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Tuesday, May 19, 2026
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM ET
Canadian Breakfast Meet Up

7:00 AM - 8:00 AM ET

Canadian Breakfast Meet Up

7:00 AM - 5:00 PM ET
Registration Open

7:00 AM - 5:00 PM ET

Registration Open

Sponsored By

7:30 AM - 8:30 AM ET
Attendee Breakfast

7:30 AM - 8:30 AM ET

Attendee Breakfast

Location: Expo Hall

Sponsored By

7:30 AM - 12:00 PM ET
Expo Hall Open

7:30 AM - 12:00 PM ET

Expo Hall Open

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM ET
Breakout Sessions

8:00 AM - 8:40 AM ET

Actionable Blueprints for Practical, Scalable, and Repeatable MDU Deployment Plans

Location: Lafayette 5

Moderator: Craig Corbin – Broadband Universe

Panelist: Mark Evans – Fidium

Panelist: Roger Vaughn – Hexatronic

Panelist: Mark Boxer – Lightera

Panelist: Hy Huynh – Harmonic

MDU

8:00 AM - 8:40 AM ET

Broadband Business from the Ground Up

Location: Desoto 1-2

Moderator: Roger Entner – Recon Analytics

Panelist: Chris Stebner – NEO Connect

Panelist: Kristin Jimenez – TAK Broadband

Panelist: John George – Lightera

Panelist: Karen J. White – Michael Baker International

Deployment Best Practices

8:00 AM - 8:40 AM ET

Creating Strong Financial Foundations that Support Service Expansion to Remote and Harder-to-Reach Communities

Location: Lafayette 3

Panelist: Alex King (he/him/his) – Blue Ridge Mountain EMC

Panelist: James D. Taylor – Red Buffalo Thunder Consulting

Panelist: Jim Zou – Adtran

Panelist: Jessica Koch (she/her/hers) – CBSOregon

Moderator: Revati Prasad – Benton Institute for Broadband & Society

Network Expansion

8:00 AM - 8:40 AM ET

Delivering Affordable, Reliable Fiber-based Connectivity to Rural Tribal Communities

Location: Lafayette 2

Panelist: Andrew Metcalfe – Native Network, Inc

Panelist: Robert Griffin – Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

Panelist: Alice Sanchez (she/her/hers) – Cisco

Panelist: Angela Diahkah – Jemez Pueblo Tribal Network

Moderator: Jennifer Burkhalter (she/her/hers) – NTTA/Ponderosa

Tribal Broadband

8:00 AM - 8:40 AM ET

Maintaining Deployment Standards Across Diverse Regions

Location: Desoto 4-5

Moderator: Jim Carroll – Converge! Digest

Panelist: Joe Kunz – GFiber

Panelist: Mike Vermeer – Panduit

Panelist: Jason Fuller – CHR Solutions

Panelist: Deb Rand – Kinetic Ventures

Outside Plant Considerations

8:00 AM - 8:40 AM ET

Marketing Strategies to Boost Loyalty and Reduce Churn

Location: Lafayette 4

Moderator: James Krstolich – Ideatek

Panelist: Jennifer Alexander – Circet USA

Panelist: Mark Watkins – Shentel / Glo Fiber

Panelist: Glenn Paul – Innovative Systems

Panelist: Dustin Schlaefli (he/him/his) – Nex-Tech

Marketing

8:00 AM - 8:40 AM ET

Rural Collaboration, Infrastructure Planning, and Sustaining Affordable, High-performance Middle Mile Broadband

Location: Escambia

Moderator: Kimberly Maki – Broadband Library Magazine

Panelist: Jim Meyers – NM Fiber Network

Panelist: Casey Lide – Keller & Heckman

Panelist: Jen Wade – RSM US LLP

Panelist: Eric Bathras – Maryland Department of Information Technology

Middle Mile

8:00 AM - 8:40 AM ET

Underappreciated Need to Enable AI and Data Center Growth

Location: Desoto 3

Speaker: Mike Render – RVA LLC

FBA Research Read Out

8:50 AM - 9:30 AM ET

A Symbiotic Future: AI for Networks and Networks for AI

Location: Desoto 3

Speaker: Mike Vermeer – Panduit

FBA Research Read Out

8:50 AM - 9:30 AM ET

Balancing Speed, Cost, Quality and Community Collaboration

Location: Desoto 1-2

Moderator: Ron Westfall – HyperFRAME Research

Panelist: Tom Perrone – GoNetSpeed

Panelist: David Hicks – Render Networks

Panelist: Amanda Hofer – JSI

Panelist: Jeremiah Sloan – Vetro Fiber Map

Deployment Best Practices

8:50 AM - 9:30 AM ET

Connecting Marketing Investments to Adoption Goals and Revenue Growth

Location: Lafayette 4

Moderator: Amber Rodriguez – Surf Internet

Panelist: Jill Marx (she/her/hers) – Fort Collins Connexion

Panelist: Lindsay Randazzo (she/her/hers) – Innovative Systems

Panelist: Tiffany Hess (she/her/hers) – Race Communications

Panelist: Curtis Dean (he/him/his) – Community Broadband Action Network

Marketing

8:50 AM - 9:30 AM ET

Identifying and Overcoming Network Expansion Roadblocks

Location: Desoto 4-5

Moderator: Jeff Heynen – Dell'Oro Group

Panelist: Andrew Wright (he/him/his) – 3-GIS

Panelist: Ryan B. Elswick (he/him/his) – FiberWise Networks

Panelist: Donald Ray (he/him/his) – BAM Broadband

Panelist: Brian S. Schrand (he/him/his) – Clearfield

Outside Plant Considerations

8:50 AM - 9:30 AM ET

Rural and Regional Infrastructure Challenges: Key Factors to Keep Top of Mind

Location: Lafayette 3

Moderator: Jaimie Lenderman (she/her/hers) – Omdia

Panelist: Aaron Weimer – Wiring The Future Networks

Panelist: Justin Suhr – Great Plains Communications

Panelist: Beni Blell (he/him/his) – Emtelle

Panelist: James Koursaris – Praxedo

Network Expansion

8:50 AM - 9:30 AM ET

Transforming the MDU Connectivity Model

Location: Lafayette 5

Moderator: Jeff Baumgartner – Light Reading

Panelist: Adam Bell (he/him/his) – Internet Subway

Panelist: Kevin Bourg (he/him/his) – Corning

Panelist: Mike White – TAK Broadband

Panelist: Matthew Brice (he/him/his) – Prysmian

MDU

8:50 AM - 9:30 AM ET

Unlocking New Middle Mile Opportunities for ISPs and Community Networks

Location: Escambia

Moderator: Tommy Clift (he/they) – Fierce Network (Broadband Nation)

Panelist: Lori Adams (she/her/hers) – Nokia

Panelist: Tom Vito – MPV Group, LLC

Panelist: Roger Timmerman – UTOPIA Fiber

Panelist: Robin Olds – Cisco Systems

Middle Mile

8:50 AM - 9:30 AM ET

Working as a Sovereign Entity with Federal, State, and County Agencies and Suppliers

Location: Lafayette 2

Moderator: Tzeitel Buchanan (she/her/hers) – Lumen

Panelist: David B. Fein (he/him/his) – Chumash Enterprises

Panelist: Josh Snow – Trace Fiber Network

Panelist: Claudia Tarbell (she/her/hers) – Calix

Panelist: Wayne Sekaquaptewa – Hopi Telecommunications Inc

Tribal Broadband

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM ET
What are the Steps to Migrate to an Automated and AI/ML Network?

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM ET

What are the Steps to Migrate to an Automated and AI/ML Network?

Location: Lafayette 1

Host: Ken Pyle – The Broadband Forum

Speaker: Dr. Frank Effenberger – Futurewei

Speaker: Randy R. Van Buren (he/him/his) – Motive Software Solutions

Speaker: Sireesha Kora – Nokia

Speaker: Teresa McGaughey (she/her/hers) – Calix

Speaker: Leonard Ciavattone – Broadband Forum / Independent Software Consultant

8:30 AM - 12:00 PM ET
Smart Community Expo Theater

8:30 AM - 12:00 PM ET

Smart Community Expo Theater

8:30 AM - 9:10 AM ET

MDUs & Campus Environments

Moderator: Alzbeta Fellenbaum (she/her/hers) – Omdia

Panelist: Bryan J. Rader – Pavlov Media

Panelist: Michael Perry – Lightera

9:15 AM - 9:30 AM ET

Sponsor Demo

Moderator: Michael Perry – Lightera

9:40 AM - 10:20 AM ET

Connected Communities, Connected Care

Panelist: Michael D. Soileau (he/him/his) – LFT Fiber

Panelist: Tracy Doaks (she/her/hers) – MCNC

Moderator: Liz Coyne (she/her/hers) – Fierce Network

10:25 AM - 10:40 AM ET

Sponsor Demo

10:50 AM - 11:30 AM ET

Emerging Smart City Technologies

Moderator: Jeff Heynen – Dell'Oro Group

Panelist: Strider G. Denison – Cityside Fiber

Panelist: Stephen Rose – Render Networks

Panelist: Rob Laudati (he/him/his) – Render Networks

11:35 AM - 11:50 AM ET

Sponsor Demo

Sponsor Speaker: Rob Laudati (he/him/his) – Render Networks

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM ET
What Are the Considerations When Architecting a Monetized Network?

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM ET

What are the Considerations When Architecting a Monetized Network?

Location: Lafayette 1

Host: Craig Thomas (he/him/his) – The Broadband Forum

Speaker: Sonya Goodanetz (she/her/hers) – Incognito Software

Speaker: Randy R. Van Buren (he/him/his) – Motive Software Solutions

Speaker: Alzbeta Fellenbaum (she/her/hers) – Omdia

Speaker: Lynn Hall – Lynn Hall Consulting

10:00 AM - 11:45 AM ET
Telehealth & Broadband Summit: Byte a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

10:00 AM - 11:45 AM ET

Telehealth & Broadband Summit: Byte a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

10:00 AM - 10:05 AM ET

Welcome

Host: Jessica Koch (she/her/hers) – CBSOregon

10:05 AM - 10:25 AM ET

Sponsor Keynote

Speaker: Aaron T. Maguregui (he/him/his) – Foley & Lardner, LLP

Telehealth

10:25 AM - 10:50 AM ET

Fireside Chat: Connecting to Better Health Outcomes in Rural America

Moderator: Jimmy Todd – Nex-Tech

Panelist: Kevin Faughnder (he/him/his) – Norton County Hospital

Telehealth

10:50 AM - 11:20 AM ET

Panel: Fiber Diagnosis: Accessing Better Healthcare Options in America

Moderator: Caroline Stratton (she/her/hers) – Benton Institute for Broadband & Society

Panelist: Ash Brown – Adtran

Panelist: Bo Coughlin – eNCore

Panelist: Sarah Sullivan (she/her/hers) – The Broadband Council

Panelist: Pamela Sherwood (she/her/hers) – Brightspeed

Telehealth

11:20 AM - 11:45 AM ET

Fireside Chat: Deploying Medical Grade Broadband

Moderator: Tracy Doaks (she/her/hers) – MCNC

Panelist: Dr. John Graham – North Carolina Telehealth Network Association

Telehealth

11:45 AM - 11:50 AM ET

Closing Remarks

Host: Jessica Koch (she/her/hers) – CBSOregon

Telehealth

10:00 AM - 11:45 AM ET
Up Next in Broadband: Hyperscale Data Center and the Evolving Edge

10:00 AM - 11:45 AM ET

Up Next in Broadband: Hyperscale Data Center and the Evolving Edge

10:00 AM - 10:05 AM ET

Welcome

Host: Evann Freeman (he/him/his) – EPB

10:05 AM - 10:25 AM ET

Sponsor Keynote

10:25 AM - 10:50 AM ET

Fireside Chat: A Data Center Without Connectivity is an Expensive Warehouse

Moderator: Matt Vincent – Data Center Frontier

Speaker: Jeff Wabik – DC BLOX

10:50 AM - 11:20 AM ET

Panel: Data Center Innovations

Moderator: Peter Cresse – Entropy, Inc.

Panelist: Jason Eichenholz – Relativity Networks

Panelist: Augustin Marty – IQGeo

Panelist: Brent Legg – Connected Nation / IXP.us

Panelist: Ryan Punt – SDN Communications

HDC Edge

11:20 AM - 11:45 AM ET

The Future of Fiber Infrastructure in the AI Era

Speaker: Michael Dargue (he/him/his) – Cartesian

11:45 AM - 11:50 AM ET

Closing Remarks

Host: Evann Freeman (he/him/his) – EPB

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET
Broadband Policy Upload: Sustainable, Scalable Policy

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET

Broadband Policy Upload: Sustainable, Scalable Policy

10:00 AM - 10:05 AM ET

Welcome

Host: Marissa Mitrovich (she/her/hers) – FBA

Policy

10:05 AM - 10:30 AM ET

Keynote: Hyperscale Data Center Impact on Broadband Infrastructure Policy

Moderator: Tinae Bluitt – FBA

Keynote Speaker: Dan Diorio (he/him/his) – Data Center Coalition

Policy

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM ET

Fireside Chat: Autonomous Vehicles and the Information Super Highway

Moderator: Lukas Pietrzak – FBA

Panelist: Ian Clark – Beep, inc.

Policy

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM ET

Panel: Policy Imperatives Impacting Telehealth, Precision Ag, and Aging

Moderator: Chris Champion – C Spire

Panelist: Autumn Lankford Higgins – American Farm Bureau Federation

Panelist: Sara Raza – University of Washington School of Law

Panelist: Ramsey Alwin – National Council on Aging

Panelist: Aaron T. Maguregui (he/him/his) – Foley & Lardner, LLP

Policy

11:30 AM - 11:55 AM ET

Fireide Chat: Cybersecurity's New Frontier As New Communities are Connected

Moderator: Jeanne Le Delaizir (she/her/hers) – FBA

Panelist: Sascha Meinrath, Ph.D. (he/him/his) – Penn State University

Policy

11:55 AM - 12:00 PM ET

Closing Remarks

Host: Marissa Mitrovich (she/her/hers) – FBA

Policy

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM ET
Attendee Lunch

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM ET

Attendee Lunch

Location: Coastal Ballroom

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM ET
Market Focus: How Fiber Fits in Funding Valuations

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM ET

Market Focus: How Fiber Fits in Funding Valuations _{(not open to the public)}

Moderator: Jim Stegeman (he/him/his) – CostQuest

Panelist: Jon Wilkins (he/him/his) – Quadra Partners

Panelist: Danny Fuchs – HR&A Advisors

Panelist: Brian Mitchell – ITG Communications

Executive Experience

1:00 PM - 5:05 PM ET
General Session: Momentum and Scale

1:00 PM - 1:10 PM ET

Welcome to Fiber Connect Day 2

Speaker: Leo Garcia – FloridaCommerce

1:10 PM - 1:20 PM ET

Chairwomans Remarks

Speaker: Ash Brown – Adtran

1:20 PM - 1:25 PM ET

Keynote Introduction (Adtran)

Speaker: Jeremy Harris – Adtran

1:25 PM - 1:50 PM ET

Keynote 2

1:50 PM - 2:20 PM ET

Panel: Fast and Furious: Accelerating Network Deployments

Moderator: Scott Jackson – Graybar

Speaker: Bob Whitman – Corning Optical Communications

Speaker: Bo Gresham – DYCOM

Speaker: Tommy Taylor – Buckeye Broadband

Panelist: Mark Davis – Highline Fiber

2:20 PM - 2:45 PM ET

Operator Light Talk

2:45 PM - 3:15 PM ET

Panel: Groundhog Day: Managing Network Expansion and Established Network Footprints

Moderator: Kathryn de Wit (she/her/hers) – The Pew Charitable Trusts

Speaker: Michael Berry – Foam Internet

Speaker: Loren Rapp – Sumitomo Electric Lightwave

Speaker: Seth Arndorfer – Dakota Carrier Network

Speaker: David Eckard – Nokia

3:15 PM - 3:35 PM ET

Operator Light Talk

Speaker: Allyson Mitchell (she/her/hers) – Mohawk Networks

3:35 PM - 3:45 PM ET

Sip and Stretch

3:45 PM - 4:15 PM ET

Live Fiber for Breakfast

Moderator: Gary Bolton – FBA

Speaker: Josh Kim – Starfront Observatories

4:15 PM - 4:35 PM ET

Operator Light Talk

Speaker: Scott R. Hendrix (he/him/his) – Tombigbee Fiber

4:35 PM - 5:00 PM ET

Fiber Feud Finals

5:00 PM - 5:05 PM ET

Closing Remarks

2:20 PM - 2:45 PM ET
Keynote

2:20 PM - 2:45 PM ET

Keynote

Speaker: Jeffrey M. Egler – Noom

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM ET
Tribal Meet Up

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM ET

Tribal Meet Up

9:30 PM - 10:00 PM ET
BREAK

9:30 PM - 10:00 PM ET

BREAK