Southern California, known for endless sunshine, laid-back lifestyle, and a dash of smog, is home to this year's Broadband Communities Magazine Economic Development Summit. Municipal officials, broadband-industry veterans, vendors, and consultants will convene this year in Ontario, California, October 23-25.
Why Ontario? California's Inland Empire has enjoyed steady population growth. To help prepare for the future, Ontario leaders have taken action to deploy fiber for gigabit-speed broadband service to residents and businesses.
Bob Knight, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Harrison Edwards, will participate in three panels at the conference to help communities understand the opportunities that fiber can bring. Knight will speak:
October 23: Greenlighting Fiber Projects: Making the Case for Political Will and Project Funding with Anthony Bednarczyk, Fujitsu, and Isak Finer, COS Systems;
October 24: Healthcare and Broadband Deployment: Powerful Partners with Eric Brown, California Telehealth Network, Dr. Javeed Saddiqui, Telemed2U, and Craig Settles, Gigabit Nation; and
October 24: Welcome to the Fiberhood: How Economic Development Needs Are Changing the Real Estate Development Landscape with Dave Bartlett, Brookfield Properties and Ben Lewis-Ramirez, Foresite Group.
"If the overarching goal is to get fiber networks deployed, Harrison Edwards is uniquely positioned to connect the dots for the broadband industry. The work we already do with the healthcare, economic development/government, and real estate sectors, informs our work in the broadband space. We'll share insights on how community leaders can build political will and community support, and grow network usage to address economic and social issues," said Knight.
Those interested in the conference can view its full agenda here.