Agenda

Attendees are encouraged to login 10 minutes prior to the start of the conference. All times listed are eastern standard time.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
NTCA Rural Broadband PAC/RTAF Present: Virtual Trivia Night
Sponsored by Molalla Communications
Want to shake the pandemic doldrums? Join NTCA Rural Broadband PAC for a fun-filled evening with District Trivia. For over a decade District Trivia has been creating entertaining experiences throughout the DC Metro area, and now they are virtually bringing their trivia “stumpers” to us. Participants will compete on teams, meet NTCA members from across the county, and possibly win bragging rights for the remainder of Fall Conference.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

BUSINESS
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield and a series of special guests bring you the latest information on workplace trends and critical strategies.
 

Greetings from the NTCA Board Chairman
Allen Hoopes, CEO/Chairman, Silver Star Communications

Broadband Market Futures
Craig Moffett, Founding Partner, MoffettNathanson
This macro view of the telecommunications industry provides an outlook on where things seem to be headed and the conditions to keep an eye on for prudent decision making.

Leading in Rural Environments
Shirley Bloomfield, CEO, NTCA
Beth Ford, CEO, Land O'Lakes
Land O’Lakes CEO Beth Ford joins Shirley Bloomfield to discuss commonalities in leadership trends across telecom and agriculture, as well as a national initiative to unify calls for broadband support in rural America.

Managing from the Middle — Supply Chain Realities
Kathryn Condello, Senior Director, National Security and Emergency Preparednesss, CenturyLink
Keith Martin, Vice President of Emerging Accounts and Distribution Channels, Corning
Michael Romano, Senior Vice President of Industry Affairs and Business Development, NTCA
Small providers faced uphill battles on the supply front before the pandemic, but now with supply chains being challenged, new challenges have surfaced. Hear about the latest realities and how best to navigate them.

Communities in Need
Chris Mitchell, Director, Community Broadband Networks Initiative, ILSR
Ernie Staten, Deputy Director of Public Service, Fairlawn OH
Kristi Westbrock, CEO, CTC
When other options were not available, some communities went the route of establishing municipality-owned broadband. Learn from what these community leaders experienced, as well as how some telcos have found successful partnership opportunities in this space.

Critical Considerations for Cyber Infosharing
Jill Canfield, Vice President of Legal, NTCA
Bob Kolasky, Assistant Director, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
Join a frank discussion on the importance of cyber information sharing within the rural broadband industry and across the larger national communications picture.

2020 Shaken Sideways — Work Smarter Not Harder
Dr. Nick Bontis, Leading Academic Researcher and Professor of Strategic Management, McMaster University
Learn how to cope with information bombardment, improve your ability to manage change, lift productivity and efficiency, and determine what action you can take to lead your team for tomorrow.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

TECHNOLOGY
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

NTCA co-hosts Brian Ford, director of industry affairs, and Josh Seidemann, vice president of policy, talk with a range of experts to explore the components that make the network work and the incredible applications that broadband connectivity enables.

Opening Remarks
Brian Ford, Director of Industry Affairs, NTCA
Josh Seidemann, Vice President of Policy, NTCA

Business as Unusual: How to Future-Proof Your Business in Transformational Times
Jack Uldrich, Global Futurist and Best-Selling Author
The pandemic has catapulted the world into a future of deep change. In this engaging, provocative, and insightful keynote session acclaimed global futurist and best-selling author Jack Uldrich discusses how the novel coronavirus is transforming the world of tomorrow and why it is accelerating many of the trends that were already at work before the epidemic.

The Five Things You Need to Know About Low Earth Orbit Broadband
Brian Ford, Director of Industry Affairs, NTCA
Alana Pilkington, Vice President of Internet Services, NRTC
Larry Thompson, CEO, Vantage Point
Hear strategies that RLECs may consider as the low earth orbit issue emerges in the marketplace.

Telehealth to the Rescue
Daphne Karpan, RN, Clinical Consultant
Josh Seidemann, Vice President of Policy, NTCA
Michelle Rathman, President, Impact! Communications
Telehealth is now center stage and the entire industry has been forced into practicing telemedicine. Learn what broadband providers need to do to position themselves to be the key link in critical collaborations with local health care providers to build a Smart Rural Community.

Offices and Schools of the Future
Camilla Formica, Chief Revenue Officer, NCTI Inc.
Kevin Kutcher, Vice President of Marketing, CHR Solutions
Brandi Lyles, Marketing Director, Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative
What changes are coming down the pike to “brick and mortar” offices and schools as they consider how to be prepared to move online? In this session, hear how Q1–3 of 2020 has changed the fabric of the workplace.

This session is brought to you by the NTCA Associate Member Advisory Council.

Precision Ag, Artificial Intelligence and 5G
Seth Arndorfer, CEO, Dakota Carrier Networks
Catherine Moyer, CEO and General Manager, Pioneer Communications
Josh Seidemann, Vice President of Policy, NTCA
The FCC has convened a Task Force to study precision agriculture. Join a discussion with NTCA members who are members of this exclusive think tank to learn more about the intersection of technology and policy that will grow the breadbasket of the world.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

ADVOCACY
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

NTCA Senior Vice President of Industry Affairs and Business Development Michael Romano is joined by some of the best minds in Washington and around the country to keep you on top of the public policy conversations vital for the future of your company.

Opening Remarks
Michael Romano, Senior Vice President of Industry Affairs and Business Development

Election Extra
Ian Swanson, Managing Editor, The Hill
It is election season. Get the most current state of affairs on the November 2020 election directly from Capitol Hill.

View from the FCC
Ajit Pai, Chairman, Federal Communications Commission
Chairman Ajit Pai offers an update on the FCC’s latest projects and initiatives affecting rural broadband providers.

Competition in Rural Broadband
Steve Coran, Communications Attorney, Lerman Senter PLLC
Brian O’Hara, Senior Director of Regulatory Issues – Telecommunications and Broadband, NRECA
Michael Romano, Senior Vice President of Industry Affairs and Business Development, NTCA
This candid discussion will help you gain an understanding of what other telecom industry segments are thinking as they consider expanding and upgrading broadband networks in rural areas

Telecom Policy 2021: What’s Next?
Jill Canfield, Vice President of Legal, NTCA
Thomas Cohen, Attorney, Kelley, Drye & Warren, LLP
Andrew Lipman, Partner, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP
One thing is for sure even in these uncertain times: Next year is just around the corner. Hear regulatory insights on what some potential future scenarios might look like and who the key players may shape up to be.

The Role of State Governments in Broadband
Chris Nelson, Public Utilities Commissioner, State of South Dakota
Leif Oveson, Vice President of Legislative Affairs
Crystal Rhoades, Commissioner, Nebraska Public Service Commission
 A discussion of how states are seeking to promote broadband deployment and the interplay of federal and state roles.