Independent Communications News - 2023 Issue 8

THE SUMMIT IS BACK IN OUR NATION'S CAPITAL! JUST IN TIME

ALPINE

MIKE

IT'S TIME TO ADDRESS EXCESSIVE POLE REPLACEMENT CHARGES BRIAN HURLEY,

COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS IS BACK IN 2023!

ACA CONNECTS SUMMIT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS: BRAVO!

PATRICIA JO BOYERS, ACAC CHAIRMAN

MESSAGE FROM JOHN

16 / A VIEW FROM THE HILL AT SUMMIT 2023

REGULATORY AFFAIRS

20 / THE TIME HAS COME FOR ACTION TO ADDRESS EXCESSIVE POLE REPLACEMENT CHARGES

REGULATORY AFFAIRS

26 / GET TO KNOW YOUR STATE BROADBAND OFFICE EARLY AND OFTEN

14 / NCTI

Invest in your Network's Future with NCTI Training

22 / NCTC

At NCTC, It's All About MORE!

30 / THE SUMMIT IS BACK IN OUR NATION'S CAPITAL! JUST IN TIME

Today's Video Ad Landscape Requires Constant Agility

28 / Power & Tel

SeeChange Helps Operators Speed Fiber Deployments as FTTx and 5G Networks Ramp

29 / Technetix

The Technetix rOLT - Great Things Come in Small Packages

23 / Viamedia 34 / SUMMIT

ALPINE GROUP

training for E VERY operator. T O PT I ER

A Big Win on Retransmission Consent

By Grant Spellmeyer

ACA Connects President & CEO

As is news to none of you, 2023 is a retransmission consent agreement renewal year. Beyond the customary renegotiation drudgery, many of you are apprehensive about the process given the continued skyrocketing trajectory of retransmission consent rates. While such apprehension is, unfortunately, well-founded, a recent development provides a glimmer of hope on the never quiet retransmission consent front.

Just a few days before the start of my first ACA Connects Summit as the organization’s new leader, the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Media Bureau designated for hearing Standard General’s proposed purchase of TEGNA. It’s a big win for ACA Connects Members concerned about retransmission consent.

By way of brief background, the proposed purchase was complicated by Standard General’s financing plan: Cox Media proposed to finance the deal in exchange for non-voting equity in TEGNA. It proposed to do so, moreover, through a complicated series of station swaps among the three parties (Standard General, TEGNA, and Cox Media).

ACA Connects - through the American Television Alliance - told the FCC that this complicated structure raised two concerns. First, it would raise retransmission consent prices immediately due to the way the parties engineered the deal to take advantage of “after-acquired station clauses.” Briefly, the parties arranged the station swaps so that, for many cable operators, less expensive TEGNA rates would “reset” to more expensive Cox Media rates. Second, the structure would permit TEGNA and Cox Media - who are supposed to compete with one another - to collude on future retransmission consent rates.

The Media Bureau agreed with these concerns, and directed an Administrative

Grant Spellmeyer

"THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION’S MEDIA BUREAU DESIGNATED FOR HEARING STANDARD GENERAL’S PROPOSED PURCHASE OF TEGNA. IT’S A BIG WIN FOR ACA CONNECTS MEMBERS CONCERNED ABOUT RETRANSMISSION CONSENT."

Law Judge within the agency to hold a hearing to determine the facts related to retransmission consent (among other issues).

Two things stand out regarding the Media Bureau’s designation of the proposed purchase for hearing.

First, the FCC, at long last, is taking a hard look at afteracquired station clauses, how broadcasters engineer transactions to raise prices via such clauses, and how broadcasters obtain the information to engage in such engineering in the first place. ACA Connects first sounded the alarm about this in 2015, and we’re gratified that the FCC has agreed with us.

As of this writing, the merger proponents continue to fight the hearing designation. In my view, the most they can achieve is rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

So, this is cause for celebration. It’s been a little while since the FCC has taken a stand on retransmission consent issues. Now it has. And I commend it for having done so. ■

Second, and perhaps more importantly, the FCC has acknowledged once and for all that retransmission consent remains an important part of its merger analysis. Some - including the broadcast industry - have suggested that this is new and unprecedented. This is wrong.

The FCC has always looked to see if a proposed merger would cause higher consumer prices. This goes for retransmission consent fees as much as for any other kind of price increases. In a few prior cases, the FCC has (wrongly, in my view) found that a particular transaction did not cause consumer price increases. But there has never been a “retransmission consent exception” to the basic rule that, if a merger causes higher prices, that’s a bad thing.

"THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A 'RETRANSMISSION CONSENT EXCEPTION' TO THE BASIC RULE THAT, IF A MERGER CAUSES HIGHER PRICES, THAT’S A BAD THING."

"ACA CONNECTS FIRST SOUNDED THE ALARM ABOUT THIS IN 2015, AND WE’RE GRATIFIED THAT THE FCC HAS AGREED WITH US."

Grant Spellmeyer serves as President and CEO of ACA Connects. Grant oversees the daily operations and affairs of ACA Connects-America’s Communications Association.

Is That Light at the End of the Retrans Tunnel?

By Ted Hearn

ACA Connects VP of Communications

Did retrans just stop a TV station merger?

As you know, ACA Connects has sought retransmission consent reform for many years, locking arms with our multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) brethren at the American Television Alliance (ATVA) in search of new, consumer-friendly rules. That effort is starting to yield big dividends.

In the new issue of Independent Communications News (ICN), via an article penned by ACA Connects President and CEO Grant Spellmeyer, you will see a discussion about the Federal Communications Commission’s review of Standard General’s attempt to acquire another TV station owner - TEGNA - with

the financial assistance of Apollo Global Management, a private equity firm which in turn owns a majority stake in TV station owner Cox Media Group.

As Grant explains, this transaction, notable for its complexity, has not been approved. FCC staff has raised concerns that the deal would increase retrans fees passed along to pay-TV consumers as a result of price escalators in after-acquired clauses contained in pre-existing retrans deals. It’s been a long struggle. Maybe there is a light at the end of the retrans tunnel after all.

Hope you made it to the ACA Connects Summit, our first to be held in-person since 2019. If not,

don’t miss the wonderful Summit overview article by ACA Connects Chairman Patricia Jo Boyers, who called the Feb. 28-March 2 event “fun, productive, and educational. It was a special moment to hug old friends and make new ones with all those rookie Summit attendees. Forty percent were first timers!”

FYI: The dates for the 2024 Summit are March 5-7 at the same Grand Hyatt Washington hotel.

For 2025: March 4-6, Grand Hyatt Washington.

For 2026: March 3-5, Grand Hyatt Washington.

In his ICN article, John Higginbotham, ACAC’s EVP & COO, makes a great point about the importance of Summit attendees

visiting with members of Congress. “For those who haven’t had the opportunity to attend in the past, ACA Connects makes this really easy for you to participate in talking with your Congressmen and Senators.” For instance, ACA Connects schedules the meetings and provides the bus to Capitol Hill.

Alpine Group Vice President Curtis Philp, in his ICN contribution, reinforces John’s point about personal contact on Capitol Hill, stressing “how important it is for constituents to engage with their elected officials in Washington, D.C., and how effective that extra step and industry expertise can be on the issues that impact broadband providers most.”

Other must-reads in this issue of ICN include a piece on developments in pole attachment regulation by ACAC’s Chief Regulatory Counsel Brian Hurley, who notes that broadband deployment could be put at risk if investor-owned utilities are not blocked from seeking excessive fees. “Many ACA Connects Members have raised concerns about excessive pole replacement costs inhibiting their deployments,” Brian adds.

And ACAC’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Mike Jacobs urges ACA Connects Members “to elevate your involvement with the broadband office leaders in the States where you operate,” adding that in-person meetings are the most effective.

Our thanks once again for ICN contributions from our Associate Member Program (AMP) participants: NCTI, Power & Tel, Technetix and Viamedia.

Also, a big thank you to Lou Borrelli, CEO of the National Content & Technology Cooperative (NCTC), for his industry outlook for the balance of 2023.

Once again, this issue of ICN looks so classy and stylish because of the design brilliance of Nathan Penrod, ACAC’s Digital Media Specialist, and the flawless planning skills of Stacey Leech, ACAC’s Senior Director of Events & Industry Affairs. ICN would not be the same without them.

Enjoy your new ICN! ■

Ted Hearn is Vice President of Communications of ACA Connects. He is responsible for interacting with media representatives as well as preparing and distributing nearly all ACA Connects external communications. These communications include: Press releases, statements, speeches, the ACAC Daily Media Sweep, and the biweekly ACAction Brief.

Publisher John Higginbotham 502.330.4057

jhigginbotham@acaconnects.org

Editor Ted Hearn 202.713.0826

thearn@acaconnects.org

Advertising/Business Stacey Leech 724.971.6388 stacey.leech@acaconnects.org

Creative Director Nathan Penrod 412.715.2494 npenrod@acaconnects.org

Subscriptions aca@acaconnects.org

ACA CONNECTS STAFF

President & CEO

Grant Spellmeyer

Assistant to the President & CEO

Tomeika Slappy

EVP & COO

John Higginbotham

VP Communications

Ted Hearn

Chief Regulatory Counsel

Brian Hurley

VP Regulatory Affairs

Mike Jacobs

Sr. Director of Administration and Finance

Karen Yochum

Sr. Director of Meetings/Industry Affairs

Stacey Leech

Grassroots Manager

Caroline Persinger

Digital Media Specialist

Nathan Penrod

Thank You to Our #Summit2023

Attendees!

By Stacey Leech

ACA Connects Sr. Director of Meetings & Industry Affairs

As we wrap-up the final items and close the books on ACA Connects #Summit2023, we would be remiss in not thanking our attendees for joining us in Washington, D.C! After a four-year in-person hiatus, we welcomed 250 ACA Connects operators, vendor partners, industry professionals and press contacts back to the Grand Hyatt Washington for our signature event.

And if that wasn’t reason enough to celebrate, this year happened to be the 30th anniversary of our association! Our speaker lineup was first rate, with a few familiar faces like former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, former FCC Acting Chair Mignon Clyburn and industry analyst Blair Levin. Firsttime Summit speakers -- including State Broadband Leaders from Georgia, Pennsylvania and Virginia, NTIA Associate Administrator Doug Kinkoph, Treasury's Capital Projects Fund Director Joseph Wender, and Calix CEO Michael Weening -- did not disappoint! Two sitting FCC Commissioners, Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington, as well as U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján, also took the stage to share their insights.

Here are a few more interesting things of note about #Summit2023:

• This year 40% of attendees were first-timers, a record!

• Attendees visited 85 Congressional offices – 44 in the House and 41 in the Senate!

• We had 23 Priority Meetings with key Senate offices!

• 75% of operator attendees lobbied – and 19 attendees visited Capitol Hill for the first time!

• More than 50% of operator attendees had C-level, SVP, EVP or VP titles!

• More than 30 AMP23 vendor companies joined us this year – and some vendors even lobbied with us!

Thinking about joining us next year?

We’ve already announced dates for #Summit2024! Mark your calendars for March 5-7 at the Grand Hyatt Washington.

Registration details, sponsorship opportunities and exhibit information will be coming late this summer, so make sure to watch your inbox and plan to join us at next year’s Summit! ■

A bustling Exhibit Hall at Summit 2023 at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C.

Stacey Leech is ACA Connects Senior Director of Events & Industry Affairs. She serves as the liaison between the association and ACA Connects AMP vendor partners. Stacey works to develop marketing plans that maximize membership benefits and leverage sponsorship opportunities.

Thank You

TO OUR SUMMIT VENDOR PARTNERS

The ACA Connects Summit Was a Huge Success: Bravo!

By Patricia Jo Boyers

ACA Connects Chairman

Just a few short weeks ago, ACA Connects celebrated its 30th anniversary. Appropriately, we took time out to honor our heritage and heroes, to recognize our team achievements and to welcome our new President and CEO Grant Spellmeyer, who is just the second person to hold that title in three decades. This only serves to underscore the importance I place in leadership continuity amid so much dynamic change going on in our video and broadband businesses.

Let me tell it to you straight. I think our 2023 Summit – the first one to be held in-person since 2019 – was a huge success. It was fun, productive, and educational. It was a special moment to hug old friends and make new ones with all those rookie Summit attendees. Forty percent were first timers!

Importantly, the Summit set the stage for the challenges we know we will face the rest of this year and perhaps for many years to come.

Judging from the media coverage, I

would say we were accurately portrayed as a united association with clear goals and a desire to build strong relationships in Washington, D.C., as THE PREMIER THOUGHT LEADER with lawmakers and regulators who are involved in the issues we care about so deeply.

There are tons of folks to thank, but I wanted to give a special shoutout to a few of them here: U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, who is Chairman of the Senate Communications, Media, and Broadband Subcommittee, and FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington. You were amazing! Thanks for coming!

Along with scores of ACA Connects Members, I spent all day March 2 on Capitol Hill in meetings on the Senate side while others on Team ACAC canvassed House offices. With so much ACA Connects manpower deployed, I know we got our message out on our key issues, such as:

• Government funding of broadband overbuilding is wasteful and counterproductive;

• A competitive broadband market exists, nurtured by balanced regulation that should be perpetuated rather than abandoned;

• Barriers to deployment -- including speedy access to rights-of-way and utility poles -- need to be removed to maximize government funding to deliver broadband to the unserved and underserved;

• Funding of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) -- which is keeping 50 million low-income Americans connected to broadband Internet service – should be extended; and

• Repeal or Reform of runaway retransmission consent fees, which our customers find intolerable!

In my discussions on Capitol Hill, I prefer to keep it simple. I like to note that during the pandemic, broadband was recognized as the indispensable technology that kept our great country working, learning, and

ACAC Chairman Patricia Jo Boyers handing Pat Thompson the "Above and Beyond Award" during the 30th Anniversary Celebration dinner on February 28, 2023 in Washington, D.C.

communicating. I like to see the faces light up when I say, “No broadband, no Netflix. No broadband, no Facebook. No broadband, no Amazon.”

In that context, we are seen as engines of progress and pioneers of change who saw the future by investing in our broadband networks.

Tremendous job y'all! It is an honor to be your Chairman!

Finally, some closing comments on a great patron & pioneer…

At ACA Connects’ 30th Anniversary dinner on Feb. 28 in Washington, D.C., we said farewell to Pat Thompson, the longest-serving member of our Board of Directors. For her 27 years of service to ACA Connects, we presented Pat with our “Above and Beyond Award.” It’s a nice piece of hardware for sure, but it does not begin to do justice to Pat’s wonderful career as a trusted cable broker or to her inspired service to ACA Connects.

Let me repeat here what I said that night: “Pat is stepping down from her active position as an Associate Board member of ACA Connects, but she is not getting out of this so easy! The executive board members of ACA Connects have designated Pat Thompson as a permanent Honorary Board member of ACA Connects, and she shall serve in that capacity in perpetuity. We expect to see her smiling face at every board meeting that she can attend!”

Thank you, Pat! You have earned the deep and abiding respect of YOUR Industry & my undying love of a great friend and mentor! Salute! ■

Patricia Jo Boyers is President and CEO of BOYCOM Vision located in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington and ACA Connects Chairman Patricia Jo Boyers on stage at Summit 2023.

From left: NCTC CEO Lou Borrelli, ACAC Chairman Patricia Jo Boyers, and ACAC President & CEO Grant Spellmeyer chatting between congressional meetings.

U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján and ACA Connects Chairman Patricia Jo Boyers backstage at Summit 2023.

Invest in your Network's Future with NCTI Training

By Von McConnell

Broadband Subject Matter Expert, NCTI

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With wireless becoming evermore prominent in traditional wireline networks, NCTI now offers over 65 online courses and 170+ micro-learning modules on 4G and 5G wireless topics. The 5G and Essential Technologies course package covers deployment strategies, detailed technology explanations covering the 3GPP standards Release 8 – 17, and other essential topics. This is the same training used by Tier 1 service providers globally, and now NCTI is bringing it to independent operators with package and pricing options to fit any size budget.

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Don’t get overwhelmed trying to keep up with the latest network trends while fending off competitors and keeping customers happy. A well-trained workforce lets you face the future confidently, with the expertise you need to craft a solid network evolution strategy.

Whether you're looking to become a wireless guru, or just need to get your techs up to speed on the latest advancements in the industry, NCTI has you covered with the best training available, delivered through our learnanywhere platform, Amp. Visit ncti. com or email sales@ncti.com to learn more. ■

Von McConnell

A View from The Hill at Summit 2023

By John Higginbotham ACA Connects EVP & COO

I don’t know about you but in the last few months, it seems that ACA Connects Members are ready to get back to attending conferences and trade shows as we did prepandemic. I can’t tell you how excited the ACA Connects staff was to see all of you in Washington, D.C., for Summit 2023. And evidenced by the turnout of more first-time attendees in more than a decade, the Summit was a special moment for everyone to have a great time celebrating 30 years of ACA Connects. It sure seemed that way to me judging from the wonderful

dinner held the first night of the event at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, where we honored ACA Connects’ proud heritage and promising future.

A big part of any Summit schedule is the Hill visits to the offices of your Members of Congress. For those who haven’t had the opportunity to attend in the past, ACA Connects makes this really easy for you to participate in talking with your Representatives and Senators. We schedule the meeting with the office, pair you with ACAC Members in your district/

state; provide you with the talking points we covered in a session the previous day; and we bus you to Capitol Hill to begin your day.

We usually identify a leader for each office visit (a veteran of Hill visits to help get the conversation stated); and the rest is fairly easy: talking about your system, who and where you serve, and relating the talking points to your particular business. A few minutes later the meeting concludes, a few photos are snapped and you’re on your way to the next meeting.

For Summit 2023, ACAC was successful in scheduling more than 25 meetings with Senate Commerce Committee Offices; that’s significantly more than in Summits

past. With Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program funding in the billions on everyone’s mind, hammering home the issues we care about in the offices which have the most influence on these issues will pay dividends in the coming months.

My group of Member companies, along with my good friend Lisa Hood, NCTC’s COO, had great meetings with U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee; and with the staff at the offices of U.S. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia; U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire; and U.S. Senator Katie Britt of Alabama. All of these offices were interested in our topics and ideas on BEAD funding and the continuation of

"FOR SUMMIT 2023, ACAC WAS SUCCESSFUL IN SCHEDULING MORE THAN 25 MEETINGS WITH SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE OFFICES"

the Affordable Connectivity Program.

By now you’ve read in other parts of this issue of ICN that plans are already underway for Summit 2024, March 5-7, 2024 at the Grand Hyatt Washington in D.C. By then, BEAD

funding will have been pushed to the States; we might have a fifth Commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission; and we will be just eight months from the 2024 election. It’ll be a Summit you won’t want to miss and I can assure you, it’ll be worth your time to join us in D.C.

I look forward to seeing many of you this Summer in Minneapolis at the Independent Show. Take care, JH. ■

From left: John Higginbotham, ACA Connects; Marie Censoplano, Vyve Broadband; Lisa Hood, NCTC; Mark McHale, Ritter Communications; Leonard Cody, Cable Options; Ariane Schaffer, Google Fiber.

From left: Geoff Shook, Buckeye Broadband; Ariane Schaffer, Google Fiber; Leonard Cody, Cable Options; Jodi Miehls, Block Communications.

From left: Ariane Schaffer, Google Fiber; Leonard Cody, Cable Options; Lisa Hood, NCTC; Mark McHale, Ritter Communications; and Marie Censoplano, Vyve Broadband.

"PLANS ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY FOR SUMMIT 2023, MARCH 5-7, 2024 AT THE GRAND HYATT WASHINGTON IN D.C."

John Higginbotham is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of ACA Connects.

ACA Connects celebrated its 30th Anniversary with a special dinner at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

2023 Community Champions Contest Now Accepting Nominations

By Stacey Leech

ACA Connects Sr. Director of Meetings & Industry

In 2022, ACA Connects was pleased to honor Vexus Fiber as the recipient of the first Community Champions Award! The company’s Abilene, Texas, service project, Helping to Build Better Communities, was focused on employees volunteering their time and resources to help collect food and clothing, raise funds, and advocate for local non-profits that serve their community. As the contest winner, Vexus Fiber was presented with a $2,500 check to help continue these important efforts!

But now it’s a new year and a new contest! ACA Connects operator members are encouraged to nominate their community service project for the 2023 award! The process is quick and easy! Simply complete the online form and attach a picture or two! Submissions will be taken through Thursday, August 31, 2023 and will be included in one of the next two issues of ICN. Beginning in mid-September, visitors to the Community Champions page can vote for a winner of the 2023 award.

At ACA Connects, we are proud to represent such a wonderful group of companies who see the value of investing in their communities and lifting up their neighbors. We’re excited to see the innovative and unique projects our members have developed in an effort to give back! Nominate your company’s project today! ■

From left: Vexus Fiber CFO Keith Davidson, Vexus Fiber EVP & COO Larry Eby, Vexus Fiber VP of Sales & Marketing Kyle Alcorn, Vexus Fiber President & CEO Jim Gleason, ACAC Chairman Patricia Jo Boyers, and Vexus Fiber Compliance Officer Robin Davidson.

Stacey Leech is ACA Connects Senior Director of Events & Industry Affairs. She serves as the liaison between the association and ACA Connects AMP vendor partners. Stacey works to develop marketing plans that maximize membership benefits and leverage sponsorship opportunities.

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The Time Has Come for Action to Address Excessive Pole Replacement Charges

By Brian Hurley ACA Connects Chief Regulatory Counsel

Congress passed a law in 1978 addressing pole attachments. But, getting access continues to pose challenges for ACA Connects Members, requiring further action by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

As ACA Connects Members upgrade and extend their networks into new areas, they often encounter decades-old utility poles that must be replaced to make way for their attachments. The question then becomes: Who pays to replace these poles? The utility pole owner may

agree to shoulder the costs if a pole has been “red-tagged” and placed on a replacement schedule. But far too often, investor-owned utilities (IOUs) demand that requesting attachers pay 100% of these costs, even when a pole is close to the end of its useful life. In this all-toocommon scenario, the utility pole owner receives a new asset, as well as additional pole capacity it can rent out to other attachers or use for its own purposes—all without paying a dime.

If you think that practice sounds

unfair, irrational, and contrary to the goal of promoting ubiquitous broadband deployment, you are not alone. Many ACA Connects Members have raised concerns about excessive pole replacement costs inhibiting their deployments.

In our Members’ experience, IOUs often take advantage of pole attachment requests as a convenient opportunity to shift the costs of maintaining their aging infrastructure to a third party. As a condition of getting the pole access they need to extend service to rural and other areas, ACA Connects Members have been asked to foot the bill to swap out poles that have long outlived their useful life and that the IOU should have replaced years earlier in the normal course of business.

When these pole replacements occur, the IOU clearly benefits. They get a newer, more modern pole, which likely comes with lower maintenance costs and enhanced opportunities to generate revenue. And of course, they avoid the cost of replacing the older pole at some point in the future.

These costs are not trivial. For instance, one Member reported that it was assessed about $38,000 in total make-ready costs for one application covering thirty-nine poles, virtually all of which stemmed from the costs of replacing five of

"ACA CONNECTS MEMBERS HAVE BEEN ASKED TO FOOT THE BILL TO SWAP OUT POLES THAT HAVE LONG OUTLIVED THEIR USEFUL LIFE AND THAT THE IOU SHOULD HAVE REPLACED YEARS EARLIER"

the poles at over $7,000 per pole. Per-pole replacement costs are often even higher than that; Members have reported that some utilities charge $8,000-$10,000 per pole and sometimes almost $20,000 per pole. Excessive pole replacement fees have sometimes caused ACAC Members to pursue alternative deployment options, such as undergrounding. In the worst cases, they will scrap a build entirely.

These problems will get only worse as tens of billions of Federal dollars are unleashed to support broadband deployments in unserved and underserved areas. Fortunately, the FCC has taken an interest in the problem, opening a proceeding last year that seeks comment on a fairer approach. In both written filings and meetings with staff, ACA Connects has urged the FCC to adopt rules that ensure pole replacement costs are allocated proportionately among all parties that benefit, including the IOU pole owner.

The FCC can help ensure these deployments go smoothly by adopting rules clarifying that all parties that benefit from pole replacements - including the pole owner - must share proportionately in the costs. But if we are to get the FCC to act, it is important that the agency understand the full scope of the problem. To that end, ACA Connects is interested in hearing from any Members that have encountered excessively high pole replacement costs or related challenges when deploying broadband.

As our Members build out networks to help close the digital divide and bring competition to other areas, ACA Connects is working hard to remove deployment barriers – such as unreasonable pole replacement fees – that too often stand in the way. ■

Brian Hurley is Chief Regulatory Counsel for ACA Connects. He leads ACA Connects’ advocacy at the Federal Communications Commission in a wide variety of regulatory proceedings—on broadband deployment and adoption, public safety, robocalls, and more.

"THE FCC CAN HELP ENSURE THESE DEPLOYMENTS GO SMOOTHLY BY ADOPTING RULES CLARIFYING THAT ALL PARTIES THAT BENEFIT FROM POLE REPLACEMENTSINCLUDING THE POLE OWNERMUST SHARE PROPORTIONATELY IN THE COSTS. "

"MEMBERS HAVE REPORTED THAT SOME UTILITIES CHARGE $8,000$10,000 PER POLE AND SOMETIMES ALMOST $20,000 PER POLE. "

At NCTC, It's All About MORE!

By Lou Borrelli

CEO, National Content & Technology Cooperative

Spring has sprung, and so have the National Content & Technology Cooperative’s (NCTC) key initiatives and events! It was good to see members at the first NCTC regional meeting for 2023 in Charlotte, NC. The turnout was our largest regional meeting yet, and we aren’t stopping there. We have two more planned for 2023 - Philadelphia, PA, on April 13 and 14, which is dedicated to MVNO, and then our Overland Park, KS, meeting on May 10. Watch your email for more information on how to register.

Innovators Group pre-party on Saturday, July 29. Early bird registration starts in April, so make sure you register early, as these seats fill up fast.

But wait, there’s MORE! We are bringing back the Winter Educational Conference! Mark your calendars for WEC on February 25 to 27, 2024, at The Red Rocks Casino & Resort in Las Vegas, NV. This show is back and more exciting than ever, with a strategic focus on Technology, Product Innovation, and much MORE!

I also want to take a moment

you did not know, the late Mike Pandzik was NCTC’s founding CEO and served for 20 years in that position. This scholarship in honor of Mike’s legacy pays for trip expenses, so members like you can MORE! easily attend key NCTC events. Please check your email for MORE! information and how to apply. And please, DO APPLY- we want you to take advantage of this opportunity!

Our annual 2023 Independent Show will be here before you know it - it’s July 30 to August 2 in Minneapolis, MN, and you are in for a treat. The show will have more options than ever for members, including more sessions, exhibit hall hours, networking time, policy talks, and you get the idea just plain MORE! You don’t want to miss our new pre-conference sessions and the Marketing

to discuss our 2023 goal of increasing member engagement through our events and key programs. We want to see and hear from you! We understand some members have difficulty leaving their businesses for our events because of budget constraints, resources, and other factors. That is why we created the Mike Pandzik NCTC Member Scholarship Program. In case

Finally, NCTC will launch a new website in March. We heard member feedback on usability, information that is important to you, and just making it easier to find what you are looking for. The new website includes a memberspecific customized dashboard containing information relevant to you and shortcuts to NCTC information areas you regularly engage with. It couldn’t be easier to find MORE! information on demand, and it’s another way we are trying to increase member engagement.

We look forward to seeing you at our events and engaging with you in exciting new ways. As always, we are STRONGER TOGETHER! ■

Lou Borrelli

Today’s Video Ad Landscape Requires Constant Agility

By David Solomon

President & CEO, Viamedia

As ACA Connects, citing FCC data, has noted, U.S. fixed broadband competition is thriving and only promises continued growth.

This growth brings growing regulatory oversight, with common-carrier-style regulation, among other burdens, on fixed broadband providers. Combine these with growing cost burdens and it’s clear small and midsized operators must become increasingly nimble to navigate the new landscape.

Viamedia traditionally has been associated largely with advertising-representation services. The overall videoad landscape remains healthy especially for political advertising -- which posted another dramatic record last year for us and our clients, on both linear and digital platforms. Yet we find our resources increasingly devoted to helping clients navigate the new cost challenges… to help them “roll with the punches.”

For example, in 2022 we signed partnerships and expanded advertising sales representation with 11 new service providers -- political ad dollars were an inducement, but we found our managed services offering made arguably the biggest difference.

These services leverage the latest in ad-tech support, including a full-stack platform with fullservice ad tech representation for inventory, operational execution and advanced advertising

capabilities.

Like the regulatory and programming landscapes, the ad-tech landscape is complex; we find more MVPDs seeking a reliable partner to help steer around these shoals. Preferring to focus on their in-house sales efforts, they embrace help in managing backend operations, including technical integration, ad insertion gear management, video encoding, sales automation, order management, scheduling, billing services, and reporting.

Did I mention analytics? This winter we’ve seen a flurry not so much of snow as of pronouncements of new measurement solutions! Our focus increasingly includes helping clients navigate this complex measurement landscape; we’ve been working to help develop greater transparency, reporting and insights than previously offered in the local marketplace.

Bottom line, ad-monetization solutions, whether to cable, telco, and/or OTT/ premium video providers -- no longer can rest on traditional ad-sales representation services. Leveraging technology delivers cost savings while providing resources to maximize monetization of inventory with minimal cap-ex.

Throughout 2022, Viamedia expanded its managed services with seven service providers in markets nationwide -- some continuing traditional linear sales and some offering both impression

and impression-converted inventory.

Brian Bissonette of Minnesota’s Paul Bunyan Communications tells us that our managed services solution “completely takes care of” his firm’s backend operations, “reducing risk and increasing our efficiency,” and “has allowed us to reduce opportunity costs and overall improve our sales metrics.”

Harvey Couch of Kentucky’s Frankfort Plant Board tells us these services have “allowed us to maximize efficiency of all operations so we can focus on providing our community with the best services and customer support.”

While pundits ring the death knell for all forms of linear TV, we’ve just come off a year remarkable for strengthening Viamedia’s existing partnerships and establishing new ones. And despite the need to navigate a seemingly endless onslaught of cost pressures, we’ve found plenty of reason for optimism for the industry going forward. ■

Gold Member

David Solomon

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Broadcast retransmission consent and satellite content agreements

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System acquisitions, sales, due diligence and financing

Operational contracts, negotiations and disputes

Regulatory and copyright compliance

Video planning and strategy (carriage obligations, channel lineups, skinny bundles, etc.)

Get to Know Your State Broadband Office Early and Often

By Mike Jacobs

ACA Connects Vice President of Regulatory Affairs

The saying goes that “all politics is local.” In 2023, the adage applies equally to broadband deployment and adoption subsidies.

The $65 billion Congress appropriated to make broadband a truly universal service is unprecedented both in its amount and in the role accorded to States and Territories to distribute funds for projects within their borders. These realities have led ACA Connects over the past year to escalate considerably our interface with State broadband leaders, as well as our tracking of State activities, for instance via the BEAD and ARPA Tracker Clearinghouse Pages on ACA Connects’ website.

If you haven’t already, you too should elevate your involvement with the broadband office leaders in the States where you operate.

While it may not always be a good thing to be on a firstname basis with State government officials, in this case it is. Having now moderated panels featuring six State broadband

leaders, what I have heard unanimously is that these leaders want to hear from you.

Some are keenly aware of those of you who have been serving your local communities for decades. Others can only count in weeks their tenure in their positions. But all recognize that their successes will be measured by pushing their allotted funds out the door to projects that meet local broadband deployment and/ or adoption needs, and that a prerequisite for successful outcomes is designing their programs in a way that incents providers to participate. That’s where you come in.

I have gleaned the following from these State broadband leaders on how to approach them effectively:

• It is true that each State and Territory is its own individual and unique entity, and messaging to its broadband leader should be targeted to the State/Territory's particular needs and circumstances. With that said, State and Territory broadband

From left: Mike Jacobs, ACA Connects VP of Regulatory Affairs, Brandon Carson, Pennyslvana Broadband Dev. Authority Executive Director; Dr. Tamarah Holmes, Virginia Department of Housing & Community Dev. Director of Broadband; and Josh Hildebrandt, Georgia Technology Authority Director of Broadband Initiatives.

"ELEVATE YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE BROADBAND OFFICE LEADERS IN THE STATES WHERE YOU OPERATE."

leaders meet frequently to share ideas and approaches. State broadband leaders on my panel at the recent ACA Connects Summit expressed that, in designing their BEAD implementation plans, they not only want to hear from providers about providers’ experiences with Capital Projects Fund (CPF) implementation in their own States, they also want to hear from providers about lessons learned from CPF implementation in other States.

• Relatedly, State broadband leaders not only discuss funding program implementation, they also share their experiences with particular providers, good or bad. In other words, always approach them with integrity, and even when decisions appear to be heading not your way, be steadfast in your advocacy without pounding the table or treating them as foes.

• As articulated by one State broadband leader, “overcommunication is good.” In-person meetings are most effective. Next most-effective is phone calls. Regardless of which method you pursue, pleasant persistence allowing for reasonable response times is good; gratuitous “fire drills” and hounding are not.

• Support your assertions with data. But remember that not all State broadband leaders are statistical experts and several are still ramping up in their positions, so be prepared and amenable to explain the data at a fundamental level.

In sum, whether to protect your service areas from overbuilding, or to seize upon the potential to leverage historic subsidy amounts to expand your networks (or both), as longtime service providers in the State(s) in which you operate, you are well poised to have an influential voice with your State broadband leaders. Seize the day! ■

Mike Jacobs is Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for ACA Connects. He represents smalland medium-sized broadband, video, and voice providers before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and other federal agencies.

"THE $65 BILLION CONGRESS APPROPRIATED TO MAKE BROADBAND A TRULY UNIVERSAL SERVICE IS UNPRECEDENTED BOTH IN ITS AMOUNT AND IN THE ROLE ACCORDED TO STATES AND TERRITORIES TO DISTRIBUTE FUNDS FOR PROJECTS WITHIN THEIR BORDERS."

SeeChange Helps Operators Speed Fiber Deployments as FTTx and 5G Networks Ramp

By Stephen Signaigo

Sr. Product Manager, Power & Tel

Clearfield announced this month the new SeeChange product launch. The small, craft-friendly, carriergrade access terminal is ideal for any fiber network deployment requiring a plug-and-play approach. Purposebuilt as a commercially-off-the-shelf option for community broadband and 5G network operators looking to overcome industry-wide supply chain constraints and a shortage of skilled technicians, this readily available, plug-and-play terminal and hardened connector system is a cost-effective, pre-packaged solution that requires minimal training in any deployment scenario, tested to withstand even the most extreme environments.

SeeChange is easy to use, versatile, completely sealed, and rugged to withstand harsh environments. For cost-effective and labor-efficient deployments, you can daisy chain them for below-grade, above-grade, and aerial mounting options. Anyone wanting an easyto-understand and easy-to-install fiber network should consider the Clearfield SeeChange platform.

"Over the next decade, fiber networks will go further than ever, connecting people and places previously unreachable based on economics and technology. Operators need solutions that speed time to market, reduce the cost of deployment, and require minimal training," said Johnny Hill, Chief Operating Officer of Clearfield. "SeeChange ensures that our

customers can address these needs quickly and cost-effectively, with a simplified solution that withstands the harshest environmental challenges."

styles are easily secured into open terminal ports and cleaned and inspected using a special optical probe tip, making it a complete solution for quick installations using entry-level technicians.

The game-changing SeeChange Access Terminal and precisely designed hardened connectors speed the final connection through:

• Off-the-shelf availability

• Minimizing inventory management

• Cutting your design time

• Simplifying your installations

SeeChange works alongside Clearfield's other terminal products designed so that engineers can deliver fiber services supporting any size fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), fiber-to-the-business (FTTB), or 5G network, with minimal training needed for installation and service activation. Both hardened connector

Power & Tel supplies cutting-edge products that provide superior value to the customer. For almost 60 years, we have prioritized providing highquality communications equipment while continually growing as an industry leader in supply chain management, innovation, and endto-end solutions. Each network has its trait – let us help you find the perfect solution for your outside plant application and protect your fiber investment.

Together with Clearfield, we deliver the solutions you need. Learn more about our full range of products and services: visit ptsupply.com or email info@ptsupply.com ■

Stephen Signaigo

The Technetix rOLT –Great Things Come in Small Packages

By Mark Basham

VP, FTTX-xHaul Product Group

High speed fiber broadband should be available for everyone and not just those living in cities and urbanizations. Technetix has developed a modular remote optical line terminal (rOLT) offering a compact and environmentally hardened solution for delivering high-speed fiber broadband to rural and hard-to-reach communities.

The rOLT offers up to four ports of 10G XGS-PON and includes fiber management and optical splitters,

enables network builders to pace expenditure with customer takeup, only incurring the cost of the PON MAC and PON optics when customers are connected. This can save network operators 50% or more of the front-loaded OLT capital expenditure and improve cash flow by closing the gap between network build cost and service income. The traditional and modular OLT cost structure is contrasted in the graphic below.

scale from one port upwards and that doesn’t require high-cost telco premises to host the equipment.

The rOLT equips network operators with a field deployable OLT that can be rapidly deployed to meet customer demand, which can be the difference when making the service delivery financially and operationally viable for the network operator and compelling to the customer. In a competitive market for FTTH/P being agile for specific customer groups and demographics and the ability to deliver high speed broadband services quickly can be a significant differentiator.

all in an IP68 rated field hardened compact housing. It is easy to deploy in nearly all locations, has low power consumption and provides a costeffective solution for remote FTTH/P.

The modular micro OLT system architecture can transform the way networks are built from a cost accounting perspective, where the cost scales port by port (not by increments of eight or sixteen) and the expenditure can be closely aligned to service uptake and revenues. This is a departure from the typical chassis and ‘pizza box’ OLT systems that fully integrate the switching function alongside the PON MAC function in a single offthe-shelf system.

The new modular approach

Network operators can now make their capital go further, widening the PON network footprint of OLT deployments and covering a larger addressable market, but only incurring the additional micro OLT cost when a street, zip code or small community is ready for high-speed fiber access.

The modular micro OLT system architecture can transform the way networks are built from a cost accounting perspective, where the cost scales port by port and the expenditure can be closely aligned to service uptake and revenues. This is a key concern for delivering high speed fiber access service to rural and remote communitieshaving the right size OLT that can

Looking ahead the modular architecture will enable graceful upgrades to higher speed 25G PON port by port, enabling network operators to target higher speed services to business customers, power users and for network applications while co-existing in the same host platform as 10G XGSPON. ■

Mark Basham

The Summit is Back in Our Nation's Capital! Just in Time

By Curtis Philp Vice President, Alpine Group

Welcome to 2023 and to a new Congress. Capitol Hill is open once again and, for the first time since before the pandemic, ACA Connects (ACAC) Members returned to Washington, D.C., for our annual Summit to advocate in person to their elected officials and to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

ACAC Member companies and staff have done a great job of maintaining a strong presence during the last three years with their Members of Congress, especially in the areas they serve. But having the

whole of the ACAC family together in DC again to join as a single voice with varying backgrounds and perspectives made a huge difference. And the timing could not have been better given the issues facing the broadband industry.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) continues to press forward with a once-in-a-generation investment of $42 billion in broadband deployment through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, while the Federal Communications

Commission (FCC) maps are working through the challenge process. Getting the maps and eligibility areas correct are paramount to ensure that federal funds are not used to overbuild ACAC members’ private investments and to get

the most “bang for the buck” of taxpayer dollars by deploying broadband to truly unserved areas. Summit attendees made this case directly to Senators who wrote BEAD and to the bipartisan leaders of the Commerce Committee, which oversees the program’s implementation.

ACA Connects Members also stressed to policymakers and their staff about the need to remove barriers to deployment. The multijurisdictional nature of BEAD and other recent federal programs providing money to the states for broadband adds more complexity to an already duplicative regulatory regime that could mire projects in years of red tape that the new infrastructure law never intended. State and federal agencies requiring varying – and potentially conflicting – engineering and environmental studies, as well as governmental staff that oversee public lands and tribal areas known to cause decades of delays were all described to Congress. Thankfully, ACAC Members and staff had proposed solutions to shorten and expedite the process for BEAD, and in general, as Congress continues

"GETTING THE MAPS AND ELIGIBILITY AREAS CORRECT ARE PARAMOUNT TO ENSURE THAT FEDERAL FUNDS ARE NOT USED TO OVERBUILD ACAC MEMBERS’ PRIVATE INVESTMENTS"

to try to tackle permitting reform. We also provided suggestions for improved access to poles, rights-ofway, and railroad crossings that continually challenge our providers.

Not to be overlooked, Summit participants in the Capitol Hill Day also stressed the importance of balanced regulation to preserve a dynamic and competitive marketplace for consumers. Competition in the broadband market is increasing with intensity as newer entrants offer new technologies and utilize creative business models alongside traditional providers. As we have demonstrated with our Competition White Paper, 91% of households in communities served by our members have two or more fixed broadband service options. These additional consumer choices validate ACAC's calls to resist added regulation, which will stifle investment and ultimately reduce the ability of providers to respond to consumers’ needs.

In addition to competition, affordability was another consumer-centric policy ACAC advocates flagged

for their Members of Congress. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides a $30 monthly voucher for lower-income Americans to access broadband service, is set to run out of funds next year. Many ACAC providers serve thousands of ACP participants, which now total over 15 million homes. Ensuring that this important program has

the funds to continue to keep households connected, while guarding against fraud, furthers our shared goal of closing the digital divide.

And it would not be an ACAC Summit without highlighting the challenges operators face with skyrocketing retransmission consent rates. While back in front of Congress, ACAC and National Content & Technology Cooperative (NCTC) Members underscored the importance of continuing to look at ways to help alleviate the added fees on retransmission consent rates when they are renewed.

Members thanked their Representatives and Senators for the ability to collectively negotiate as a “buying group” with large regional and national broadcast conglomerates to aid small providers. Keeping issues like the buying group at the forefront will help when ACAC returns to policymakers for tweaks to improve the retrans process.

Thank you to all ACAC members who took the time to participate in this year’s Summit. It renewed confidence in how important it is for constituents to engage with their elected officials in Washington, D.C., and how effective that extra step and industry expertise can be on the issues that impact broadband providers most. I hope to see you again next year! ■

Curtis Philp was deputy chief of staff to former Congressman Lamar Smith (TX-21) and a staff member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

Former ACA Connects Board Chairmen Patrick Knorr of Astound Broadband on left and Jim Gleason of Vexus Fiber meet with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz.

"MANY ACAC PROVIDERS SERVE THOUSANDS OF ACP PARTICIPANTS, WHICH NOW TOTAL OVER 15 MILLION HOMES."

ACA CONNECTS Events INDUSTRY SUMMIT2023 FEB. 28 - MARCH 2

U.S. Rep. Bob Latta and ACAC Chairman Patty Boyers

ACAC Chairman Patty Boyers

NCTC CEO Lou Borrelli

Calix CEO Michael Weening

Wes Kungel, Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Joe Manchin

ACAC President & CEO Grant Spellmeyer

Geoff Shook, President & GM of Buckeye Broadband

ACAC Chief Regulatory Counsel Brian Hurley

ACAC Chairman Patty Boyers on left with ACAC Board Member Pat Thompson

Former ACAC President & CEO Matt Polka

Former FCC Acting Chair Mignon Clyburn

ACAC President & CEO Grant Spellmeyer

Former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai

From left: Former FCC Acting Chair Mignon Clyburn, ACAC President & CEO Grant Spellmeyer, Former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, and ACAC Chairman Patty Boyers

U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján

ACAC President & CEO Grant Spellmeyer with Cablefax Daily Editorial Director Amy Maclean

NCTC CEO Lou Borrelli

FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington

Vexus Fiber President & CEO Jim Gleason

NTIA Associate Administrator Doug Kinkoph and Kelley Drye's Tom Cohen

ACAC President & CEO Grant Spellmeyer and New Street Research Policy Advisor Blair Levin

U.S. Treasury's Capital Projects Fund Director Joseph Wender

From left: ACAC VP of Regulatory Affairs Mike Jacobs; Pennyslvana Broadband Dev. Authority Executive Director Brandon Carson; Virginia Department of Housing & Community Dev. Director of Broadband Dr. Tamarah Holmes; and Georgia Technology Authority Director of Broadband Initiatives Josh Hildebrandt FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr

ACA Connects VP of Regulatory Affairs Mike Jacobs

NCTC CEO Lou Borrelli and ACA Connects President & CEO Grant Spellmeyer

The Cable Center's Chief Program Officer Camilla Formica

Viamedia's Becky Jones with Chad Lawson of Murray Electric System

ACAC Associate Board Member Dick Beard and Summit attendees chatting with SES' Mark Romano

AMP23 Platinum Member NCTI's exhibit was a popular spot to connect with its President & CEO Stacey Slaughter

Schurz CTO Tom Williams being interviewed by Ken Pyle of Viodi

Vantage Point was just one of several companies exhibiting for the first time at #Summit2023!

#Summit2023 attendees enjoyed networking during dedicated exhibit hours

AMP23 Member Calix was well represented at #Summit2023 as a sponsor, exhibitor and speaker!

Adara's Mark Guarrazzi takes advantage of exhibit hours to present the firm's solution to Summit attendees

MCTV President Katherine Gessner takes a break during exhibits to chat with Allen Media's Mike Nemetz.

First-time attendee Melissa Scheve of Atlas Digital Group, taking time during exhibit hours with Summit attendees Eric Galbreath of FBN/Nitco and Chad Winters of CASSCOMM

AMP23 Member, EWTN, is a loyal exhibitor at every Summit and this year was no exception!

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz

ACAC CEO Grant Spellmeyer speaks on behalf of the group at a meeting with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz

ACAC Chairman Patty Boyers and U.S. Senator Jerry Moran

From left: ACAC President & CEO Grant Spellmeyer, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, Vexus Fiber President & CEO Jim Gleason, and Astound Broadband EVP Business Solutions Patrick Knorr

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran

This appointment with U.S. Senator Jerry Moran was just one of 85 Congressional meetings at this year's event!

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito and ACAC President & CEO Grant Spellmeyer

Armstrong President Jeff Ross and Shentel EVP & COO Ed Mckay

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito and MCTV President Katherine Gessner

ACA Connects Member companies MCTV, Armstrong, Shentel and Vexus sit down with Sen. Shelley Moore Capito during #Summit2023

U.S. Senator Ed Markey

U.S. Senator Ed Markey and ACAC President & CEO Grant Spellmeyer

Summit attendees meet with Sen. Ed Markey to discuss important industry issues

Jeff Ross of Armstrong and Katherine Gessner of MCTV walking to their next meeting

Rhod Shaw of the Alpine Group providing information to ACAC Members for their next congressional meeting

David von Mortiz of Astound Broadband

Patrick Knorr of Astound Broadband and Rhod Shaw of Alpine Group

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin

From left: U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, MCTV's Katherine Gessner, and Sen. Manchin's Senior Policy Adviser Seth Gainer

From left: Patrice Carroll of ImOn, Patrick Knorr of Astound Broadband and Rhod Shaw of Alpine Group

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin aide Becca Branum and ACAC President & CEO Grant Spellmeyer

2023 UPCOMING INDUSTRY EVENTS

Date Event City, State

March 30-April 2, 2023

April 2-4, 2023

April 5-6, 2023

April 6, 2023

April 10-12, 2023

April 13-14, 2023

April 15-19, 2023

April 16-18, 2023

April 18-19, 2023

April 23-26, 2023

April 26-27, 2023

April 27, 2023

April 30-May 3, 2023

May 2-4, 2023

May 10, 2023

May 16, 2023

May 17-18, 2023

May 22-25, 2023

May 24-26, 2023

June 4-6, 2023

June 12-16, 2023

July 23-25, 2023

July 30-August 2, 2023

July 30-August 1, 2023

August 7-9, 2023

August 20-22, 2023

August 20-23, 2023

August 21-23, 2023

September 10-13, 2023

September 11-13, 2023

September 13-15, 2023

September 18-19, 2023

September 20, 2023

September 24-27, 2023

October 16-19, 2023

October 17-19, 2023

October 24, 2023

October 29-31, 2023

November 12-15, 2023

Adaptive Spirit 2023 Annual Event

NTCA Telecom Executive Forum

IAMU Spring 2023 Broadband Conference and Expo

Fiber Broadband Association - Regional Fiber Connect

South Carolina Telecom & Broadband Assn Annual Covention

NCTC Arrive & Thrive Regional Meeting

NAB Show

NTCA Legislative + Policy Conference

Mid-America Cable Show

WTA 2023 Spring Educational Forum

Pennyslvania Broadband Summit (formerly Cable Academy)

Cable Hall of Fame Celebration

NTCA Marketing + Sales Conference

CCA Mobile Carriers Show

NCTC Arrive & Thrive Regional Meeting

Fiber Broadband Association - Regional Fiber Connect

VCTA - Broadband Together 2023

WSTA Annual Convention (Wisconsin State Telecom)

Kentucky Rural Broadband Assn Annual Meeting

Illinois Broadband & Telecom Assn (IBTA) Annual Convention

Broadband Assn of Alabama & Mississippi Summer Symposium

NTCA Summer Symposium

The Independent Show

NTCA Summer Symposium

Mountain Connect

SDTA Annual Conference

Fiber Connect 2023

BroadbandMT Annual Meeting

WTA 2023 Fall Educational Forum

CCSA Connect 2023

ComPulse 2023 - Telecommunications Assn of Michigan

WICT 2023 Leadership Conference

Walter Kaitz Foundation's Annual Fundraising Dinner

NTCA Fall Conference

SCTE Cable-Tex Expo

CCA Annual Convention

Fiber Broadband Association - Regional Fiber Connect

NTCA CyberShare Summit

National Exchange Carriers Assoc Expo (NECA)

Vail, CO

St. Petersburg, FL

Johnston, IA

Oklahoma City, OK

Charleston, SC

Philadelphia, PA

Las Vegas, NV

Washington, D.C.

Omaha, NE

Napa, CA

Lancaster, PA

New York, NY

Austin, TX

Pittsburgh, PA

Overland Park, KS

Austin, TX

Richmond, VA

Lake Geneva, WI

Lexington, KY

Osage Beach, MO

Pensacola Beach, FL

Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

Minneapolis, MN

Bloomington, MN

Denver, CO

Deadwood, SD

Kissimmee, FL

Whitefish, MT

Coeur d'Alene, ID

St. John's, NL Canada

Bay Harbor, MI

New York, NY

New York, NY

Boston, MA

Denver, CO

Atlanta, GA

Minneapolis, MN

Pittsburgh, PA

Austin, TX

Events subject to change. Please refer to the corresponding website for the most updated information.

PHOTO CREDITS: 2 iStock.com/Gearstd, 2 iStock.com/filo, 2 iStock.com/james63, 3 iStock.com/MicroPixieStock, 6 iStock.com/Gearstd, 8 iStock.com/james63, 20 iStock.com/bazza1960, 20 iStock.com/kodachrome25, 20 iStock.com/MicroPixieStock, 20 iStock.com/Anna Bliokh