Why broadband communication is the backbone of grid modernization

The Utility Broadband Alliance (UBBA) has expanded its membership to include Eversource Energy and Hawaiian Electric — two utilities operating in very different environments but sharing a common challenge: managing increasingly complex electricity grids that must accommodate distributed energy resources such as rooftop solar and battery storage.

Communication as a grid enabler

Modern grid modernization is not only about physical upgrades to cables and substations. Real-time, high-bandwidth data exchange between utilities, smart meters, inverters and storage systems is essential for balancing supply and demand — especially as more households and businesses install solar panels and home battery systems. Without reliable communication layers, grid operators struggle to respond to voltage fluctuations, manage reverse power flows, or coordinate local storage assets.

Hawaiian Electric's membership in UBBA is particularly significant. Hawaii has one of the highest rates of rooftop solar penetration in the United States, making grid communication a daily operational necessity rather than a future aspiration. Eversource Energy, serving New England, faces its own integration challenges as the region accelerates renewable deployment.

What this means for solar and storage owners

For homeowners and businesses with solar panels, hybrid inverters or battery storage, the quality of grid communication infrastructure directly affects access to dynamic tariffs, virtual power plant programmes and demand-response incentives. Better grid intelligence means smarter, more profitable self-consumption strategies. The UBBA expansion signals that the energy sector — at least in the US — is treating broadband communication as a foundational utility in its own right, not an afterthought.