Bandwidth Hawk
Broadband Communities Summit 2025 is packed with insights and packed with details that turn those insights into business plans.
By: Steven S. Ross, Broadband Communities
It will be a wild Broadband Communities Summit this year, with more than 200 speakers highlighting the headwinds and charting possible courses through very, very rough seas. Yes, the federal government is causing a lot of waves – tariffs, labor issues, a newly uncertain economy, upheaval with BEAD and Reconnect programs, high borrowing costs, the FCC’s still-pending authority to auction the last bits of available spectrum…and more.
All of this is happening while the general media outlets are barely devoting coverage to it. There’s just too much other stuff happening.
More than BEAD
Broadband means more resiliency, for example, in case of pandemic, floods, wind, and fire. But how do we provide broadband to remote rural areas? To low-income households, farms, and small businesses? To handle remote jobs, healthcare, and education? Do we emphasize low first cost, or worry about high future fees and different future needs? Are the regulators conflating DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) with DEA (digital equity and access)?
How will states and the courts handle anticipated new BEAD rules? And what might the rules contain?
Evan Feinman, the director of BEAD, moderates several panels, including a June 24 panel that includes two state-level directors of the BEAD program — Greg Conte of Texas and Brian Mitchell of Nevada.
But it’s not all about federal grants! On June 23, speakers for the American Association for Public Broadband (AAPB) will detail strategies to get governmental backing, identify and leverage local private and public financial resources, and address technical issues.
On June 24, Casey Lide, Partner at Keller and Heckman LLP, leads an expert panel on financing options for community broadband projects, from private equity to bank loans, to municipal bonds and local tax programs.
And remember: Even if you aren’t in the running for BEAD, or Reconnect, or whatever, your competitors might be. And all of them will be reaching into the same pool of capital and bank loans you are.
Other financial issues
Aside from pending new BEAD rules, there’s the changing economics of content providers due to insurance issues, a warming and less stable climate, the planned potential $88 billion spectrum auction, and more.
For instance, there’s also an expanding need for more middle mile fiber, thanks to BEAD expansion and new data centers feeding the AI boom. On the Summit’s first day, June 23, catch Sachin Gupta, director of government business for Centranet, true fiber pioneer John George, a senior director of Lightera (formerly OFS), Dave Roy, the founder of CONSULTY USA, and Jeff Sobotka, SVP at eX2 Technology, a Vivacity company.
Indeed, what models can rural ISPs use for co-owning middle mile fiber? There’s a panel on that the same day.
What are private entities looking for in potential partners anyway? A June 24 panel moderated by Andrew Lipman, the approving manager at Morgan, Lewis and Bockius LLP, explores the issue.
On June 25, don’t miss sessions on how to build a sustainable business case for rural infrastructure investments and how to manage the costs of running the network after you build it. One panel moderated by Hilda Legg, the first director of the Rural Utilities Service (2002!) and now a consultant (Legg Strategies), includes Barry Adair, CEO of Wabash Communications, Matt Ertle, network operations director for Eastern Shore of Virginia Broadband Authority, Mike Romano, an executive vice president with NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association, and Evan Feinman, the former director of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.
The Summit also explores public-private partnerships in a June 25 panel that answers questions like what to look for in a partnership, finding the right partner for your project, managing expectations, and stakeholder requirements regarding both the public and private sector.
There’s also a a June 25 panel on the synergy between smart electrical grids and broadband. It’s aimed at electric co-ops that have adopted fiber broadband or are thinking about it. Another panel that day describes how infrastructure can really be the key to economic growth.
Other middle-mile issues and hidden needs
Peering points — internet exchange points – are also middle mile infrastructure. They contribute to cost efficiency and encourage local and regional connectivity. That helps “reuse” spectrum with short-range wireless points along the fiber trunks. And THAT is a critical issue because the planned spectrum sales will also be the last. There’s no more suitable spectrum to sell. It also contributes to regional network resiliency.
Among the panels on that is one moderated by Brent Legg, executive vice president of Connected Nation. That panel includes Matt Peterson, president of the San Francisco Metropolitan Internet Exchange (SFMIX), Ben Venable, director of the Alabama Network Operators Group, and Tonya Witherspoon, associate vice president at Wichita State University.
The Biden Administration and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that included BEAD pushed successfully for network electronics and fiber to be “Made in America,” so our industry got ahead.
But what about individual electronic components? And what about telephone poles – the wooden ones often come from Canada. Labor? As many as a third of outside-plant construction workers are not American citizens.
A June 25 keynote brings perspectives from service providers on the future of high-speed internet, including advancements in 5G, fiber optics, and satellite networks.
Multifamily
Multiple-dwelling unit (MDU) buildings contain about a quarter of all housing units in the US, and over a third of new units being constructed. We no longer have to persuade property owners to include broadband. But now we have to explain how it is financed and regulated in MDU settings. There are panels on bulk billing, wireless technology, and more.
AT&T Connected Communities is sponsoring many sessions on multifamily, exploring key industry trends and legal updates, insights into state and federal regulatory changes, and FCC developments (such as the killing of the FCC’s proposed bulk billing rules) that impact property owners, operators, and residents.
Don’t miss the June 24 keynotes: Multifamily State of the Industry, by Duncan Cannon, senior director for building technology at Cortland, and another by AT&T Connected Communities Director Matt Wootton.
On June 23, Patrick Reams, a technology and operations VP at Irby Utilities, will detail broadband’s evolving role in multifamily. He’ll discuss how broadband influences property value, leasing, and competitive positioning. Another panel on this is moderated by Bryan Rader, the president of MDU operations at Pavlov Media, Quarterra Group Director of Community Technology Justin Foster, Stefan Gassner, a real-estate development VP with Terwilliger Pappas Multi-family Partners, and others.
On June 25 there is also an expert legal debate on current FCC updates to new legislation and property technology needs. It includes a discussion of fee transparency and implications. The discussion will be moderated by Camden VP of Business Services Linda Willey,a, and will include Dan Glivar, of Holland & Hart L.L.P, Art Hubacher, of Hubacher Ames & Taylor, Lauren Maluso, of Davis Craig, PLLC, and Katrina Sosa, of Hotwire Communications.
On the tech side for multifamily properties, explore fiber-to-the-unit, Cat6A cabling, structured wiring for new builds, and retrofitting pathways for brownfields. Learn about the technical role of Wi-Fi 7 and how to align infrastructure with property types, including garden-style and BTR (build to rent) townhouse communities – all on June 24.
A June 25 session, one of several sponsored by DIRECTV, delves into advanced solutions for mesh networks, edge computing, and personalized resident portals.
That same day, June 25, explore smart-home technology and proptech, with insights on smart-building integrations, predictive analytics, and cost-effective deployment strategies that drive energy efficiency, improve operations, and enhance resident satisfaction. Discussed will be real-world examples of IoT devices, personalized technology solutions, EV charging, and more.
A June 25 deep dive led by members of the Broadband Communities staff focuses on remarkable multifamily communities that showcase the potential of high-speed broadband deployment and the transformative impact it can have on the lives of residents. By highlighting these communities, the exploration offers a detailed look at how seamless access to advanced internet improves daily living, education, work, and overall community development.
Other sessions cover tips for creating infrastructure that is ready for the future to maximize ROI and enhanced building resilience.
The American Association for Public Broadband also has a session on maximizing a city’s infrastructure and effectively using municipal assets to create a future-ready community with advanced technologies such as IoT sensors, grid automation, and renewable energy solutions – all reliant on broadband.
Digital equity
It’s a dirty term over at NTIA, but a vital business (and moral?) opportunity for many. There are panels on strategies for addressing the digital divide, understanding and addressing the key barriers and benefits to digital inclusion, and more. Don’t miss the June 24 panel moderated by Angela Siefer, Executive Director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance. It’ll also include Heather Gate, an EVP for digital equity at Connected Nation, digitalLIFT (Formerly CTN) Executive Director Kami Griffiths, and Commissioner Darcie Houck of the California Public Utilities Commission.
Also, don’t miss a chance to learn about how Brownsville Texas introduced a private 5G network to boost local infrastructure and improve digital equity.
How do you ensure that digital equity policies match community needs? How do you translate the policy from state to community levels? What about strategies for working with community organizations to further digital inclusion programs? The June 24 panel, moderated by Charlotte Bewersdorff, a community engagement specialist of Merit Network, and Christopher Ali, a professor of telecommunications at Penn State University, covers that. Others on the panel include Marie Arcos, Chief Government Affairs Officer at Compudopt, and Adeyinka Ogunlegan, VP for Government Affairs at the National Urban League.
A June 25 session on Building a Sustainable Digital Ecosystem for Tribal Communities describes disparities in fixed and wireless broadband access. The session will touch on barriers to access such as geographic isolation, limited infrastructure, funding constraints. It’ll also highlight solutions and partnerships that help bridge the digital divide in rural and tribal areas.
One panel on educating communities about affordability programs includes the role of service providers in getting affordable broadband services to consumers, understanding what funding programs are available for low-income families and consumers, and understanding the policy context. It’s moderated by Jericho Casper, Capitol Hill reporter for Broadband Breakfast, and includes Genesis Gavino, from the City of Austin, and Heidi Norman, from the City of Pittsburgh.
Other sessions on infrastructure that can withstand evolving challenges (such as safeguarding physical assets to ensuring cybersecurity and rapid recovery from disruptions) include one on the importance and implementation of digital inclusion in disaster response.
The last session, June 25 at 3:10 p.m., addresses improving telehealth access. The example to be shown in detail is in rural Colorado, a case study by Connected Nation and Colorado’s Office of eHealth Innovation (OeHI). Covered are topics like:
- What are some of the biggest challenges that rural households face that prevent them from using telehealth services?
- How can an education campaign successfully improve telehealth service usage?
- How can this effort be replicated in other states or regions?
Contact the Hawk at steve@bbcmag.com.
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Learn more about Broadband Communities Summit 2025 in Houston.
