2024 INCOMPAS Policy Summit
Tentative as of February 22, 2024
| 7:45 a.m. | Registration Open |
| 7:45 a.m. | Continental Breakfast |
| 8:00 a.m. | Welcome and Opening Remarks Chip Pickering, CEO, INCOMPAS Michael B. Galvin, Chief Administrative Officer, Granite Telecommunications, LLC and Chairman, INCOMPAS |
| 8:15 a.m. | How Networks are Incorporating AI to Optimize Innovation Across All Industries Communications technology has always evolved quickly. However artificial intelligence (AI) is moving at light speed. AI is everywhere, from optimizing the networks we build to the labs in hospitals accelerating treatment for diseases, to the farmlands in the heartland making crop production more efficient. This panel will explore the vast capabilities of AI and discuss how industry is utilizing it in their own businesses to serve as a catalyst for innovation and opportunity for all sectors of the economy. Moderator: Speakers: |
| 9:00 a.m. | Served or Unserved? The Latest on FCC Mapping, Broadband Data Collection, and the Challenge Process for BEAD Hear the latest from the FCC, NTIA and Ready.net Inc. on what’s happening at the federal level and across states regarding mapping, the location fabric, and the impact each will have on ongoing challenge process for BEAD and other broadband infrastructure programs. Panelists will provide updates on FCC’s National Broadband Map, data collection efforts and what providers should expect looking ahead to 2024. Moderator: Speakers: |
| 9:30 a.m. | Are You Broadband Ready? How to Use the Ready City Checklists $42.5 billion in BEAD funding will be awarded over the next year. This panel features an official at the Kansas Office of Broadband Development, as well as industry experts, who will share their perspectives on the latest efforts taking place across states and localities for ensuring guidelines and resources are in place to help speed up network deployments. Moderator: Speakers: |
| 10:00 a.m. | Fireside Chat Alan Davidson Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator |
| 10:30 a.m. | Building the Networks of Tomorrow – Where’s The Workforce? The networks of tomorrow cannot become a reality without a workforce to build them. While there has been needed focus on development of the existing workforce, attention is now turning to how the industry can attract new workers and train them for future needs and projected shortages through public and private partnerships. Learn about a new initiative and how it is addressing this critical need so that the country can meet its goal of internet for all. Speakers: |
| 10:50 a.m. | Morning Break Sponsored by |
| 11:00 a.m. | Bridging the Digital Divide Using All of the Tools in Our Toolkit Connectivity is the key to participating in today's world. That makes bridging the digital divide even more important to ensure everyone has affordable, stable access to the internet. It's clear there is no one-size-fits-all solution to this problem and it is going to take all kinds of technology – from fixed wireless and small cells to fiber and satellites – to connect everyone in every corner of the country. We will hear from the NTIA on how they ensure all technologies are used to bridge the divide and from industry experts who are delivering the services to achieve that goal. Speakers: |
| 11:30 a.m. | Keynote FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks |
| 11:50 a.m. | Fireside Chat Joseph Wender Capital Projects Fund Director, U.S. Treasury Department |
| 12:10 p.m. | Lunch |
| 12:30 p.m. | Reforming USF: How to Create a More Efficient and Stable Fund The Universal Service Fund (USF) is a critical FCC program that helps American communities and small businesses connect to affordable phone and broadband services. Brattle Group Principal Paroma Sanyal will explore a recent economic study on the best path forward to stabilize the USF. Then POLITICO’s John Hendel will sit down with Paroma and INCOMPAS President Angie Kronenberg to discuss how the FCC can create a more efficient and stable USF program with regard to distributing the funds and how to continue funding this critical connectivity program into the future. Moderator: Speakers: |
| 1:00 p.m. | Fireside Chat FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez |
| 1:30 p.m. | Keynote FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington |
| 1:50 p.m. | Afternoon Break |
| 2:00 p.m. | Rep. Tim Walberg |
| 2:30 p.m. | Keynote FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr |
| 3:00 p.m. | Keynote Sen. Ben Ray Lujan |
| 3:30 p.m. | Keynote Sen. Marsha Blackburn |
| 4:00 p.m. | Holding the Line: Navigating Changes to Federal Pole Attachment Rules The introduction of new federal and private funding for broadband deployment has raised the prospect of extending fixed, high-speed networks deep into unserved and underserved communities across the country. Recognizing this, the FCC has taken steps to reduce barriers to deployment including adopting a new pole attachment order in December that aims to expedite complaints, increase transparency and clarify existing rules. Utilities are now attempting to claw back some of these modest gains through the reconsideration process. In this panel, we’ll discuss the Commission’s efforts to facilitate pole attachments and talk about the utilities’ attempts to maintain the regulatory status quo. |
| 4:30 p.m. | Fireside Chat Rep. Doris Matsui |
| 5:00 p.m. | The Fight Against Illegal Robocalls and Robotexts: An Update From the Front Lines Competitive voice service providers continue to urge industry and government policymakers to adopt standardized and non-discriminatory solutions to address the ongoing threat of robocalls, including in the areas of call authentication, the transmission of accurate call data and call blocking notification. At the same time, industry is turning its attention to the problem of unwanted robotexts and how artificial intelligence could impact efforts to deter scam artists. The new year has already brought new developments in the fight against illegal robocalls and robotexts. Our panel will discuss how INCOMPAS member companies are working to solve this existential threat to our voice networks |
| 5:30 p.m. | Networking Reception |