Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) in Bahrain has selected Nokia to build a secure and private LTE network (pLTE) which will modernize its distribution network.

The private LTE network will help EWA automate their smart grid in the city and will pave the way for easier adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) use. In the first phase of deployment, Nokia will cover the Al Muharraq area in Bahrain. Once the first phase is operational the plans involve expansion of the network across the entire country.

In the first phase, the network will connect 500 secondary substations and six primary substations to the central location. Its solution including IP/MPLS wireless router 7705 SAR-Hmc, Compact Mobility Unit (CMU), Network Services Platform (NSP) and LTE radio equipment will be used to build advanced private LTE networks. The solution will be based on 3GPP standardization on 410 MHz Band B87 which is specifically for industrial use for private LTE connectivity.