Case Study: Sylacauga Utilities Board achieves expanded rural broadband and secure SCADA & 9-1-1 backhaul with Cambium Networks

Sylacauga Utilities Board - Customer Case Study

Sylacauga Utilities Board, serving a rural, heavily wooded area on the southern edge of the Appalachian Mountains, needed a cost‑effective way to replace slow dial‑up and reach customers in non‑line‑of‑sight, foliage‑dense terrain. Cambium Networks provided a wireless broadband solution—notably its 900 MHz Access Points along with Cluster Management Modules (CMM) and the Element Management System (EMS)—to overcome interference and extend high‑speed service into underserved parts of Talladega County.

Cambium Networks deployed 900 MHz radios on multiple towers (Springhill, Buena Vista and others), adding 44 Access Points across nine towers with fiber backhaul to the NOC, delivering sustained ~3 Mbps links and 360° coverage (some subscribers up to 7 miles away). The network now covers about 200 square miles and serves 730 business and residential customers, and also carries SCADA, 9‑1‑1 non‑emergency backhaul (Point‑to‑Point 49400 AES), and video security—while EMS enables remote management—demonstrating measurable growth in reach, capacity and operational efficiency.

Sylacauga Utilities Board

Reay Culp

IT Administrator