Lunch Keynote – History is the Future: What the Early Days of the Telegraph & Telephone Can Teach Us About the Internet’s Ongoing Evolution
August 7 – 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Plaza Ballroom
In order to understand the future, we often must look to the past. In this keynote, carrier hotel pioneer Hunter Newby will discuss how the evolution of telegraph and telephone infrastructure in New York City over the last 150 years has influenced the way modern telecommunications networks have evolved and how physical real estate (buildings, manholes, conduits, etc.) still plays a key role in promoting vibrancy of a region’s broadband ecosystem.
Today, Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) are facilities where local ISPs, transport networks, content networks, cloud services, education networks, and others exchange data traffic. But did you know that 14 states don’t have an IXP at all? This negatively impacts wholesale pricing, network resiliency, and most importantly, latency—an aspect of the Digital Divide that is only widening as cloud, content, and AI-driven applications become increasingly dependent on low-latency connections. Building upon lessons learned from the past, learn how Newby is partnering with non-profit Connected Nation to address this problem and create new IXPs in regional hub communities across America—starting with Wichita State University in Kansas.
Speakers
Hunter Newby
Telx: Co-Founder, Chief Strategy Officer