Broadband  |  2025-07-15

Nokia to Deploy Private 5G Network for Memphis Light, Gas and Water's grid Modernization Initiative

Curated by: Gert Jan Wolf - Editor-in Chief for The Critical Communications Review

Nokia today announced it has been selected by Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW), the largest three-service municipal utility in the United States, to deploy a comprehensive private 5G wireless network. The project will support MLGW's long-term, multi-year grid modernization strategy across Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee, ultimately enhancing power distribution to its customers, which will reduce the risk and customer impact of unplanned outages and enable MLGW to restore service to the public more efficiently.

This landmark project positions MLGW as the first municipal utility in the U.S. to implement a full-scale standalone 5G private wireless network to better serve its more than 420,000 customers. Nokia’s state-of-the art solution will unify and enhance communications across all of MLGW’s electric, gas and water services, improving data connectivity, resilience and operational efficiency and provide a secure, scalable, and high-performance network designed for critical applications and future mobility needs.