Tuesday, October 29 |
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7:00pm – 10:00pm | Registration Open (Edison Ballroom Foyer) |
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7:00pm – 10:00pm | Exhibitor Move-In (Edison Ballroom Foyer) |
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7:30pm – 8:30pm | Welcome Reception – Exhibit Area (Edison Ballroom Foyer) |
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Wednesday, October 30 |
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7:00 am – 6:00 pm | Registration Open (Edison Ballroom Foyer) |
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7:30am – 8:30am | ![]() (Edison Ballroom Foyer) Sponsored by Radiant |
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8:00am – 9:30am | Conference Welcome and Opening Session: (Edison Ballroom D-G) Official Welcome Presenter: Justin Wilson – Mayor, City of Alexandria, VA The Big Picture: Washington Experts Tackle the Critical Broadband Issues Moderator: Jim Baller – President, Baller Stokes & Lide, PC Presenters: Joseph Wender – Senior Policy Adviser, Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass) Nicol Turner-Lee – Fellow, Governance Studies, Center for Technology Innovations Brookings Institution Nirali Patel – Wireline Advisor, Office of Chairman Ajit Pai, FCC |
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9:40am – 10:40am | General Session (Edison Ballroom D-G) Quiet Success in Community Broadband "Lesser-known" municipal broadband networks share the results of their long-term investments to improve internet access for local businesses and residents. Moderator:Christopher Mitchell – Director, Community Broadband Networks, Institute for Local Self-Reliance Presenters: Jason Grey – Director of Utilities, City of Danville, VA Robert Bridgham – Executive Director, Eastern Shore of Virginia Broadband Authority Richard J. Sherwin – CEO, Spot On Networks, LLC Mel Poole – Director, OCALA Fiber Network |
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10:40am – 11:55am | ![]() (Edison Ballroom Foyer) Sponsored by ADTRAN |
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12:05pm – 1:10pm | Lunch Activities / Keynote Address (Edison Ballroom D-G) Broadband Policy for America’s Future: A Vision for the 2020s How public policy focused on competition, deployment, adoption, and community anchor institutions can deliver High-Performance Broadband to all Americans in the next decade. ![]() Introduction by: Adrianne B. Furniss – Executive Director, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Keynoter: Jon Sallet – Senior Fellow, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society |
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TRACK 1 (Edison Ballroom D-G) |
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TRACK 2 (Edison Ballroom A-C) |
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1:20pm – 2:10pm | Funding Broadband Projects 1: Finding Federal Funds
From USDA to the FCC and more. PLUS: How to wade through the paperwork. Moderator:Mark DeFalco – Manager – Broadband, Appalachian Regional Commission Presenter: Kenneth Kuchno – Broadband Division, RUS, USDA Laura Spining – Director, Broadband Infrastructure, NTIA Kirk Burgee – Wireline Competition Bureau Chief of Staff, FCC |
They've Bridged the Divide
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. ![]() ![]() Moderator: Laura Breeden – Chairman of the Board, National Digital Inclusion Alliance Presenters: Leo Delgado – Founder & President, Converged Services; Member of NAHMA (National Affordable Housing Management Association) Tom Kamber – Executive Director, Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) Elizabeth Lindsey – Executive Director, Byte Back Kris Cook – CAE – Executive Director, NAHMA Thien-Huong Nguyen, CPA – Manager, Executive Compensation, Comcast |
2:20pm – 3:10pm | Funding Broadband Projects 2: Alternative Sources
Opportunity Zone financing, crowdfunding sources for civic projects, municipal bonds and more. ![]() ![]() ![]() Moderator: Angie Kronenberg – Chief Advocate and General Counsel, INCOMPAS Presenters: Deborah Simpier – Co-Founder, Althea Jase Wilson – Founder & Chairman, Neighborly Lisa Youngers – President & CEO, Fiber Broadband Association Darnell Sutton – President & CEO, Hollywall Development Company |
Game Changing Technologies That Get High-Speed Broadband to You Faster and Cheaper
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. Moderator:Dan Urban – COO, Corbel Communications Industries, LLC Presenters: Dr. Haruo Okamura – President, Global Plan, Inc., FibNet Pierre Trudeau – President & CTO, Positron Access Solutions Daniel Turner – Founder & CEO, Traxyl |
3:10pm – 3:40pm | Networking Break – Exhibit Area (Edison Ballroom Foyer) |
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3:40pm – 4:40pm | Funding Broadband Projects 3: Public Private Partnerships
A P3 primer: What’s new, what works. ![]() ![]() ![]() Moderator: Cheryl DeBerry – Natural Resources Business Specialist, Garrett County Economic Development Presenters: Shirley Bloomfield – CEO, NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association David Hoover – Principal, The Ferguson Group (TFG) Mike Bosch – Founder & CEO, RG Fiber |
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 Moderator:Carol Mattey – Principal Mattey Consulting LLC; Former Deputy Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau, FCC Presenters: Ted Osborn – Senior Vice President, Strategy and Regulatory Affairs, Nextlink Internet Alex Minard – Deputy Division Chief, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Federal Communications Commission Doug Jarrett – Partner, Keller and Heckman Mary L. Henze – Assistant Vice President, Federal Regulatory, AT&T |
4:50pm – 5:40pm | Solving the Broadband Gap: Start with Accurate Map Data! (Edison Ballroom D-G) 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. Moderator: Heather Burnett Gold – CEO, HBG Strategies, LLC Presenters: Lynn Follansbee – Vice President, Law & Policy, USTelecom – The Broadband Association Paula Boyd – Senior Director, Government & Regulatory Affairs, MicroSoft Jean Plymale – Broadband Project Manager, Center for Innovative Technology Tim Moyer – Program Manager, US Department of Commerce, NTIA Steve Rosenberg – Chief Data and Analytics Officer, FCC |
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5:40pm – 7:45pm | ![]() (Edison Ballroom Foyer) Co-Sponsored by Walker and Associates and Calix |
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Thursday, October 31 |
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7:00am – 4:00pm | Registration Open (Edison Ballroom Foyer) |
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7:30am – 9:00am | ![]() (Edison Ballroom Foyer) Sponsored by ETI Software |
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TRACK 1 (Edison Ballroom D-G) |
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TRACK 2 (Edison Ballroom A-C) |
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8:00am – 8:50am |
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. ![]() Moderator: Brian O'Hara – Senior Director Regulatory Issues, Broadband & Telecommunications, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Presenters: Ron Holcomb – President & CEO, Tipmont REMC Craig Eccher – President & CEO, Tri-County REC Casey Logan – President & CEO, Prince George Electric Cooperative (VA) |
The Future of Work: Find Out What Works
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. Moderator/Speaker:Gary Bolles – Co-Founder, eParachute; Partner, Charrette LLC Presenters: Cat Blake – Policy and Program Manager, Next Century Cities Gene Scott – General Manager, OSP, Greenlight Community Broadband, Wilson, NC |
9:00am – 10:00am | Determining What Technology/Technologies Will Work Best for Your Community
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. ![]() ![]() ![]() Moderator: Scott Zimmer – Co-Founder, President & CEO, Air Advantage Presenters: Erica Myers – Business Operations & Project Manager, Microsoft Virginia Lam Abrams – Senior Vice President, Communications & Government Relations, Starry Gerry Lawlor – Vice President, T-Mobile ISP David Goldman – Director of Satellite Policy, SpaceX |
Broadband and Telehealth: Fulfilling the Promise of Transforming U.S. Health Care ![]() ![]() Co-Moderators: Craig Settles – President, CJ Speaks Dr. Robert Wack – Board of Directors, The Mid-Atlantic Gigabit Innovation Collaboratory (MAGIC) Presenter: Dr. Thomas Klobucar – Executive Director, Office of Rural Health (ORH), Veterans Health Administration Lisa Hogan, RN – Head of the CCMP Program, Frederick Memorial Hospital Melodie Anderson – Spinal Cord Injury [SCI], Telehealth Coordinator, RN, Veterans Health Administration Medical Center |
10:10am – 11:00am | 5G: Hype or Hope? (Edison Ballroom D-G) Are we having the right conversation? Come get in on the debate! Moderator/Speaker:Sean Stokes – Principal, BallerStokes & Lide, PC Presenters: Doug Dawson – President, CCG Consulting Joy Ditto – President & CEO, Utilities Technology Council (UTC) Jonathan Adelstein – President & CEO, The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) |
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11:00am – 12:10pm | ![]() (Edison Ballroom Foyer) Sponsored by ADTRAN |
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12:20pm – 1:20pm |
Lunch Activities / Keynote Address Getting Broadband Everywhere: FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks Tackles Bridging the Digital Divide |
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1:30pm – 3:00pm | ![]() (Edison Ballroom A-C) Join us for this singular conversation about the future of the broadband internet with Vint Cerf, an Internet Pioneer and currently VP and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google and Jon Sallet, former FCC general counsel and author of the Benton Foundation’s publication, A Vision for the 2020s: Access to Broadband in the Next Decade. Vint and Jon will discuss why local internet and broadband authority are important to the expansion and vitality of the broadband internet throughout the United States. Through this extensive conversation among Vint, Jon, and the audience, we will explore the optimal policies and best practices for local decision-making in broadband and how these might inform policymaking for the coming decade at both the federal and state levels. Introductions:Gail M. Roper – Director, National Initiatives, Knight Foundation Moderator: Jim Baller – President, CLIC Speakers: Jon Sallet – Senior Fellow, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Vinton Cerf – Vice President & Chief Internet Evangelist, Google |
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3:00pm – 4:00pm | Hands-On Financial Modeling for Broadband Networks (Edison Ballroom A-C) 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. Presenter:Steve Ross – Editor-at-Large, Broadband Communities Magazine |
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2:00pm – 5:00pm | Exhibitor Move Out (Edison Ballroom Foyer) |