RFL Electronics
RFL Electronics designs and manufactures substation-hardened communications and power system protection equipment, including multiplexers, teleprotection systems, and protective relays, primarily for electric utilities globally. It operates as a subsidiary of Hubbell Power Systems Inc.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1922
- HeadquartersBoonton, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What RFL Electronics does
RFL Electronics Inc. designs and manufactures substation-hardened communications and power system protection equipment, founded in 1922 as Radio Frequency Laboratories in Boonton Township, New Jersey. The company's product portfolio is organized into four core families: the eXmux line of IP and TDM access multiplexers, the GARD Pro and GARD 8000 teleprotection and protective relay platforms, the IMUX 2000 T1/E1 multiplexer family, and supporting fiber service units and power line carrier equipment. These products enable electric utilities to transport voice, serial, SCADA, video, and protection signals over legacy TDM and modern Ethernet/IP networks while meeting NERC CIP cybersecurity and IEC 61850 interoperability requirements. RFL's technology is differentiated by features such as Hitless Switching with zero-data-loss path recovery, fourth-generation PLC systems with 10-year warranties, and an integrated chassis architecture that consolidates teleprotection, multiplexing, and protective relaying into a single platform with sub-5ms channel latency.
RFL operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hubbell Power Systems Inc., which acquired the company in 2015. Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of multiplexers, teleprotection systems, PLC systems, and protective relays, complemented by professional services including commissioning, training, and 24/7/365 customer support. The go-to-market model is enterprise field sales with dedicated sales engineers serving USA and Canada directly, supplemented by a global network of distributors and representatives. Primary customers are electric utilities, with secondary exposure to transportation, oil and gas, government agencies, and engineering consulting firms. The company is ISO 9001:2015 certified, manufactures out of an 85,000 sq ft facility in New Jersey, and reports a median installed equipment service age of 25+ years, underscoring the long lifecycle and mission-critical nature of its products.
RFL Electronics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RFL Electronics
- Legal name
- RFL Electronics Inc.
- Website
- https://rflelect.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1922
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- RFL Electronics designs and manufactures substation-hardened communications and power system protection equipment, including multiplexers, teleprotection systems, and protective relays, primarily for electric utilities globally. It operates as a subsidiary of Hubbell Power Systems Inc.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RFL Electronics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Power System Protection & Communications Equipment
- NAICS
- Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing (334220), Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (33531), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112), Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing (33429)
- SIC
- Switchgear & Switchboard Apparatus (3613), Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment (3663), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Computer Communications Equipment (3576)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Interoperability Standards, Certification & Compliance (NERC CIP comms, FCC/licensing) (EUADAIAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Transmission & Distribution Line Equipment (Bushings, Insulators, Arresters, Conductors, Hardware) (IMAGAAAF), Medium-Voltage Distribution Components (MV breakers, disconnects, reclosers, MV terminations & joints) (IMAGAEAL)
Keywords
Where RFL Electronics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boonton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
RFL Electronics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales: RFL generates revenue primarily from selling substation-hardened communications equipment and power system protection products including multiplexers (eXmux, IMUX 2000), teleprotection systems (GARD Pro, GARD 8000), power line carrier systems, and protective relays. Products are sold with optional professional services including commissioning, training, and 24/7 customer support.
- Professional Services: RFL provides complementary technical services including project specifications, system design and custom development, project management, commissioning, training, and 24 hours a day, 365 days a year customer service. These services support and extend the hardware product line.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
RFL Electronics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RFL Electronics designs and manufactures substation-hardened communications and power system protection equipment for electric utilities and transportation markets. The portfolio includes IP/TDM access multiplexers (eXmux family), teleprotection and protective relay systems (GARD Pro and GARD 8000 families), T1/E1 multiplexers (IMUX 2000), fiber service units, and power line carrier equipment. Products are sold with complementary professional services including commissioning, training, and 24/7 customer support.
Product overview
RFL Electronics provides a comprehensive portfolio of power system protection and communications equipment for electric utilities and transportation markets. The product architecture consists of multiple integrated product families: the eXmux family (3505, 3501M, 3501, 4500) provides IP/TDM access multiplexers and teleprotection systems; the GARD Pro family offers digital teleprotection, PLC terminals, and IEC 61850 gateways; the GARD 8000 family provides protective relay and communications systems including distance relays, current differential relays, PLC channels, and RAS modules; and the IMUX 2000 family delivers T1/E1 multiplexers with MDACS and DACS functionality. Supporting products include fiber service units for C37.94-to-T1 conversion and SHDSL-to-fiber conversion, plus power line carrier equipment with hybrids, coupling equipment, and accessories. All products share common management protocols (DNP3, SNMP), network management software (VNMS), and are designed for substation-hardened environments with NERC CIP compliance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- eXmux®: Substation-hardened IP Access Multiplexer family for mission-critical infrastructure communications over Ethernet/IP or MPLS networks.
- GARD Pro®
- GARD 8000®
- IMUX 2000
Products and services
- eXmux 3505 IP Access Multiplexer Substation-hardened IP Access Multiplexer for mission critical infrastructures transporting voice, serial, relaying protection, SCADA, video and Ethernet data over Ethernet/IP or MPLS networks. Features hitless switching with zero-data-loss path recovery and DACS function for cross-connecting DS0s.
- eXmux 3501M IP Access Multiplexer Substation-hardened IP Access Multiplexer with module hot-swap capabilities. Transports voice, serial, relaying protection, SCADA, video and Ethernet over Ethernet/IP or MPLS networks with backward and forward compatibility. Features hitless switching and DACS cross-connect functionality.
- eXmux 3501 Teleprotection System
Quantifiable outcome
- MTBF improved by factor of 10 with GARD 8000 redundant configuration vs. conventional redundant Main 1 and Main 2 systems
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use RFL Electronics
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
RFL Electronics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature9 records
RFL Electronics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Hubbell Power Systems, Inc.coreRFL was acquired by Hubbell Power Systems Inc. in 2015. As part of Hubbell Incorporated, RFL operates as a business unit with access to broader corporate resources while maintaining its brand identity and product focus. Hubbell provides strategic direction and capital for growth while RFL continues to serve the electric utility and transportation markets with its specialized communications and protection products.
- GE Industrial CommunicationscoreJoint solution between HPS/RFL and GE Industrial Communications for Direct Transfer Trip (DTT) applications using the GARD 8000/GE MDS Orbit LTE Cellular technology. This solution was developed primarily for the Distributed Energy Resource (DER) and Distributed Generation (DG) market, providing a communications alternative to traditional means with significantly lower operating cost while maintaining critical performance requirements including latency, security, and dependability.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
RFL Electronics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL): Privately held US manufacturer of protective relays, communications, and automation products for electric utilities. Directly competes with RFL in teleprotection, distance/differential relays, and substation communications, with a similarly mission-critical, utility-focused go-to-market.
- Beckwith Electric: Specializes in protective relaying, transformer monitoring, and power system control for utilities and distributed energy. Overlaps directly with RFL's GARD 8000 protection platform in distance, differential, and transformer-differential relays.
- Arteche: Spanish multinational specializing in teleprotection, instrument transformers, and substation automation for utilities. Closely comparable to RFL in teleprotection and protection-relay communications, with similar product positioning in mission-critical grid applications.
- ZIV Automation: Spanish-headquartered vendor of protection relays, substation automation, and IEC 61850 solutions for utilities. Directly comparable niche player to RFL in digital substation and protective relaying.
Broad incumbents
- Hitachi Energy (formerly ABB Grid Integration / GE Grid Solutions assets): Global grid OEM offering teleprotection, substation communications, IEC 61850 gateways, and protection relays at much greater scale. Competes with RFL across all product lines but as part of a much broader substation-and-grid portfolio.
- Siemens Smart Infrastructure: Provides SIPROTEC protective relays and substation communications equipment to electric utilities worldwide. Overlaps with RFL's teleprotection and relay offerings while operating at significantly larger scale and broader portfolio scope.
- GE Vernova Grid Solutions: Offers UR-series protective relays, substation communications, and MDS Orbit cellular industrial communications. Joint product integration partner with RFL via the GARD 8000/GE MDS Orbit LTE DTT solution, and a broad-line competitor across teleprotection.
- S&C Electric Company: US-based provider of switchgear, power system protection, and grid automation. Overlaps with RFL in substation protection and communications-adjacent applications but addresses a broader scope including distribution automation and self-healing systems.
Emerging players
- NR Electric: Chinese manufacturer of protection, automation, and substation communications equipment expanding internationally. Comparable to RFL in teleprotection and IEC 61850 gateways, with growing competitive pressure in utility tenders globally.
Regional players
- Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions: Provides protective relays and substation communications primarily in Japan and select Asia-Pacific markets. Comparable technology stack to RFL in teleprotection and digital substations but with limited direct overlap in North America.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
RFL Electronics social profiles
Digital presenceRFL Electronics compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
RFL Electronics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RFL Electronics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
RFL Electronics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RFL Electronics M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RFL Electronics
What does RFL Electronics do?
RFL Electronics designs and manufactures substation-hardened communications and power system protection equipment for electric utilities and transportation markets. The portfolio includes IP/TDM access multiplexers (eXmux family), teleprotection and protective relay systems (GARD Pro and GARD 8000 families), T1/E1 multiplexers (IMUX 2000), fiber service units, and power line carrier equipment. Products are sold with complementary professional services including commissioning, training, and 24/7 customer support.
Is RFL Electronics a public or private company?
RFL Electronics is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was RFL Electronics founded?
RFL Electronics was founded in 1922. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is RFL Electronics based?
RFL Electronics is headquartered in Boonton, United States, in the North America region.
How does RFL Electronics make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are professional Services.
Who are RFL Electronics's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL), Beckwith Electric, Arteche and ZIV Automation. Broad incumbents are Hitachi Energy (formerly ABB Grid Integration / GE Grid Solutions assets), Siemens Smart Infrastructure, GE Vernova Grid Solutions and S&C Electric Company. NR Electric is listed as an emerging player. Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions is listed as a regional player.
Does RFL Electronics have an API?
No public API is recorded for RFL Electronics.
What industry is RFL Electronics in?
RFL Electronics's product category is Power System Protection & Communications Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUADAIAN, Interoperability Standards, Certification & Compliance (NERC CIP comms, FCC/licensing), with a secondary code of IMAGAAAF, Transmission & Distribution Line Equipment (Bushings, Insulators, Arresters, Conductors, Hardware). Its NAICS code is 334220 and its SIC code is 3613.