#broadbandlive

Broadband Breakfast on Wednesday, October 6, 2021, at 12 Noon ET — What’s Happening at Wispapalooza?

The Las Vegas trade show Wispapalooza 2021 is back from October 11-October 14, 2021, and it’s bigger than ever.

Published

12 months ago

October 4, 2021

Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place every Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. You can watch the October 6, 2021, event on this page. You can also PARTICIPATE in the current Broadband Breakfast Live Online event. REGISTER HERE.

Join Broadband Breakfast Live Online for Wednesday, October 13, 2021, “On the Ground at Wispapalooza.” Broadband Breakfast will discuss trends toward hybrid technology and government grants by WISPs. During our October 6, 2021, event, Broadband Breakfast also previewed the trade show.

Wednesday, October 6, 2021, 12 Noon ET — “What’s Happening at Wispapalooza?”

Wispapalooza 2021, which runs from October 11-October 14, 2021, is back, and it’s bigger than ever. The annual Las Vegas show of the Wireless Internet Service Provider industry, their partners and customers, brings together more than 2,000 WISP community attendees, more than 160 exhibitors displaying their products and services, and more than 90 panels with hundreds of experts helping the WISP ecosystem. Join WISPA CEO Claude Aiken, local WISP CEO J.J. McGrath, and Broadband Breakfast Editor and Publisher Drew Clark (also Of Counsel at the CommLaw Group and an telecom attorney to many WISP clients), for a wide-ranging discussion of what to expect next week at Wispapalooza.

Panelists:

Claude Aiken, CEO, Wireless Internet Service Provider Association
J.J. McGrath, CEO of WISP TekWav
Other guests have been invited
Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher of Broadband Breakfast

Drew Clark, Editor and Publisher of Broadband Breakfast, also serves as Of Counsel to The CommLaw Group. He has helped fiber-based and fixed wireless providers negotiate telecom leases and fiber IRUs, litigate to operate in the public right of way, and argue regulatory classifications before federal and state authorities. He has also worked with cities on structuring Public-Private Partnerships for better broadband access for their communities. Drew brings experts and practitioners together to advance the benefits provided by broadband. He is also the President of the Rural Telecommunications Congress.

J.J. McGrath, CEO (that stands for “Chief Everything Officer”) of TekWav, has more than 20 years of experience in Information Technology. Because his dad was an engineer at Texas Instruments, J.J. learned a lot at a young age and decided to pursue a career in the industry. Since he has been in the business since 1992, J.J. has successfully navigated many changes and improvements in technology, so he can offer Texoma businesses the latest technology at a competitive price.

Claude Aiken is CEO of the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA), an association representing thousands of fixed wireless providers. In the decade prior, Aiken worked at the Federal Communications Commission as an advisor to Chairman Tom Wheeler and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, as well as in various staff attorney roles and in senior leadership positions in the Wireline Bureau and Office of General Counsel. He graduated from New York Law School as a John Marshall Harlan Scholar specializing in information and technology law.

WATCH HERE, or on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

As with all Broadband Breakfast Live Online events, the FREE webcasts will take place at 12 Noon ET on Wednesday.

SUBSCRIBE to the Broadband Breakfast YouTube channel. That way, you will be notified when events go live. Watch on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

See a complete list of upcoming and past Broadband Breakfast Live Online events.

Up Next

Broadband Breakfast on Wednesday, October 13, 2021, at 12 Noon ET — On The Ground at Wispapalooza

Don't Miss

Broadband Breakfast on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 — Best Practices for Delivering Rural Networks

Click to comment

#broadbandlive

Broadband Breakfast on September 21, 2022 – Broadband Mapping and Data

The future of the Biden administration’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act depends upon the FCC’s maps.

Published

4 weeks ago

September 2, 2022

Broadband Breakfast Staff

See “Panelists at Broadband Breakfast Event Urge the FCC Mapping Fabric Be Made Public,” Broadband Breakfast, September 22, 2022

Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place on Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. Watch the event on Broadband Breakfast, or REGISTER HERE to join the conversation.

Wednesday, September 21, 2022, 12 Noon ET – Broadband Mapping and Data

Much hinges on the success or failure of the Federal Communications Commissions’ updated broadband maps. This fall the agency is entering into a period of intensive updating in which it is assessing an address-level “fabric” of locations and comparing internet service data received from providers. Now comes the hard part: Providing a framework for broadband users and providers to understand and challenge the FCC’s map. The future of the Biden administration’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act depends upon it.

Panelists:

Scott Wallsten, President, Technology Policy Institute
Bryan Darr, Vice President of Smart Communities at Ookla
Dustin Loup, Program Manager, Marconi Society’s National Broadband Mapping Coalition
Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast

Panelist resources:

Drew Clark: Broadband Maps Are a Mess, So Now Let’s Focus on Actually Improving Them, Broadband Breakfast, July 30, 2019
Bryan Darr: An Order of Fiber, Please, with Wireless on the Side, Broadband Breakfast, August 15, 2022
Scott Wallsten: The FCC Broadband Map Will Be Wrong – But It Was Always Going To Be, NextTV, July 27, 2022
Community Crowdsourcing Efforts Essential to Accessing Federal Broadband Funding, Broadband Breakfast (about Dustin Loup and Lai-Yi Ohlsen), Broadband Breakfast, May 27, 2022
Ask Me Anything with Lai-Yi Ohlsen and Dustin Loup, Broadband.Money, June 17, 2022
Broadband Breakfast on June 29, 2022 — Broadband Mapping and Data
Broadband Breakfast on April 20, 2022 — Broadband Mapping and Data: In-Home Connections
Broadband Breakfast on February 2, 2022 — Groundhog Day Special on Broadband Mapping
Broadband Breakfast on December 22, 2021 — When Will the Broadband Maps Get Fixed?

Don’t miss the Broadband Mapping Masterclass! You can navigate the treacherous waters around broadband mapping by participating in this 2-hour Masterclass for only $99. Enroll TODAY in this LIVE Masterclass on Tuesday, September 27, at 12 Noon ET

Bryan Darr is the Vice President of Smart Communities at Ookla. He coordinates Ookla’s outreach to local, state and federal governments and serves on CTIA’s Smart Cities Business & Technology Working Group.

Scott Wallsten is President and Senior Fellow at the Technology Policy Institute and also a senior fellow at the Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy. He is an economist with expertise in industrial organization and public policy, and his research focuses on competition, regulation, telecommunications, the economics of digitization, and technology policy. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University.

Dustin Loup is an expert on internet governance and policy and program manager for the Marconi Society’s National Broadband Mapping Coalition. Much of his work centers on improving digital inclusion and establishing transparent, open-source, and openly verifiable mapping methodologies and standards.

White House photo from August 2021 by Adam Schultz

WATCH HERE, or on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

As with all Broadband Breakfast Live Online events, the FREE webcasts will take place at 12 Noon ET on Wednesday.

SUBSCRIBE to the Broadband Breakfast YouTube channel. That way, you will be notified when events go live. Watch on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

See a complete list of upcoming and past Broadband Breakfast Live Online events.

#broadbandlive

Broadband Breakfast on September 14, 2022 – How Can Cities Take Advantage of Federal Broadband Funding?

There is an increasing worry that cities may be left out of the wealth of resources for broadband infrastructure spending.

Published

4 weeks ago

September 2, 2022

Broadband Breakfast Staff

Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place on Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. Watch the event on Broadband Breakfast, or REGISTER HERE to join the conversation.

Wednesday, September 14, 2022, 12 Noon ET – How Can Cities Take Advantage of Federal Broadband Funding?

As the nation eagerly awaits the release of updated national broadband maps from the Federal Communications Commission, there is an increasing worry that cities may be left out of the wealth of resources made available through the bipartisan infrastructure funding measure. Will the focus on “unserved” and “underserved” communities – even if broadband in cities is not affordable or reliable – impede local governments’ ability to access Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding? Join us for this Broadband Breakfast Live Online event to air cities’ concerns.

Panelists:

Scott Menhart, Chief Information Technology Office, Traverse City, Michigan
Brieana Reed-Harmel, Fiber Manager, Loveland Pulse
Andrew Butcher, President, Maine Connectivity Authority.
Nathan Hoople, Senior Project Manager, Ditesco Project & Construction Services
Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast

Upcoming resources:

Telecommunications Policy Research Conference, September 16-17, 2022
Plan and Execute a Winning Broadband Grant Strategy Now: A Broadband.Money Demonstration, September 14, 2022, 3 p.m. ET
MasterClass on Broadband Mapping with Drew Clark, Tuesday, September 27, 2022, 12 Noon ET
Digital Infrastructure Investment–Washington, Thursday, November 17, 2022, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Scott Menhart, the chief information technology officer for Traverse City Light & Power (TCLP), has more than 20 years of experience in technology and broadband industries. He has been actively involved with multiple fiber to the premise deployments and recently launched TCLPfiber, a full municipal community network. TCLP currently serves nearly 13,000 electric customers and is currently working to expand TCLPfiber services to these customers.

Brieana Reed-Harmel is the Municipal Fiber Manager for Pulse, the community-driven and city-owned 100% fiber-optic broadband network in Loveland, Colorado. Brieana brings over 20 years of utility experience in engineering and leadership roles, spanning both the public and private sectors. Brieana was officially named Municipal Fiber Manager in December 2018 after leading the city through assessment and feasibility study of publicly owned broadband. In her current role she oversees all aspects of the construction and operation of Pulse, making fiber-optic internet service a reality for every home, business, and school in Loveland.

Andrew Butcher is the inaugural president of The Maine Connectivity Authority a new quasi-governmental agency serving as the primary entity charged with achieving universal access of affordable high-speed broadband in the state of Maine. By balancing investments in projects, places and people MCA is advancing digital equity for all. Butcher has over 15 years in community and economic development, social entrepreneurship and connected infrastructure. Prior to his role at MCA he founded an internationally recognized non-profit, served as director of the Maine Broadband Coalition and helped advance numerous innovation and resilience initiatives in Maine.

Nathan Hoople is a Senior Project Manager for Ditesco. He brings over 17 years of experience in the telecommunications, construction, energy, control systems and program management industries. Prior to joining Ditesco, he was responsible for a variety of large infrastructure projects for the National Science Foundation’s United States Antarctic Program including data center design and fiber network installation. He is currently managing Ditesco’s broadband portfolio including overseeing the FTTP build for Pulse in Loveland, CO and providing support for Fort Collins Connexion, as well as feasibility and strategic planning for Larimer County and the Town of Timnath.

Drew Clark is the Editor and Publisher of BroadbandBreakfast.com and a nationally-respected telecommunications attorney. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, he served as head of a State Broadband Initiative in Illinois. Now, in light of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Attorney Clark helps fiber-based and wireless clients secure funding, identify markets, broker infrastructure and operate in the public right of way. He is also the President of the Rural Telecommunications Congress.

Photo of Austin skyline from the Brookings Institution.

WATCH HERE, or on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

As with all Broadband Breakfast Live Online events, the FREE webcasts will take place at 12 Noon ET on Wednesday.

SUBSCRIBE to the Broadband Breakfast YouTube channel. That way, you will be notified when events go live. Watch on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

See a complete list of upcoming and past Broadband Breakfast Live Online events.

#broadbandlive

Broadband Breakfast on September 7, 2022 – Assessing the NTIA’s Middle Mile Grant Application Process

The event will be headlined by Sarah Bleau, middle mile program director at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Published

4 weeks ago

September 2, 2022

Broadband Breakfast Staff

See NTIA Middle Mile Director Stresses Need for Infrastructure to Withstand Climate Events, Broadband Breakfast, September 8, 2022

Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place on Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. Watch the event on Broadband Breakfast, or REGISTER HERE to join the conversation.

Wednesday, September 7, 2022, 12 Noon ET – Assessing the NTIA’s Middle Mile Grant Application Process, an Event Headlined by NTIA’s Sarah Bleau

Most of the attention from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has been focused on last-mile broadband deployment. But the deadline for IIJA’s Middle Mile grant program is coming up on September 30, 2022. In this special Broadband Breakfast Live Online session, we’ll begin with a brief headline presentation by Sarah Bleau, Middle Mile Program Director at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, speaking about the $1 billion program, how the agency is handling the program, and how Middle Mile grants will impact the $42.5 billion last-mile broadband program.

Panelists:

Sarah Bleau, Middle Mile Program Director, National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Doug Maglothin, Executive Director, Diamond States Network
Mark Goldstein, President of the International Research Center
Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast

Panelist resources:

In ‘Office Hours’ Sessions, NTIA Addresses Questions of Middle Mile Grant Applicants, Broadband Breakfast, September 7, 2022
NTIA announces Middle Mile ‘office hours’ to support program applications, Broadband.Money

Sarah Bleau (center) joined the National Telecommunications and Information Administration in February 2021 as the Middle Mile Program Director. She took on this leadership role for the Broadband Infrastructure Program in Fall 2021 and saw the program through to the award recommendations and announcements made in February 2022. Sarah has extensive industry experience from spending the better part of her career buying, building, and selling fiber networks Sarah holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Doug Maglothin (left) is presently serving as the lead on the Diamond State Networks middle mile project which is the largest and fastest networks of its kind in all of Arkansas. Founded by electric cooperatives, DSN’s goal is to make Arkansas the most significantly connected state in the country by promoting fast and affordable broadband to every corner of the state. Working alongside the coops, Doug helped to develop Diamond State Networks from its inception in 2020 as a consultant by way of his firm, Leverage Broadband Strategies where he serves as a Partner and Chief Strategy Officer.

Mark Goldstein (right) is chairman of the Arizona Telecommunications & Information Council and president of the International Research Center.

Drew Clark (moderator, not pictured) is the Editor and Publisher of BroadbandBreakfast.com and a nationally-respected telecommunications attorney. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, he served as head of a State Broadband Initiative in Illinois. Now, in light of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Attorney Clark helps fiber-based and wireless clients secure funding, identify markets, broker infrastructure and operate in the public right of way. He is also the President of the Rural Telecommunications Congress.