FULL SPRING SUMMIT SCHEDULE
All sessions subject to change.
TUESDAY
8:40 AM
KEYNOTE: Is Your Community Ready Today? Tomorrow?
Deb Socia, formerly of The Enterprise Center and Next Century Cities, followed by a fireside chat with CBAN’s Curtis Dean and Jon Willow
10:00 AM
Why Digital Adoption Matters for ISPs
- Jon Willow, CBAN
In this informative session, CBAN’s Jon Willow presents a compelling case for how ISP’s benefit from better broadband adoption and digital skills and what role they can play in helping achieve digital equity for all.
11:00 AM
Device Programs: Boosting Trust, Competence – And Providers’ Bottom Lines
- Moderator: Jon Willow, CBAN
- Tom Esselman, DEPOT-KC
- Allison Ruhl, CBAN
- Josh Butler, Human I-T (Virtual)
Study after study shows that a smart phone is not enough to fully navigate the digital world. Equipping subscribers with full-sized, work-capable devices is a win for everyone. In this session, we’ll explore how targeted device programs are helping to close the digital divide.
12:05 PM
LUNCH
Fireside chat with Christopher Mitchell, ILSR
2:30 PM
New Kids on the Community Broadband Block
- Moderator: Todd Kielkopf, KAS
- Jeremy Pearson, Fort Dodge Fiber
- Eric Lage, Waterloo Fiber
Hear from the leaders at Fort Dodge Fiber and Waterloo Fiber, Iowa’s two newest municipal broadband providers about the challenges they’ve faced and the results they’ve seen in concieving of and launching a community-owned fiber network.
2:30 PM
Open Access Networks: Many Models, One Goal
- Moderator: Kim McKinley, TAK Communications
- Kyle Box, City of Willmar, MN
- Josh Orlowitz, Director of Strategy/Planning, Bonfire Fiber
- Dan Tracy, City of Ammon, ID (virtual)
This panel brings together key innovators and implementers in the municipal broadband space to explore diverse approaches to creating accessible, community-focused internet infrastructure. This conversation will examine the various models, challenges, and successes in developing open access fiber networks that prioritize community needs, competition, and equitable digital access while working toward the shared goal of transforming local connectivity through public infrastructure.
3:20 – 5:30 PM
Exhibitor Reception
Join our conference exhibitors for networking and conversation, accompanied by light refreshments and optional bar service.
WEDNESDAY
8:40: AM
KEYNOTE: Rural Broadband Transformation
Dr. Christopher Ali, nationally-recognized expert on broadband deployment, policy and planning, is the Pioneers Chair in Telecommunications and Professor of Telecommunications in the Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State University.
From digital literacy classes to affordability programs to device access and support, communities across the country are leading the way in implementing digital equity and inclusion efforts. While they may be paving the roads of digital equity, however, communities are not in the driver’s seat when it comes to public policy. Flipping the script, and by highlighting community stories and experiences, this keynote will talk about how to elevate digital empathy and digital care from communities to policymakers and back again. A fireside chat with CBAN’s Jon Willow and Curtis Dean follows.
10:35: AM
AI for Cities and Utilities
- Presented by Aaron Santos, Simpson College Visiting Professor
- Todd Kielkopf, KAS
- Chris Draper, SafetAI
Discover the latest strategies for incorporating AI processes into municipal utility operations. This session will explore how network optimization, customer service enhancements, and employee efficiency gains can deliver significant returns on investment. Attendees will gain insights into key management considerations and early best practices for evaluating AI and related pathways.
10:35: AM
The Intersection of Big Data and Big Broadband
- Moderator: Curtis Dean
- Mike Miller, HDR
- Scott Johnson, Aureon (Invited)
- Matthew Towey, MidAmerican Energy (invited)
Join us for a panel discussion exploring how AI-driven data center growth requires high-capacity fiber, abundant power, and water resources. The panel will examine how rural broadband operators can capitalize on this expansion by leveraging their local networks, middle mile fiber capacity, and access to low-cost energy. Discover the emerging opportunities at this critical junction of digital infrastructure development and how smaller telecom providers can position themselves as valuable partners in the evolving data ecosystem.
12:05 PM
LUNCH
IAMU’s Vanguard Awards
1:20: PM
Advanced Wireless Options for Broadband Access
- Moderator: Ryan Malek, Router12
- Hongwei Zhang, ARA Wireless Living Lab, Iowa State University
- Richard Rommes, AirWireless
- Shimon Ben-Tsadik, Tarana (invited)
1:20: PM
PON Disruptors: Transforming Fiber Optic Network Architecture
- Bryan Manske, Infobunker
- Jeff Babbitt, Solution Leader, Tejas Network
- Keith Hanna, Harmonic
It’s coming! Telecommunications innovators explore the revolutionary emergence of open standards in Passive Optical Network (PON) technologies, examining how vendor-agnostic network architectures are reshaping connectivity infrastructure, breaking down traditional barriers between equipment manufacturers and network operators. Industry experts will delve into the technical challenges and unprecedented opportunities presented by interoperable fiber optic networks, discussing how open standards are driving technological innovation, reducing deployment costs, and creating more flexible, adaptable telecommunications solutions. Attendees will gain critical insights into the future of network design, understanding how these disruptive approaches are set to transform the way we conceive, build, and manage telecommunications infrastructure.
2:15: PM
Beyond the Breach: Regulations, Services, and Recovery in the Broadband Cybersecurtiy
- Moderator: TBA
- Dan Davis, Consortia Consulting
- David Hollingsworth, VP of Business, TBA
This dynamic panel brings together three unique perspectives on today’s broadband cybersecurity landscape – and outline of current compliance requirements and upcoming regulatory changes affecting broadband providers; insights on transforming security challenges into market opportunities through “cybersecurity as a service”; and insight from a provider that successfully navigated a major cyber incident. Together, these diverse experiences will equip attendees with a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory, commercial, and operational dimensions of effective cybersecurity management in today’s interconnected broadband ecosystem.
3:00 PM