- Series No. 10
Upstate Rural Broadband Conference
Tuesday June 28, 2022
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM [Breakfast, Lunch, + Happy Hour included]
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Binghamton
Southern Tier’s first-event broadband summit focused on critical infrastructure for the future of our region.
$65 Billion in broadband investment...
Are you ready?
What you will learn
The first-ever Upstate Rural Broadband Conference will bring together hundreds of public and private stakeholders to meet, collaborate, and plan for these unprecedented funding opportunities. In 2022, Southern Tier 8 Regional Board announced its “Project Connect,” a major initiative to connect the agency’s entire eight-county region to high-speed broadband. High-speed broadband is the critical infrastructure needed to drive major economic revitalization and a better quality-of-life in the region.
Who should attend
- Municipalities
- City, town, and community leaders
- Network operators / service providers
- Vendors and suppliers
Who should attend
- MUNICIPALITIES
- CITY, TOWN, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS
- NETWORK OPERATORS/SERVICE PROVIDERS
- VENDORS AND SUPPLIERS
Why this is important
Help build the future of New York's Southern Tier and gain insights from expert speakers! Learn more about:
- BROADBAND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
- PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS
- BUILDING COMMUNITY CAPACITY
- INNOVATIVE FUNDING MODEL
Event sessions
ARC as a Catalyst
Session 1: Breakfast Keynote
9:45 AM
Speaker: Curtis Hansen
Program Manager for Broadband @ Appalachian Regional Commission
A look back at ARC’s role in promoting broadband growth in the region, then a look forward to a post-BEAD world and how to get the most value from universal broadband.
Session 2
Panel 1: First steps in broadband planning
10:15 AM
Moderator: Heather Gold
VP, External Affairs @ Mears Construction
Panelist: Bob Knight
CEO; Board Director, American Association for Public Broadband @ Harrison Edwards
Panelist: Shane Butler
Director of Planning @ Chenango County Department of Planning & Development
Panelist: Carolyn Price
Executive Director @ Upstate New York Towns Association
Session 3
Panel 2: How to get high speed broadband to rural communities
11:30 AM
Moderator: Christopher Mitchell
Director, Community Broadband Networks Initiative @ Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR)
Panelist: Kim McKinley
Chief Marketing Officer @ UTOPIA Fiber
Panelist: Tom Coverick
Managing Director @ Keybanc Capital Markets
Panelist: Joe Stark
President & Founder @ ECC Technologies
State of the Fiber Broadband Industry
Session 4: Luncheon Keynote
12:45 PM
Speaker: Gary Bolton
CEO @ Fiber Broadband Association
We are at the beginning of the largest fiber investment cycle in history, with over $130B in Federal and State funding.
Session 5
Panel 3: Wireless, smart cities and utility poles
1:15 PM
Moderator: Jeff Gavlinski
Global Vice President of Telecom & Wireless Associations @ Plume Design
Panelist: Chris Fisher
Partner; Board of Directors, NYS Wireless Association @ Cuddy & Feder
Panelist: William Acee
Mayor @ Village of Sherbourne
Panelist: Ali Mohammed
Sr. Director Digital Innovation & Transformation @ New York Power Authority
Session 6
Networking and Happy Hour
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
In siders
Host
- Southern Tier 8 Regional Board