LTE 450 MHz Supports Brazil's Power Grid for More Reliable and Intelligent Operations
Belo Horizonte, Brazil, (ANTARA/PRNewswire) - Every day, millions of Brazilians press buttons—switching on computers or operating production machines—and electricity flows. However, the system behind these activities is becoming increasingly complex. Technological changes, consumption patterns, and quality standards demand reliable, sustainable, and efficient energy availability as the main foundation for economic activities.
Brazil’s electricity sector is one of the largest and most complex in the world, serving around 90 million customers with a distribution network exceeding 700,000 kilometres. This infrastructure must operate non-stop. In this context, Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais (CEMIG) is accelerating its digital transformation.
According to CEMIG’s Network and Telecommunications Project Manager, Sandro Bernardes, CEMIG is Brazil’s largest integrated electricity company, operating in power generation, transmission, distribution, and energy sales. CEMIG serves 774 cities in the state of Minas Gerais with more than 9 million customers. CEMIG manages one of Brazil’s largest substation networks, meeting the energy needs of Minas Gerais residents, delivering energy safely from major cities to rural areas, from industry to agribusiness. To this end, CEMIG is undertaking the largest investment programme in its history.
CEMIG is doubling the number of main substations, increasing capacity, and modernising operational activities. However, this expansion faces challenges with telecommunications infrastructure coverage that does not yet fully reach all facilities. CEMIG’s electricity system continues to evolve to serve Minas Gerais residents with increasingly optimal security, quality, and resilience systems. CEMIG’s telecommunications infrastructure must follow this growth and cover all its facilities.
To address this, CEMIG sought strategic partners through an open tender process and selected Huawei. With Huawei’s private eLTE network solution, CEMIG will operate a high-capacity telecommunications network covering the entire state region, managed centrally from the control centre. This partnership goes beyond technology to include investment efficiency and asset modernisation. An adequate telecommunications system plays a crucial role in supporting safe operations and the automation of the electricity grid. As part of its infrastructure development, CEMIG is adopting a private LTE-based network on the 450 MHz frequency. This frequency follows 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards and has a mature ecosystem, wide coverage, and the ability to handle large-scale connections with high reliability and cost efficiency. This technology has also been widely used in the energy sector globally. Huawei is one of the key players providing solutions for the electricity sector.