Schedule

A full schedule will be published soon. Until then, check out the keynote speakers who are planning to join us and the panel discussions being planned.

Keynote Speakers: 

Sen. Michael Bennet D-Colo.	Sen. Angus King  I-Maine	Sen. Ben Luján  D-New Mexico
Sen. Rob Portman R-Ohio	Brendan Carr FCC Commissioner	Nathan Simington FCC Commissioner

Panel Discussions:

The Impact of New Federal Funding on the Broadband Industry
With the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and $65 billion total in new broadband funding, the 2022 INCOMPAS Policy Summit will feature three panels – one including NTIA and other federal agency administrators providing an overview of their new or existing broadband programs. Then, the second panel will have state and local leaders who will discuss how funding will be appropriated to the state and local level and discuss its impact on communities. And finally, the third panel offering the viewpoint of competitive broadband builders. 

• Part 1 - The Role of Federal Agencies - Federal Agencies, including NTIA, USDA, Treasury and the FCC, will be responsible for new broadband funding. This includes $42.5 billion for a new Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, which will be allocated across each state and administered through NTIA, an additional $2 billion for the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, the passage of the Digital Equity Act, $1 billion for a grant program to support deployments of middle mile infrastructure, and $2 billion going toward the USDA’s ReConnect grant program – it will be critical to better understand each of these programs, how the agency is planning to create its new rules or guidelines in the upcoming months, and how industry can do its part to ensure the timely deployment of these funds.
   
• Part 2 - The Role of the States and Local Government - With the federal government making historic investments in broadband deployment and connectivity, state and local governments will be playing an even larger role in being tasked with the allocation of new infrastructure funds, it is important to hear from representatives and local officials who are on the ground to gain a better understanding of the barriers and challenges facing many towns and cities across the country building out networks. With the potential for greater broadband expansion as a result of this funding, the panel will also share best practices and lessons learned from previous funding programs to ensure both unserved and underserved needs are being met while also working to find those necessary solutions for helping broadband providers reach more customers over the next few years. This session will be moderated by former FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, co-chair of the INCOMPAS BroadLand campaign, and feature local policy makers and experts who will discuss lessons learned and best practices for building the broadband networks of the future.
   
• Part 3 - Industry Viewpoint: Federal Broadband Funding Programs - Industry participants will discuss their view of successful prior funding models that should be considered to best "future proof" broadband network builds under new funding programs. Broadband builders will share their perspective of best practices, rules and requirements that federal and state agencies should consider as they develop  eligibility and other requirements for future funding programs.

Keys to the Condo: Unlocking Broadband Competition in Multi-tenant Environments
Over the last four years, the previous and current administrations have sought to improve competitive broadband access in multiple tenant environments. Competitive providers are routinely denied access to buildings with residential and retail tenants as a result of commercial arrangements. These include graduated revenue sharing and exclusive marketing and wiring agreements between the owners and incumbent providers that amount to an end-run around FCC regulations on exclusive access. The FCC has an open proceeding on this issue and is weighing further changes to its current rules that would prevent landlords and cable and ISPs from inhibiting tenants’ choices among providers. In this session, INCOMPAS will explore this issue, offer insight into what has made securing competition in MTEs so difficult, and offer solutions on how the FCC can fix the problem. 

USF Reform: Process, Proposals and Prospects of Moving Forward 
For 25 years, the FCC’s Universal Service Fund (USF) has ensured that all Americans have access to voice and broadband services at affordable rates and that schools and libraries are connected to broadband. However, the USF funding mechanism is under significant duress. Revenues subject to USF assessment have declined by nearly 43% in the last decade, while the contribution factor has increased from less than 13% in 2010 to a historic high of 33.4% in 2021. Assuming this trend continues, the contribution factor could approach 40% or more in the coming years. Reforming the current funding system in order to stabilize the USF is long overdue. In the fall of 2021, former FCC official and USF expert Carol Mattey published USForward, which recommends that the FCC expand the USF contribution base to include broadband internet access service revenues. INCOMPAS joined 254 organizations in a letter calling on broadband policymakers to repair the USF and implement this proposal. During this panel discussion, hear from policy experts on the need to reform the current USF framework, the USForward proposal, and the likelihood of reform at the FCC.

The STATE of Streaming
Streaming and over-the-top (OTT) services have reshaped the entertainment economy and reduced costs for small businesses looking to grow. This world of new choices, available at lower costs to consumers, has opened a new frontier for broadband builders. Bandwidth growth continues to drive the need for new, bigger, faster networks creating jobs and investment in local communities. This panel of experts will highlight the need to continue investment in streaming and OTT innovation and warn against efforts by some states to add taxes and fees to consumers that stifle innovation and the delivery of content in local markets. 

Why Wait: Unleashing the Future of 5G with 12 GHz
To experience the benefits of 5G, it is essential that the U.S. make available additional mid-band spectrum that can readily support this next-generation mobile service.  No spectrum band is more ripe for deployment than the 12 GHz band, which has 500 megahertz of spectrum under existing terrestrial licenses that could be easily modified to quickly bring 5G to market.  Our panelists will discuss the FCC’s current open proceeding on the 12.2-12.7 GHz band and how opening the band will secure America’s global leadership in 5G, protect national and economic security interests, and bolster competition and choices for consumers and businesses.