Case Study: Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative achieves converged N x 100G broadband and smart grid modernization with Ciena

Mecklenburg Electric brings middle mile for broadband to rural Virginia and North Carolina with Ciena

Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative (MEC), a rural electric cooperative serving nearly 31,000 member accounts across Virginia and North Carolina, needed to modernize an aging smart grid network while also creating enough middle-mile capacity to support broadband expansion. MEC faced the added challenge of converging mission-critical OT traffic with broadband traffic and ensuring smart grid data remained secure, prioritized, and ultra-low latency. To address this, MEC turned to Ciena and its universal aggregation portfolio, including the 8114 and 5160 platforms.

Ciena implemented a converged N x 100G packet-optical middle-mile network for MEC, giving the cooperative a scalable 100G-400G backbone with class-of-service differentiation and centralized network control through Navigator Network Suite. The result was increased bandwidth headroom for broadband growth, improved smart grid performance and teleprotection, and the ability to support future needs such as solar farms, battery storage, and electric vehicles. MEC also gained reliable, prioritized communications across its service area, helping speed outage prediction, fault location, and restoration.

Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative

Dwayne Long

Vice President of Information Technology