Three Things I Learned at European Utilities Telecom Council (EUTC) Annual Event in Rome
I own, manage, and execute many events, but the European Utilities Telecom Council (EUTC) annual event was something special. What I learned there is worth sharing with a broader community.
Almost a month ago, I attended the EUTC annual event in Rome. As the name suggests, it is a council of European utilities focused on smart grids, cybersecurity, digitalization, grid communications, spectrum allocation, standards, and regulation. Throughout the event, I had the opportunity to engage with a highly professional and welcoming community that is genuinely committed to advancing grid digitalization, resilience, and cybersecurity.
Here are the three themes that consistently surfaced across presentations, panel discussions, and coffee-break conversations.
450 MHz Spectrum Allocation is a Battle Yet to End
Before discussing the battle, we should first talk about the 450 MHz spectrum, why it matters, and how it is currently allocated.
The 450 MHz band is considered a low-frequency UHF spectrum and offers long-range coverage, strong building penetration, and the level of security that utilities require. Utilities manage power networks that span both dense urban areas and remote rural regions. The long range of the 450 MHz band allows excellent coverage with fewer base stations, which helps reduce infrastructure costs. These low-frequency signals can also penetrate walls and reach basements, where smart meters are often installed.
In addition, utilities prefer private LTE networks that operate independently of public networks, providing the security, control, and resilience needed during emergencies and crisis situations. The 450 MHz band is particularly well suited for these deployments. There are many other technical advantages that make this spectrum ideal for grid communications.
The spectrum, however, largely belongs to telecom operators, and they understandably have different priorities. They have invested heavily in these networks and are looking to secure a return on that investment.
What struck me was that the challenge is no longer purely technical. It has become regulatory, economic, and even political. The European Commission is involved, regulators are involved, utilities are actively advocating for change, and even telecom operators appear willing to explore practical ways forward.
Whatever the outcome, it will have a significant influence on how grid communications evolve over the next decade.
Resilience Is not Just a Buzzword
The word I heard most often at EUTC was not AI, 5G, or cybersecurity. It was resilience.
The primary goal of our power system is to provide uninterrupted power to everyone who depends on it. It sounds simple, but it is one of the most difficult challenges imaginable. Achieving this requires a network that can continue operating reliably under stress, disruptions, cyberattacks, infrastructure failures, and unusually high demand, while maintaining service availability and recovering quickly from issues. In short, it requires a resilient network.
EUTC helped me understand the crucial role that cybersecurity and grid communications play in achieving network resilience. Whether the topic was cybersecurity, communications infrastructure, smart grids, private LTE, private 5G, or regulation, everything eventually came back to resilience.
The Iberian blackout was repeatedly referenced during discussions. The final report by the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) revealed that an extended grid communications failure severely limited the ability of Spain's transmission system operator (TSO) to respond effectively. While the internal SCADA and hardware networks remained operational on backup power, the ENTSO-E investigation noted that real-time data exchange between distribution system operators (DSOs) and the TSO was severely disrupted for an extended period during the 12-to-16-hour recovery window. This significantly impacted the utilities' ability to restore the power system.
The message was clear: grid communications are mission-critical infrastructure and should be treated more seriously than consumer telecommunications infrastructure. Utilities are already recognized as critical infrastructure and essential entities under broader EU frameworks such as NIS2, the Critical Entities Resilience Directive (CER), and sector-specific energy regulations. At the same time, EUTC is actively advocating for grid communications networks to be formally recognized as critical and mission-critical connectivity infrastructure within the Digital Networks Act framework.
Regulations are Driving the Technology
Another theme that kept resurfacing throughout EUTC was regulation. Well, I was in Europe, so I expected it. The regulations that were discussed and referenced multiple times included the Digital Networks Act (DNA), Cybersecurity Act (CSA2), and Network and Information Systems (NIS2) directive.
What I learned is that these regulations are about much more than compliance. They are shaping how utilities and telecom operators think about the future of their networks. As more functions move to the cloud and AI becomes part of operational systems, it is becoming clear that no single industry can tackle resilience on its own. Telecom operators, utilities, regulators, and cybersecurity authorities will need to work much more closely together.
One point that particularly caught my attention was the growing emphasis on cross-sector cooperation. Historically, utilities and telecom operators have largely operated within their own domains. That is changing. The future regulatory framework increasingly assumes that both industries must collaborate to maintain resilient and secure critical infrastructure.
These regulations are no longer following technology. They are actively influencing it. Decisions about grid modernization, cybersecurity investments, and operational resilience are increasingly being shaped by the evolving regulatory landscape.
Final Thoughts
EUTC Rome left me with one strong realization: grid communications are no longer just a support system for a critical infrastructure, they are a mission-critical infrastructure. Whether regulators will ultimately agree and formally recognize them as mission-critical infrastructure remains to be seen.
If resilience was the word of the event, then communications were the enabler behind it. And after spending a couple of days listening to utilities, telecom operators, regulators, and technology providers, I came away convinced that the future of the grid will depend as much on the networks that carry information as on the infrastructure that carries electricity.
If you would like to explore some of the technologies, testing methodologies, and industry topics that support this transition, you can explore few useful resources at Keysight's Grid Modernization Resource Center.