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CableLabs and NCTA Smaller Market Conference 2022

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Hosted by CableLabs and NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, this Multiple System Operators-only event brings together executives and leaders – C-level, VPs, Directors, Managers – from across the spectrum of responsibilities including business strategy, technology, engineering, marketing, operations and customer experience. Topics will include current federal and state regulation and legislation affecting the smaller market operators, rural broadband, 10G roadmap as they relate to this group of operators, network evolution and planning costs – together with keynotes from influencers inside and outside the cable industry.

CableLabs and NCTA Member-Only Event

Date: June 14, 2022
Time: 8:00am – 5:15pm MDT | Includes dinner for registered in-person attendees
Attendance: In-Person and Virtual (Zoom)

Location: Embassy Suites by Hilton Boulder | 2601 Canyon Blvd, Boulder, CO

Cost:  FREE

Registration Deadline: June 8, 2022

Speakers

Agenda

    • 8:00-8:30am Breakfast
    • 8:30-8:45am Introductions and Logistics

      Speakers:
      Jeff Leget, VP, Mid-Tier Member Relations, CableLabs
      Lisa Schoenthaler, VP & Deputy Chief, External & State Legislative Affairs, NCTA
    • 8:45-10:15am Legislative and Regulatory Update

      Billions of dollars are being unleashed across all levels of government to achieve universal connectivity in the U.S. and Canada. As funding becomes available federally, in states and in localities, operators need to know the rules of the road, when maps will be completed and what our industry’s funding priorities are. Operators should know how to ensure funding is used to reach unserved communities rather than to overbuild areas where there is already robust broadband service, or where they have already committed to build or extend their networks. Policymakers also are concerned about adoption rates, especially in low-income communities, and about how to get everyone online at a time when the internet is relied upon for jobs, telehealth and education. The panel will discuss what you need to know in the context of this unprecedented funding. And, of course, we’ll touch on the hot topics we expect Congress, the FCC and states to turn to in the coming year, including digital discrimination, privacy, cyber and our perennial favorite, net neutrality.

      Moderator:
      Lisa Schoenthaler, VP & Deputy Chief, External & State Legislative Affairs, NCTA
      Speakers:
      Rick Cimerman, VP, External & State Affairs, NCTA
      Brooke Donilon, VP, Government Relations, NCTA
      Mark Walker, VP, Technology Policy, CableLabs
    • 10:15-10:45am National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC®)

      CableLabs, NCTA and NCTC interact with mid-tier and smaller operators to provide guidance and support. This conversation with go over the efforts each organization is undertaking to support members and their initiatives.

      Speakers:
      Lou Borrelli, CEO, NCTC
      Jeff Leget, VP, Mid-Tier Member Relations, CableLabs
    • 10:45-11:00am Break
    • 11:00am-12:00pm Keynote: Serving the Unserved

      The pandemic brought into focus the difference good broadband can make for working families. In her forthcoming book “Digital Invisible,” Nicol Turner Lee explores how the lack of internet is creating a new underclass. Today’s operators play a crucial role in bridging this divide and providing the tools and services to keep parents and families engaged in a transforming economy.

      Speaker:
      Dr. Nicol Turner Lee, Senior Fellow, Governance Studies, and Director, Center for Technology Innovation, Brookings Institution
    • 12:00-1:00pm Lunch
    • 1:00-1:40pm Managing the Heterogeneous Network of Today

      Operators today have a variety of tools available to them to deliver robust network services. From traditional DOCSIS® technology to PON and even fixed wireless, provisioning the last mile has now become more complicated than ever before. How are operators addressing provisioning challenges in environments that are more diverse and distributed than ever?

      Speakers:
      Kalyan Boinapalli, VP, Information Technology, Midco
      Clif Dawes, Sr. Dir. Application Development & Support, Cable One
    • 1:40-2:00pm Unique Wi-Fi Solutions in Low Income Areas

      Liberty Latin America was faced with a unique challenge: deliver an affordable connectivity product to customers in underserved areas who do not have a registered broadband account. In other words, how can Wi-Fi access be provided to low-income areas as a shared network platform without having to provision access points to each apartment. The team found a solution with NetReach, and it might provide some ideas for other situations.

      Speaker:
      Ewam de Freitas, VP, Product and Technology, Liberty Latin America
    • 2:00-2:45pm The Roadmap and Challenges of Extending the Spectrum

      The 10G Showcase demonstrated the capabilities that are coming to the HFC plant. Charter demonstrated these capabilities on a cascaded system with impressive downstream and upstream numbers. What are the challenges of upgrading and managing a 1.8 GHz plant with a mid or high split up to 600 MHz, and what is the timeline to implement these structural changes before new equipment begins to ship?

      Moderator:
      Doug Jones, Principal Architect, Wired Technology, CableLabs
      Speakers:
      Damian Poltz, SVP, Wireline Technology & Strategy, Shaw Communications
      Joel Prine, VP, Technology Strategy and Planning, CableOne/Sparklight
    • 2:45-3:00pm Break
    • 3:00-4:15pm Broadband Strategies, Investment and ROI

      Investing in tomorrow’s network means balancing today’s capital requirements against future operating expenses. There are more tools than ever from which to choose. And there are more new entrants than ever before. Both Washington and the investment community are providing some of the funding to support new network initiatives. This conversation will look at where operators are investing their resources, and how investors view and value these strategic decisions.

      Speaker:
      Jonathan Chaplin, Managing Partner, New Street Research
    • 4:15-5:00pm Technology Executive Roundtable

      Several technology executives will discuss the technology and investment conversations covered during the day and discuss how strategic decisions might be impacted by the recent 10G demonstrations. This panel will also explore the ongoing problem of hiring, training, and retaining technical talent.

      Moderator:
      Dr. Belal Hamzeh, SVP & CTO, CableLabs
      Speakers:
      Ken Johnson SVP, Technology Services, Cable One/Sparklight
      Zouheir Mansourati, Chief Technology Officer, Cogeco
      Jon Pederson, Chief Technology Innovation Officer, Midco
      Duncan Whitney, Chief Product Officer, GCI
    • 5:00-5:15pm Wrap-up

      Speakers:
      Jeff Leget, VP, Mid-Tier Member Relations, CableLabs
      Lisa Schoenthaler, VP & Deputy Chief, External & State Legislative Affairs, NCTA
    • 5:15-9:00pm Dinner
      For registered in-person attendees only.