Broadband Breakfast on June 10, 2026 - Drones and the Battle for Airspace

The federal government has moved to push Chinese-made drones off the market, and the broadband industry is sorting through what that means in practice. From tower inspections and network surveys to last-mile mapping and rural coverage verification, drones have become quiet workhorses of broadband deployment. With DJI effectively frozen out of new U.S. sales and the FCC's "American Drone Dominance" proceeding actively seeking comment, operators, contractors, and equipment providers are weighing their options. This session examines what the regulatory shift actually transpires on the ground, whether domestic alternatives are ready to fill the void, and how FCC spectrum proposals, including potential drone access to CBRS and mobile broadband bands, could reshape the economics of aerial infrastructure.

Panelists

• Panelists have been invited
• Drew Clark (moderator), CEO and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast

Breakfast Media LLC CEO Drew Clark has led the Broadband Breakfast community since 2008. An early proponent of better broadband, better lives, he initially founded the Broadband Census crowdsourcing tool to collect and verify broadband data left unpublished by the Federal Communications Commission. As CEO and Publisher, Clark presides over the leading media community advocating for higher-capacity internet everywhere through topical, timely and intelligent coverage. Clark also served as head of the Partnership for a Connected Illinois, a state broadband initiative.