Broadband Breakfast on September 1, 2021 — What’s Next for Broadband Infrastructure Legislation?

Though it may have passed in the Senate, the bipartisan infrastructure framework still faces hurdles before it can be put into law. How much money can broadband expansion expect to see? Will we see a return of reverse auctions? What kind of obstacles will the bill face?

Citing Flexibility, Broadband Breakfast Panelists Double-Down in Support for Infrastructure Bill

Panel with broadband and wireless industry lobbyists wrestle with need for symmetrical internet, and press for fiber.

Broadband BreakfastAhmad Hathout

Panelists

• Molly O’Leary, Director of Government Affairs, NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association
• Jonathan S. Adelstein, President and CEO, Wireless Industry Association
• Matthew Polka, President and CEO, ACA Connects
• Chip Pickering, CEO, INCOMPAS
• Gary Bolton, President and CEO, Fiber Broadband Association
• Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast

Panelist resources:

• “Infrastructure Bill’s Broadband Piece Will Help ‘Hasten’ Move to Symmetrical Networks, FBA’s Bolton Says,” Broadband Breakfast, August 25, 2021
• “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly in the Senate’s $65 Billion Broadband Infrastructure Bill,” Broadband Breakfast, August 16, 2021
• “Infrastructure Bill Passed by Senate Includes Historic, Bipartisan Broadband Provisions,” Kathryn de Wit, Project Director, Broadband Access Initiative, Pew Trusts, August 30, 2021
• “Addressing Gaps in Broadband Infrastructure and Service Adoption: A Cost Estimation & Prioritization Framework,” ACA Connects

• Molly O’Leary serves as Director of Government Affairs, NTCA, The Rural Broadband Association, and advocates in Congress and at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to influence legislative and regulatory policy on behalf of NTCA members. Prior to joining NTCA, O’Leary worked in the U.S. Senate as a policy advisor to Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., on telecommunications, appropriations and native affairs. She previously served as a legislative aide to Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) for his position on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
• Jonathan S. Adelstein has headed Wireless Industry Association since 2012, representing the businesses that build, develop, own, and operate the nation’s wireless infrastructure. He is a former Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission and Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service. He previously served 15 years on the U.S. Senate staff, culminating as a senior legislative advisor to Majority Leader Tom Daschle.
• Matt Polka is the President and CEO of ACA Connects – America’s Communications Association (ACA), a 700-member Washington, D.C., trade and federal advocacy association of independent, smaller- and medium-sized broadband, cable and phone businesses. ACAC members serve more than 10 million subscribers in smaller/rural markets and competitive areas in all 50 states. Matt has been with the organization since 1993.
• Chip Pickering is the CEO of INCOMPAS and has done so since 2014. He is also a former representative of Mississippi’s 3rd congressional district. He holds a BBA from the University of Mississippi and an MBA from Baylor University.
• Gary Bolton serves as president and CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association — the largest trade association dedicated to all-fiber-optic broadband. Prior to FBA, Gary held executive management positions at two successful venture-backed high-tech start-ups as well as at large publicly traded companies in marketing, product line management and public policy. Gary is currently an adjunct professor in business administration and management science at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and he holds an MBA from Duke University and a BS in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina State University.