October 19 at 10:00 am PDT / 1:00 pm EDT

Billions in federal funding for broadband access is now flowing to communities to address a digital divide that, even before the pandemic, left millions of Americans offline or underserved. We need equitable solutions to deliver high-speed, widely accessible, and affordable broadband for individuals, small businesses, and the billions of devices dependent on network connectivity. Incumbent companies that have long dominated the market are facing mounting calls to close the divide or make room for new entrants. Challengers are entering the market with new technology stacks, financing structures, and innovative deployment models that can deliver faster results to formerly excluded populations. Panelists will share their visions of what connectivity will look like in 5, 10, and 15 years. They will also share how they plan to compete or partner with other providers, organizations and private capital to achieve their visions.

This session will be hosted in Citi Terrace | Elevating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Moderator

Karen Kornbluh
Founding Director, Digital Innovation and Democracy Initiative; Senior Fellow, German Marshall Fund of the US

Speakers

Robert Blaine
Senior Executive and Director, Institute for Youth, Education, and Families, National League of Cities

Marc Ganzi
President and Chief Executive Officer, Digital Bridge

David Gilford
Director of Policy and Strategic Partnerships, Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners

Joanne Hovis
President, CTC Technology & Energy

Allie Kelly
Executive Director, The Ray