Upcoming event
A conversation with former FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly. Mike’s experiences at the FCC and on the Hill inform his insightful analysis of the issues of the day facing the U.S. broadband industry.
They’ll discuss issues such as the progress being made to close the digital divide through the Affordable Connectivity Program, the most current issues driving spectrum policy discussions inside the beltway, pragmatic solutions for resolving inter-agency conflicts over spectrum, top issues facing the US delegation to the upcoming World Radio Conference and more.
In 2021, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the bipartisan infrastructure bill, to rebuild and restore the nation’s critical infrastructure assets, including high-speed broadband networks. Focused on job creation, the Biden administration hopes to leverage the bipartisan infrastructure bill to create more high-wage jobs for employees without college degrees. With $65 billion allocated to broadband, the tech sector is primed for the entry of new workers.
Agenda
- Single Network Future: Supplemental Coverage from Space
Task Force and Working Group Leadership will provide updates on the progress of their respective reports; review and discuss program and policy expectations relevant to the Task Force’s duties; and continue to discuss strategies to advance broadband deployment on agricultural land and promote precision agriculture. This agenda may be modified at the discretion of the Task Force Chair and the Designated Federal Officer.
After originally launching in January 2022 only to pause for nearly one year for administrative rulemaking, Round 3 of the Connect Illinois Broadband Grant Program is reopening. The $350M round leverages a combination of state and federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to resume investment in broadband access expansion ahead of separate but complementary federal BEAD funding. Hear from Illinois Office of Broadband director Matt Schmit and his colleagues at the Illinois Broadband Lab regarding next steps for Round 3.
Join Indigenous leaders, researchers, network builders, and policy makers for workshops, lightning talks and panel discussions about the broadband challenges facing our communities, and hear directly from people doing game-changing work to advance digital equity.
Location
Embassy Suites Hotel
600 East Benson Blvd.
Anchorage, AK 99503
Over the last few years, tremendous attention has been focused on the need to address the challenges and harms created by the technology sector. Biden Administration has outlined plans for a Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, information integrity research, and new cybersecurity rules for critical infrastructure and called for new bipartisan legislation around privacy, algorithms, and tech antitrust.
On the 30th anniversary of our organization’s founding, we invite our 500+ member companies to gather in Washington, DC, to seize a $42.5 billion opportunity—the federal government’s Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. With a powerful, collective voice, we can educate Congress on our members’ vast experience serving rural and smalltown America and define how we are uniquely positioned to efficiently and effectively close the broadband availability gap. Together we can shape the future.