The debate over whether utilities want to use public networks, like cell phone company infrastructure, or build out their own private networks for their smart grid deployments, rages on. On one hand smaller utilities don’t generally want to have the responsibilities — and expenses — of an IT company, which has to manage, build and upgrade a digital network. But on the other hand, a variety of utilities that want to have more control over their networks, and plan to use the networks for other digital services (like voice and video) are opting to build out their own digital grids.

By Katie Fehrenbacher