Preparing Broadband for the AI Era
As AI rapidly expands across public and private sectors, the demand for fast, reliable, and resilient broadband has become a national priority. This session explores how state broadband offices—especially those […]
Technology Selection Process for Brownfield MDUs
Broadband Services providers are sometimes faced with difficult choices when trying to upgrade broadband technology within existing (brownfield) Multi-dwelling units (e.g. apartments, resorts, retirement homes, hospitals assisted living, barracks, dormitories, […]
Permitting Barriers & Successes in BEAD Deployment
Permitting is one of the most critical—and complex—factors shaping the success of BEAD-funded broadband deployment in the Western United States. This panel brings together state broadband leaders to discuss real-world […]
How an IRS Rule is Unlocking Public Broadband Finance in Rural AmericaÂ
When Kendall County, Illinois set out to bring fiber and fixed wireless broadband to more than 10,000 unserved and underserved addresses across its rural communities, it faced the challenge every […]
Utilities as Infrastructure Partners: New Rules for Make-Ready in 2026
Real World Best Practices in Developing, Negotiating, and Implementing Infrastructure Access Agreements with Utilities From pole attachment agreements to fiber lease agreements building, maintaining, and extending facilities-based broadband networks often […]
Supply Chain & Material Planning Realities: Lessons Learned from BEAD
As BEAD-funded projects move from planning into large scale execution, one challenge is emerging as the defining factor for success: material readiness and supply chain alignment. Across states, ISPs, engineering […]
Mo Money, Mo Problems: The Post-Award Reality of BEAD Funding
Post-award execution is where broadband projects become financially and operationally real. This session brings together the ISP and compliance perspectives to examine the decisions and systems that operators need after […]
Fiber Networks for AI and Data Centers: From the Middle Mile to the Edge
Data center connectivity in support of AI has led to incredible investment in long-haul and middle-mile fiber builds.  The unprecedented demand for fiber optic capacity — often in rural areas […]
Critical Infrastructure in the Connected Age Cybersecurity, Power, and Network Resilience
Broadband networks, electric grids, public safety systems, and municipal IT infrastructure form the backbone of modern communities—but they are increasingly exposed to cyber threats, power disruptions, and operational risks. This […]
AI Workloads: New Rules of Fiber Infrastructure
AI compute workloads are no longer confined to hyperscale campuses. As training clusters expand and inference moves closer to users, operators across regional, utility, and broadband networks are beginning to […]