2019 Agenda at a Glance – Washington, DC

From USDA to the FCC and more. PLUS: How to wade through the paperwork.

The Digital Divide is about more than fiber. Thirty million American adults are not online - many because they lack the skills, equipment or money to become an Internet user. But there are bridges: job training, supportive housing, ISP discounts, and outreach to older adults and others who are hesitant to get online. This panel includes experts with first-hand knowledge to share.

Opportunity Zone financing, crowdfunding sources for civic projects, municipal bonds and more.

Microtrenching, DIY-ready non-burial fiber, multiplexers that enable retrofitting of MDUs to deliver gigs to all residents at a fraction of the cost! Come hear experts in these truly game changing techniques - and save yourself a bundle on your high-speed broadband deployment.

A P3 primer: What’s new, what works.

CAF II Auction Results—What's Working, What's Not.... And Will the Winners Bridge the Digital Divide?

Rural broadband experts and CAF Auction 903 award winners discuss the lessons learned – and what they mean for the upcoming Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction

Despite over $22B spent in the last five years, the broadband gap does not appear to be narrowing significantly. One of the reasons is the lack of accurate and reliable data about the actual deployment of broadband resources. Given the importance of this information in targeting funds to under- and unserved areas, it is imperative that the current system of mapping data collection be radically overhauled. Several proposals exist for this effort, including a NTIA project, an effort lead by US Telecom and some partners as well as recommendations from Microsoft. On this panel, you will hear from participants on all sides of this critical effort – and what a finished data set should include to be accurate.

Policies to Power Co-ops' Rural Broadband Deployment

Electric cooperatives are increasingly players in bridging the digital divide in rural America. At least 100 cooperatives are deploying retail broadband to unserved or underserved communities and about 200 more are exploring the feasibility of deploying. This session will highlight the policies that have contributed to the growth of their entry into the broadband market and what additional policies would incent and accelerate further investment in broadband.

Broadband infrastructure can lay the foundation for healthy community ecosystems. But what strategies are necessary to build on top of that foundation to encourage a positive future of work? What successful models allow communities to continually adapt? In this rapid-fire session, we will review a variety of case studies of effective approaches to help communities continually adapt in exponentially-changing times.

Fiber, wireless, satellite, white space… let’s hear the people who are working to get us connected weigh the pros and cons of the technologies that are out there.

Are we having the right conversation? Come get in on the debate!

Can your community or local carrier afford FTTH? It's become surprisingly affordable, plus last year brought $2.35 billion in new federal funding for loans and grants. This workshop is a near-zero-cost way to see if you're close enough to making a business case to hire a consultant. We'll show you how to do the basic calculations, using our free, robust, easily modified financial models, providing a general overview of all four investor models and two monthly cash flow models. All participants receive free copies of the easy-to-customize models, calculation details, manuals, and use cases, all on a convenient, free thumb drive.