise, SLEMCO transformed a fragile legacy communications environment into a modern, resilient platform. The utility gained the visibility, reliability, and operational efficiency needed to support critical infrastructure today while creating a foundation for future initiatives, including connected fleet vehicles and expanded field operations.

Learn more about Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions and how Stratix helps organizations deploy, manage, and support mission-critical connectivity solutions.