General Session
Wednesday, May 14, 2025

8:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Rural Broadband Provider Study

Scott Sobolewski, Innovative Systems

This presentation includes 2025 data identifying key demographic, social, and preferential tendencies of rural consumers regarding their Broadband Service Provider offerings. The study was conducted exclusively in rural marketplaces across the US with over 800 respondents and includes a benchmark In today's competitive market, maximizing Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) is essential for sustained growth and profitability. 

Maximizing ARPU

Amanda Molina, JSI

This presentation will illuminate the path to achieving this by focusing on three key strategies and highlighting the synergistic effects of these strategies to unlock the organization's full revenue potential. In today's competitive market, maximizing Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) is essential for sustained growth and profitability. This presentation will illuminate the path to achieving this by focusing on three key strategies and highlighting the synergistic effects of these strategies to unlock the organization's full revenue potential

Keynote:

Michael Perry, The Sneezing Cow

Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time: Drawing on his experiences as a Wisconsin farm kid, Wyoming ranch hand, volunteer firefighter/EMT, and bestselling author of books like "Population 485" and "Truck: A Love Story," humorist Michael Perry's has entertained thousands. Whether it's the hilarious one about the beer tent, the goofy one about the sneezing cow, or the heartfelt one about gratitude, Perry will leave you feeling like you've had a good talk with a good neighbor through an open pickup truck window.

Breakout Sessions 
Wednesday, May 14, 2025

1:30 PM - 2:20 PM

TBD

Tara Young, Calix

The Current State of Private Equity in Telecom

James King, Millennium

James King, Broadband Solutions Engineer at Millennium, will discuss the growing influence of private equity in telecom M&A. He will highlight its impact on strategic planning, network expansion, and overcoming challenges, drawing from his current reported publications and experience in large-scale

Updates on Regulatory Issues Facing the Telecom Industry

Eric Pulvamacher, Forvis Mazars

In the ever-evolving regulatory environment new and challenging issue arise. We will explore the latest regulatory challenges in the telecom industry. Including BEAD, Federal USF, National Broadband mapping and more.

Higher NOI, Faster ROI: Re-thinking MDU Deployments

Matt Glosson, Calix

MDU deployments have always been fraught with cost, complexity, and, often, a poor tenant experience that leads to high turnover. With demographic and economic shifts pushing more and more people to rent, learn how to reduce your MDU deployment and management costs, both in the initial stage and as tenants reside, and, as importantly, stay in your building.

2:20 PM - 3:20 PM

Exiting Video - Is Now the Time to Get Out of the Business?

Amanda Molina, JSI

Is the right time to exit the video business? This presentation will guide attendees through a thorough assessment of their video service's viability, providing a clear framework for making informed decision, valuable insights, and actionable strategies to navigate the complexities of the video business landscape.

Don't be a Cyber-scapegoat - Navigating Risk and Regulation for Small Business

Jacob Secor, WIN

Based on NIST's Cyber Security Framework - how do leaders address Due Diligence and Due Care in their security programs

Navigating to Success with Contribution Margin

Justin Huebner, Justin Huebner Consulting

Contribution margin is GPS for businesses. It guides expansion decisions, analyzes service lines, and maps your route to financial success. It creates a shared language for your team and demystifies accounting to achieve goals. For tomorrow's companies, margin focus is key—from customer acquisition through retention.

From Orbit to Opportunity: How Satellite Innovations and BEAD Regulations Could Impact Your FTTH Strategy

Bob Lyons, Finley Engineering

Low Earth orbit satellites revolutionized broadband connectivity. We will discuss how updated BEAD rules/regulations will affect the use of LEO, including new funding guidelines, compliance requirements, and their impact on satellite providers in bridging the digital divide. We will provide an overall perspective on how these developments affect FTTH projects, and examine if and how LEO satellites serve as a competitor, a complementary solution, or a challenge for rural broadband expansion, and what service providers should know when planning network deployments.

2:20 PM - 3:20 PM
Marketing Roundtable
Facilitator: Melissa Lease, MHT

Putting the “AI” in MAIN Street
PJ Louis, NECA

AI point-counter point discussion between PJ and a member of Alianza. 

Fixed and Fixed-wireless Convergence For Broadband Operators
Dmitri Litvine, Nokia

Modern transport and subscriber management solutions allow fixed and fixed-wireless operators to converge network environments aiming to unify service portfolio across multiple access technologies, enable automation and network programmability which translates to better security, higher availability, simplified operations as well as lower spending in both Capex and OPEX.

This session is designed to walk you through some of the broadband converged solutions and best practices as well as potential business outcomes of their implementation.

Technology Roundtable
Facilitator: Shane McCann, Marquette-Adams

General Session
Thursday, May 15

9:00 AM - 11:45AM

Hot Topics in Video
Jean Edhlund, Cooperative Network Services

Emily Call, Midwest Video Solutions

Providing a video product in today's environment can be challenging if you don't stay on top of the constant changes coming from programmers, broadcasters and streamers. Jean will provide the latest updates that affect you and your customers and offer strategies to compete in this complex space.

BEAD Update
Alyssa Kenney, PSC

Update on the Industry

Shirley Bloomfield, NTCA

Schedule subject to change.