CLIC, AAPB and Broadband Breakfast Host Super Session on Community Broadband Initiatives on May 1

April 26, 2023 – Three organizations that share a commitment to enhancing broadband connectivity by local governments will join together in hosting a “super session” at the Broadband Communities Summit on Monday, May 1, at 12 Noon CT.

This exciting session will be the kickoff of the four-day conference at the Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center near Houston, Texas, and includes a keynote speak by Elizabeth Walker, Assistant City Manager in Brownsville, Texas.

Register for the session online for FREE.

Register to attend the session at the Broadband Communities Summit.

The organizations hosting the event – the Coalition for Local Internet Choice, the American Association for Public Broadband, and Broadband Breakfast – have orchestrated two panels, one on “Pushing Back on Barriers to Public Broadband Initiatives and Partnerships” and the other on “The Role of Partnerships In Meeting America’s Broadband Challenges.”

See the full program of the super session, and the entire Broadband Communities Summit.

Vital role of local government in broadband decisions

Local governments are increasingly making key broadband infrastructure decisions, as owners, operators, or partners.

Following the keynote remarks by Assistant City Manager Walker, this three-hour workshop will focus on how to fight back against organized misinformation campaigns designed to derail public broadband initiatives and partnerships, including what communities can do to identify and resist state measures that may explicitly or effectively exclude them from eligibility for federal, state, and other funding resources.

The second panel will focus on the critical role of broadband partnerships in America’s broadband future and the key features of successful partnerships.

Opening Welcome and Introduction:

• Jim Baller – President, Coalition for Local Internet Choice

Introduction of Keynoter:

• Drew Clark – Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast; Attorney at Law, Drew Clark PLLC

Keynoter:

• Elizabeth Walker – Assistant City Manager, City of Brownsville, TX

First Panel: Pushing Back on Barriers to Public Broadband Initiatives and Partnerships

• Christopher Mitchell (moderator) – Director, Community Broadband Networks, Institute for Local Self-Reliance
• Terry Huval – Executive Director, Transmission Access Policy Study Group (TAPS)
• Peggy Schaffer – Board Member, American Association of Public Broadband
• Scott Menhart – Member of the Board of Directors, American Association for Public Broadband; CTO, Traverse City (MI) Light & Power

Second Panel: The Role of Partnerships In Meeting America’s Broadband Challenges

• Angela Bennink (moderator) – General Manager, Kitsap PUD
• Mitchell Shook – CEO, Advanced Stream Broadband
• Kyle Williamson – CEO, SyncGlobal Telecom
• Sean Gonsalves – Senior Reporter, Editor and Researcher, Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR)
• Hillary Phelps – Partner, Chapman & Cutler, LLP
• Roger Timmerman – Executive Director & CEO, UTOPIA Fiber

Following the three-hour super-session, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. CT, five members of Keller & Heckman’s telecommunications group will highlight the key legal issues at each stage.

This session will include identifying and dealing with authority issues and procedures; maximizing funding opportunities; developing strategic partnerships; securing access to infrastructure, content, and customers; establishing effective governance structures; understanding evolving cybersecurity and privacy requirements; implementing 911 and other emergency management rules; drafting effective agreements of many kinds; complying with federal, state, and local regulatory requirements; and much more.

Register for the session online for FREE.

Register to attend the session at the Broadband Communities Summit.