POSSIBILITIES ASTOUNDING LEGEND Robust metro fiber footprint and/or data center presence High Capacity Backbone Links Coastal submarine cable access Transpacific and Transatlantic routes EVANSVILLE Expand Your Network with Astound Access close to a million locations along our ever expanding, 100% fiber footprint across 12 states. astoundwholesale.com C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Header... www.bekabusinessmedia.com SHOW.INCOMPAS.ORG 1 In 2023, the telecommunications sector witnessed the ballooning growth and awareness of artificial intelligence (AI). As terms such as “ChatGPT” became part of our everyday lexicon and major services such as Microsoft’s Bing began to incorporate it as part of their solutions, many of us have seen benefits that reinvigorated our ability to learn, generate content and uncover new insights. In yesterday’s keynote presentation on the transformative power of AI, led by INCOMPAS CEO Chip Pickering, panelists explored how operators big and small leverage AI to streamline business, enhance the customer experience and cut costs. A reinvention of voice services, network optimization, provisioning and better, more targeted services amidst growing demand was only logical. Panelists included Dan Davis (CEO, Arcadian Infracom), Rick Lievano (CTO, Microsoft Worldwide Telecommunications Industry), Bill Long (CPO, Zayo) and Kevin Shatzkamer (Managing Director, Google Engineering GCP Cloud AI & Industry Solutions). “We overuse the word transformation sometimes,” said Pickering, “but a lot of what we’re talking about today has become so pervasive. AI has transformed many aspects of life, work and the operations and networks that connect us. It’s pretty remarkable to think it took 100 years to connect 100 million people on the telephone and 20-30 years alone to connect that many to wireless.” (Continued on page 4) Y DAY 2 DAY Panel Explores Implications of AI THE 2023 OCTOBER 8–10
Our Journey To Our journey to brilliance began on October 3, 2022. Stop by booth 100 to learn more. brightspeed.com/wholesale Brilliance 20 State Footprint 4,000 Employees Charlotte, NC Headquarters Appreciation Meals $2 Billion Invested + $90+ Million Awarded in Federal and State Grants 5th Largest ILEC 950+ Customer Engagements We Local - 815+
4 THE INCOMPAS SHOW I OCTOBER 8 - 10, 2023 www.bekabusinessmedia.com DAY 2 (Continued from page 1) “In a 60-day period,” he continued, “that many connected to ChatGPT.” Microsoft is one of several companies at the forefront of such rapid investment in AI productivity. “You can find AI capabilities across almost all of the applications that you use,” noted Microsoft’s Lievano. “What I’m excited about is how we can generate AI technology to create new products that transform existing ones.” In particular, the panel highlighted a few examples. Lievano sees value in taking certain use cases and applying additional intelligence layers. AI also benefits network monitoring; taking network telemetry data to extend detection in previously unparalleled ways. Then, there is AI’s ability to understand and interpret information. “What’s exciting is taking machine learning, where you had to be really explicit about what you wanted it to do and how you wanted it to work,” said Lievano. “Now [it’s], ‘show me some insights. Tell me about this. Help me explain how to be more interactive’.” And that could have implications on systems integration, network monitoring and even HR, legal and contracting. “We’re going to see a whole new evolution on the hardware and infrastructure side to be more efficient at the machine learning and AI space,” added Google’s Shatzkamer. “We’re so wrapped up in the telecom industry around the conversation of edge computing and the need to decentralize. When we decentralize, we get lower latency, but an inverse answer to that same problem is more fiber. I don’t have to decentralize if I have more direct fiber routes to be able to get to core data centers.” Even AI is not without its challenges. Despite streaming telemetry data’s ability to rapidly generate jobs and information, organizations are still working through the best way to store and apply the massive amount of data it takes to fuel a generative AI engine. “I’ve configured, developed, built and operated networks. The hardest part is building the network,” said Arcadian Infracom’s Davis. “There’s a massive amount of right-of-way data and massive amount of permitting rules. Behind each one of these are permitting processes that interact with each other. For us, we really focus on that development side of the network as an opportunity to use AI as an accelerator in route development.” There are also potentially huge implications related to the already troublesome cybersecurity arena, as newer innovations are unveiled. “We need some work around regulatory standards to ensure proper response to the use of this technology by the vendors creating the platforms, technologies and tools,” said Zayo’s Long. In particular, he cited developing concern over voice processing’s progress, noting that cybercriminals can now generate realistic voices to have bots mimic real identities. “There’s been an amazing return for nefarious use of this stuff. That’s why we’re really promoting that the telcos look into leveraging this technology to help, for example, consumers to stay safe.” Overall, the session presented fascinating views from a panel that Pickering said “represents some of the leading thinkers” in the field of AI. Ultimately, AI’s future is limitless in possibilities and will open a whole new world of opportunity. This maturing technology offers a generative model that presents advanced paths toward reasoning and handling massive amounts of data. Despite artificial intelligence’s inherent challenges, Long doesn’t necessarily see it as all bad. He smiled and said jokingly, “AI will change our operations, networks and data with time, just think I’ll likely be sending my robot here in the future to represent me.” p For additional information: • Arcadian Infracom – arcadianinfra.com – INCOMPAS Deal Center Table #14 • Google AI Solutions – www.cloud.google.com • Microsoft Worldwide Telecommunications Industry - www.microsoft.com/en-us/ industry/telecommunications • Zayo - www.zayo.com – INCOMPAS Skybox Deluxe Meeting Room Fiber connectivity provider Kinetic Wholesale, by Windstream, introduced its new Nexus client portal. This software is designed to help solve unique wholesale buyer challenges. In particular, Nexus offers a flexible approach through which customers can employ their own systems and tools. Nexus is engineered to streamline and accelerate complex processes related to quoting, ordering, delivery and management of Kinetic wholesale services. In particular, it leverages the capabilities of Connectbase and TransUnion TruContact Universal Order Connect, powered by Neustar, as well as dozens of other systems that offer APIs to benefit back-office automation, support serviceability and fulfill order processing automation. Particular capabilities include: quoting (bulk and individual for all Kinetic services); quote-to-order conversion; order progress status with notifications and reporting; inventory/billing/trouble management/analytics and administrative functions, with role-based access to functionality. “Wholesale users need scalable processes that save time and enable processing information in bulk,” said Simon Cooper, vice president of Kinetic Wholesale Services. “Our wholesale experts designed Nexus to be intuitive yet packed with all the functionality needed for our customers to quote and manage orders, as well as procurement specialists to get pricing, including operations experts who manage and monitor orders and fulfilment for wholesale services.” p For more information on Kinetic Wholesale, visit www.business.windstream.com/ wholesale or stop by to see them at Deal Center Tables 8 and 9, or Booth 102. Kinetic Wholesale Unveils Customizable Portal
www.bekabusinessmedia.com SHOW.INCOMPAS.ORG 5 DAY 2 Aspire Named GrowFL “Company to Watch” Telecommunications company Aspire Communications announced that it has been awarded as a recipient of a GrowFL “Florida Companies to Watch” award. This designation is in its 13th year. “This recognition is a testament to the incredible dedication and hard work of each member of the team,” the company said in a statement. “Aspire’s unwavering commitment is what makes it successful in the industry.” Aspire, which is a licensed electrical contractor in Florida and a self-dubbed “trusted partner in the telecommunications industry,” focuses on delivering more comprehensive integration solutions for ISPs. Its portfolio includes end-to-end services that allow providers to more easily streamline operations, improve network efficiency and better deliver high-quality services and turnkey integration solutions. Although it is technically based in Florida, Aspire is also a construction contractor in Washington, and recently expanded its own Pacific Northwest operations. p To learn more about Aspire Communications and how its services can benefit businesses, visit www.aspirecomm.com or stop by the Kiosk 9 in the Expo Hall. Bluebird Network opened a new, diverse fiber route, linking Missouri and Illinois by crossing the Mississippi River. This ultra-resilient route is 100% Bluebird-owned, and is buried 100 feet below the riverbed. The new fiber route network’s capacity is now available, and offers extended support to eliminate single points of failure. “Over the years, Bluebird has received many requests for dark fiber solutions that get across the Mississippi River,” noted President and CEO Michael Morey. “Boring under the largest river in the nation is a very complex project and we are proud to say that we have completed that task and now have dark fibers available to serve our customers.” p For more information on Bluebird Network, visit www.bluebirdnetwork. com or stop by Deal Center Table 10. Bluebird Network Launches Fiber Route Beneath Mississippi River
6 THE INCOMPAS SHOW I OCTOBER 8 - 10, 2023 www.bekabusinessmedia.com DAY 2 Consolidated Debuts New Carrier-Class Services GTT is a Tier 1 Global ISP with a portfolio of IP transit, dedicated internet access, broadband and 5G services, in addition to cutting-edge SASE security and FWaaS services. We recently caught up with GTT Vice President of Engineering and Architecture Oliver Schwartz to discuss the future of networking. What can carriers do to evolve with new market trends? What can they look for when extending or forging partnerships for global connectivity and security? What can GTT’s role be in all of this? Q: Where do you see the most connectivity innovation? Schwartz: Cloud computing is a significant growth and adoption driver across many industries. Gartner forecasts that in 2023 worldwide public cloud spending will grow 21% to $592 billion, up from $490 billion in 2022. Cloud providers are asking network and network services providers for more bandwidth and faster networking speeds to support operations. Demands are shortening the networking innovation cycle within networking, with providers developing and deploying new tech at a faster pace. There’ve been discussions about the launch of 800GB optical networks not long after the launch of 400GB. The innovation cycle is driven by the need to support cloud computing and increasing demand for network infrastructure/management. And acceleration is likely to continue, leading to further development and deployment of new networking options such as SDN and edge computing that may revolutionize the way networks are designed, deployed and managed. Q: How can one ensure network security? Schwartz: Every day we find more networkbased attacks. Businesses are becoming increasingly concerned about the security of their networks, with the cost of cybercrime predicted to hit $8 trillion in 2023. Customers are requesting transparency and information on the packets that are moving around in their network. You must adapt to do this. It’s vital to have the right technology, addressing concerns by providing insight beyond the IP layer. You gain trust from customers, as they commit to securing their networks and protecting data. Businesses are more likely to choose providers with greater transparency and visibility into traffic. Transparency also helps to optimize network performance and troubleshoot issues. By analyzing network traffic in real-time, providers can identify and resolve network bottlenecks and performance issues, ensuring customer networks run smoothly. Q: Given IoT innovation, how will network speeds meet demand over time? Schwartz: The next big innovation will be extended reach optical networks that can transmit data at speeds up to 400GB. This significant advancement over current DCI infrastructure (200GB). With it, businesses can expect faster speeds at lower cost, with less equipment needed to manage performance. This helps manage restricted IT budgets and, with more-efficient connectivity, improve productivity, reduce downtime and increase efficiency. Service providers need to be more nimble and deploy these new networks more quickly and efficiently than previous generations of optical networks. Q: What are the tough questions being asked of a global connectivity partner? Schwartz: Pricing is a major factor when determining a CSP. Consider the cost of your services, including additional charges for bandwidth or support. Are you a Tier 1 provider that can integrate within existing networking infrastructure? You should be able to offer APIs and other integration methods for smooth implementation and easy management. Do you offer robust security to protect sensitive in-transit data? Customers are looking for an ISP with advanced security protocols, encryption, and firewall services to safeguard their network. p To learn more about GTT Communications, visit www.gtt.net/us-en or stop by Meeting Room 10. U.S. fiber provider Consolidated Communications revealed that it is rolling out a slate of new carrierclass services to support ongoing demand for speed and connectivity, nationwide. These services include up to 400-Gig DWDM services between core locations; 100-Gig L2/L3 services into core locations and up to 10-Gig L2/L3 service capabilities for locations situated either on or near the network. Consolidated is also offering new capabilities for securely and more costeffectively extending customer networks into any of hundreds of new locations via its Edge Site solutions. To date, the company has added over 10,000 fiber route miles, resulting in more than a million multi-GB FTTP-capable locations, over the past two years. In total, Consolidated boasts over 135,000 commercial buildings either on or within 1,000 feet of its fiber network. “We continue to invest in our network to deliver scalable, network solutions to carriers of all sizes,” said Greg Flanagan, Consolidated’s vice president of Carrier Services. “We’re dedicated to bringing bestin-class capabilities to wireless and wireline carriers, ISPs, data centers and hyperscalers across the rural and metro communities we serve.” p For more information on Consolidated Communications, visit www.consolidated. com or stop by Meeting Lounge 17 in the Expo Hall. GTT Talks About Demand for Innovation, Security and Connectivity
www.bekabusinessmedia.com SHOW.INCOMPAS.ORG 7 DAY 2 Arcadian Infracom Enters Into California Fiber Contract Arcadian Infracom entered into a public/private collaboration with the California Department of Technology to build both long-haul and middle-tier fiber infrastructure for the state. The digital infrastructure development company is focusing on laying a specialized network link between Los Angeles and Phoenix, due by mid-2027. The California portion of the route, Arcadian noted, is expected to be completed by December 2026. The agreement is part of California’s June 2021 allocation of $6 billion to fund its “Broadband for All” initiative, which includes $3.25 billion toward creating a middle-mile fiber network spanning 10,000 miles within the state’s borders, built alongside public and private sector partners to promote digital equity, access and inclusion for all Californians. The California Department of Technology leads the Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative that includes state partners California Department of Transportation and the California Public Utilities Commission. GoldenStateNet was chosen as a third-party administrator. “Arcadian is pleased to have been selected by the California Department of Technology as its network partner for the construction of 300+ miles of greenfield fiber network in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties,” said Arcadian CEO Dan Davis. “We expect this to be the first of a series of similar fiber infrastructure projects throughout California.” p For more information on Arcadian Infracom, visit arcadianinfra.com or stop by Meeting Lounge 2 in the Expo Hall. Conterra Details Investment in Dark Fiber Conterra Networks released information on its Dark Fiber, which is designed to better “put you in control.” This technology specifically provides enhanced management functionality over aspects of network equipment selection, design, deployment, management, maintenance and security. Among its key selling points are bandwidth being capped only based on deployed equipment, support for IEEE G.652.D-compliant fiber and higher resiliency based on being “100% buried fiber.” Additionally, Dark Fiber touts benefits related to power and space flexibility; availability as a segment, ring or custom-designed network and streamlined features for managing and maintaining strands. The company noted in a recent statement: “Whether you need to comply with stringent regulatory requirements or expect explosive bandwidth growth, Conterra’s Dark Fiber gives you full control.” p For more information on Conterra Networks, visit www.conterra.com/dark-fiber or stop by its meeting room in the Terrace Boardroom.
Connectbase, The Industry Cloud for Connectivity, entered into a strategic partnership with Mytra Consulting, a consultancy specializing in business development and sales development for the telecom industry. Mytra chose to partner with Connectbase because of Connectbase’s innovative solutions, which automate and streamline carrier wholesale processes that have traditionally been manual and inefficient. Mytra’s expertise, combined with cutting-edge technology from Connectbase, will provide middle-mile companies, independent ILECs, REMCs, and cable and other broadband providers with the tools and support they need to thrive in digital transformation. “We are thrilled to partner with Mytra Consulting. Their expertise in business development and sales strategy spans decades. Together, we’re empowering independent and rural providers with the tools and support they need to excel in the digital age,” said Ben Edmond, founder and CEO of Connectbase. “Bringing new technology and workflows into a business is challenging but necessary in today’s world. Leveraging Mytra’s expertise to handle the heavy lifting for local providers changes the paradigm.” A key objective of this collaboration for Mytra is to ensure that independent providers, often possessing extensive fiber networks with unique reach into rural America, are included in the Connectbase ecosystem on its Connected World platform. Mytra will provide managed services, encompassing successful launches, ongoing support, testing, documentation and assistance in the creation of rate cards for on-net and near-net buildings. “It seems like every week I am visiting with a small provider, listening as they share that they’ve either lost their cell tower agreements or never even had the opportunity to bid on towers, or other large enterprise or government sites,” said Justin Forte, president of Mytra Consulting. “We’d like to ensure that they get a seat at the table and compete for opportunities in their own backyards.” p For more information, go to www. connectbase.com or visit Connectbase at Meeting Lounge 14 and Kiosk 2 in the Expo Hall. Communications Data Group (CDG) announced enhanced self-scheduling integration between its MBS offering – a consumer/enterprise billing and OSS solution – and CheckPoint Solutions. With this blending, CheckPoint obtains real-time installation openings from the MBS installation calendar, with customers able to select installation date and time. Using touchless scheduling, customers can now register for services without requiring customer service intervention. Future enhancements, CDG noted, will include touchless rescheduling support. “This enhanced integration is a perfect example of an empowerment tool,” said CheckPoint Director of Operations Jacob Terstriep. “Scheduling is a problem all providers face and with this integration we can streamline the entire process. A 100% hands off approach makes things easier for the customer and more efficient for internal departments.” “Providers can realize bigger ROIs when their various service-related systems communicate with each other,” said CDG CTO Tony Stout. “Individual solutions can help streamline siloed processes, but connected solutions can remap processes across a business’s entire OSS/BSS ecosystem.” p For more info, visit www.cdg.ws and www.checkpointsolutions.net. Ziply® Fiber, the fastest internet service provider in the Northwest, announced that it has begun construction of a new, ultra-high-speed, 100% fiber-optic network in Grandview, Wash., which will serve more than 1,300 homes and businesses across the city. Fiber internet – with speeds from 100 Mbps to as fast as 10 Gig – is now ready for service to more than 500 addresses in Grandview with the remaining coming online in the next few weeks. Residential customers can switch to fiber internet for as little as $20 per month. “We are all incredibly happy to have Ziply Fiber in Grandview,” said Grandview Mayor Gloria Mendoza. “Having choices for internet providers is excellent for our residents. Internet access is essential for us to interact with our loved ones, pursue education, shop and network. Having access to the internet has become a basic requirement in our communities. We anticipate a long-term partnership with Ziply Fiber.” Residents and business owners can check for fiber availability at Ziplyfiber.com and sign up to be alerted when service is available at their location. With multi-gig services being built, Grandview will have the fastest household internet speeds in the Northwest and be among the fastest cities in the nation, even faster than most major metropolitan areas. “Grandview is a thriving, wonderful community that we are so proud to now be a part of,” said Harold Zeitz, CEO of Ziply Fiber. “It’s been exciting to see the positive reception we’ve received from residents and businesses alike as we’ve continued to expand our presence and ultra-fast fiber network to more and more of Yakima County.” p For more information about Ziply Fiber, go to ziplyfiber.com or meet with them at Deal Center Table 15. 8 THE INCOMPAS SHOW I OCTOBER 8 - 10, 2023 www.bekabusinessmedia.com DAY 2 Mytra Consulting Partners with Connectbase to Elevate Telecom Services for Enhanced Connectivity CDG Extends MBS Integration to CheckPoint Solutions Ziply Fiber connects Grandview, Wash., to Northwest’s Fastest Internet
www.bekabusinessmedia.com SHOW.INCOMPAS.ORG 9 DAY 2 Lightpath Opens New Office in Miami Lightpath, an all-fiber, infrastructure-based connectivity provider that is revolutionizing how organizations connect to their digital destinations, announced the opening of a new office in Miami located at 150 West Flagler Street. The office will house operations, customer service, and sales staff to directly support customers and continued growth in the Miami area, including ongoing network expansions. Lightpath continues to aggressively invest in the Miami region since announcing its entrance into the market in late 2022. In May of 2023, Lightpath announced that it was expecting to have 65 route miles of network in the market fully operational by the end of 2023. This target includes a dense network of brand-new, subterranean fiber throughout the Central Business District as well as connectivity to four critical data centers in the area. “The Miami business community is growing rapidly and Lightpath is seeing the resulting demand for enterprise-grade fiber connectivity. Today, organizations run at the speed of their networks, and Lightpath keeps networks running at incredible speeds,” said Lightpath CEO Chris Morley. “Lightpath may be new to Miami, but we are veterans of fiber connectivity, and we will continue to invest and expand in the area to support the needs of our customers.” “Lightpath has been trusted for over 30 years in the New York Metro region by organizations of all kinds, including businesses, governments, and educators. From Fortune 100 enterprises to universities and school districts, to local and state governments - Lightpath customizes all-fiber solutions for any organization that needs high-performance, reliable connectivity,” explained Ryan Neece, Miami sales director for Lightpath. With over 20,000 route miles of network connecting to more than 13,500 service locations, Lightpath can connect customers to any of their digital destinations across its entire fiber footprint. Lightpath offers a complete suite of allfiber, customized connectivity solutions, including Internet, Ethernet, wavelengths up to 800 Gbps, dark fiber, private networks, voice, managed security solutions and more. p For more information about Lightpath, go to lightpathfiber.com or visit with the company in the Gandy Meeting Room. THE POWER OF DARK FIBER CONNECTIVITY Comprehensive Chicago coverage Custom-designed solutions for large-bandwidth applications Secure & reliable interconnection for diverse sectors 100% sub-surface network oering alternative routes and strategic paths between data centers, enterprises, and more Let Our Routes Unlock Your Data Exchange crosstownber.com THE 2023 OCTOBER 8–10
Bandwidth Inc., a leading global enterprise cloud communications company, today announced it is partnering with Google and Cognigy to launch AIBridge, which enables enterprises to easily deploy voice-based artificial intelligence (AI) tools in front of their contact centers–resolving calls faster and more efficiently in the communications cloud. AIBridge is the newest in a series of prebuilt integrations available with Bandwidth MaestroTM, the company’s award-winning, next-generation enterprise cloud communications platform, which is now available. Bandwidth AIBridge enables enterprises to resolve customer issues faster, which improves the overall customer experience (CX) and agent satisfaction while reducing contact center operating costs. With AIBridge, incoming calls to an enterprise contact center can first be routed directly to an AI-driven virtual agent, utilizing a pre-built integration with Bandwidth’s Maestro platform. If the caller has an issue that can be resolved through conversational AI, such as replacing a lost credit card or rebooking a flight, the call can be completed in the communications cloud–without ever being connected to the contact center or a live agent. As a result, enterprises can keep their customer service lines open continuously with virtual agents and self-service using AIBridge, even when live agents are not available. Potential cost savings are significant. According to GartnerⓇ, “conversational AI will reduce contact center agent labor costs by $80 billion in 2026, increasing to $240 billion by 2031. In 2031, conversational AI chatbots and virtual assistants will handle 30 percent of interactions that would have otherwise been handled by a human agent, up from just two percent in 2022.” The first integrations for AIBridge include Cognigy and Google Cloud’s Dialogflow, both recognized leaders in conversational AI, with more to be added soon. Cognigy.AI is Cognigy’s enterprise conversational AI platform that brings best-of-breed conversational and generative AI solutions to contact centers to automate customer journeys, elevate customer and agent engagement and increase first-call resolution. Dialogflow, which is part of the Contact Center AI solution within Google Cloud, allows enterprise customers to create advanced virtual agents in minutes that seamlessly switch between topics, handle supplemental questions and operate across multiple channels 24/7 to minimize live agent interventions. Because these integrations are already pre-built on the Bandwidth Maestro platform, they can speed enterprise IT development time from months to hours. In addition, enterprises can easily orchestrate complex call flows using Bandwidth Visual Builder, a software-based, low code/no code drag-anddrop call flow designer. “Bandwidth Maestro is truly an innovative enterprise-class voice platform that, when paired with Cognigy.AI, will make conversational and generative AI more accessible and manageable enabling accelerated customer service transformation,” said Hardy Myers, senior vice president of Business Development & Strategy at Cognigy. “AI is transforming the customer service experience, and we’re excited to partner with Bandwidth to bring its customers rich, intuitive customer conversations with the help of Google Cloud’s conversational AI technology,” said Yariv Adan, senior AI director, Product Management, Google Cloud AI. “Bandwidth AIBridge enables enterprises to make the transition from traditional IVR technologies to full-service conversational AI bot platforms, and move them in front of the contact center to operate 24/7/365,” said John Bell, Bandwidth’s chief product officer. “It gets even better: using Bandwidth Visual Builder, there’s no software coding necessary to compose and connect complex call flows for any contact center use case.” First announced in March, Bandwidth Maestro is a first-of-its-kind, next-generation enterprise cloud communications platform that enables IT teams to solve the key challenge of integrating best-in-class, real-time voice apps across their unified communications, cloud contact center, AI and machine learning platforms. Unlike other vendors’ walled gardens, Maestro’s open, platform-agnostic approach is unique in the Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) space. It provides the crucial technology bridge enterprises need to create a modern customer experience (CX) stack without months of costly integration work––resulting in faster time to value and enhanced customer and employee experiences and loyalty. Maestro runs on the Bandwidth Communications Cloud, which reaches more than 65 countries and over 90% of global GDP. p To learn more about Bandwidth, visit the company in the Armenia meeting room. 10 THE INCOMPAS SHOW I OCTOBER 8 - 10, 2023 www.bekabusinessmedia.com DAY 2 Bandwidth Partners with Google and Cognigy to Launch AIBridge, Integrating AI with Contact Centers Using Maestro Sinch named a Leader in the first Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for CPaaS Sinch, which powers meaningful conversations between businesses and their customers through its Customer Communications Cloud, announced that the company has been positioned as a Leader in the first 2023 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS). The evaluation was based on specific criteria that analyzed Sinch’s overall completeness of vision and ability to execute. Magic Quadrant reports are a culmination of rigorous, fact-based research in specific markets, providing a wide-angle view of the relative positions of the providers in markets where growth is high and provider differentiation is distinct. Providers are positioned into four quadrants: Leaders, Challengers, Visionaries and Niche Players. The research enables you to get the most from market analysis in alignment with your unique business and technology needs. “The recognition as a Leader, we feel, validates our strong position in a global and growing market,” said Sinch CEO Laurinda Pang. “Business leaders and decision makers now recognize that a great customer experience will leverage the right communications channel, at the right time, and that businesses need to keep pace with their customers as consumer preferences evolve. We feel our strong ability to deliver against these needs is reflected in the new Magic Quadrant, recognizing the value that Sinchers around the globe deliver to our more than 150,000 business customers.” p For more information about Silver Sponsor Sinch, go to www.sinch.com or visit with the company during the Buyers Forum.
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12 THE INCOMPAS SHOW I OCTOBER 8 - 10, 2023 www.bekabusinessmedia.com DAY 2 Zayo Bolsters Global Network Infrastructure, Increases Capacity to Meet Rapid Bandwidth Demand Zayo Group Holdings Inc., a leading global communications infrastructure platform, announced its latest series of infrastructure investments to extend global capacity to support rapidly increasing bandwidth demand-including deployment of 400G across the globe, long-haul capacity growth, and enhancements to its global IP infrastructure. “Next-generation technology is being deployed at never-before-seen rates. This has placed the communications infrastructure industry at a unique inflection point as all digital businesses-enterprises, carriers and hyperscalers alikescramble to ensure they have enough capacity to support these technologies,” said Bill Long, Chief Product Officer at Zayo. “As this trend plays out, it will be a strong tailwind for those providers who can capitalize on the moment. As one of the newest and most modern networks on the market, Zayo is uniquely positioned to support this growing demand for global bandwidth.” Deploying 400G Globally For today’s digital businesses, 400G is essential to ensure the speed and scalability to support increasingly complex and data-intensive applications. Zayo recently completed upgrades of its European network to be fully 400G-enabled, with plans for its Tier-1 backbone in North America to be fully 400G-enabled by the end of 2024. In Q3, Zayo added nine new 400G-enabled routes to its North American network to provide high-bandwidth options between key cities, including: • Atlanta to Washington, D.C. • Denver to Dallas (Direct) • Montreal to Quebec City • Clinton to Ponchatoula • Indianapolis to Columbus • Ashburn to Baltimore • Bend to Umatilla • Laurel to Denver Additional 400G routes in progress include: • Houston to New Orleans • St. Louis to Chicago • Buffalo to Albany • Winnipeg to Toronto • Toronto to Montreal • Buffalo to Toronto • Columbus to Ashburn • Cleveland to Buffalo • Houston to Ponchatoula • Umatilla to Quincy The enablement of Zayo’s global network with 400G will allow customers to continue scaling their bandwidth with Zayo on existing routes, opening up highcapacity access on new routes, improving network stability and providing an overall better customer experience through quicker delivery and optimal routing. The enhanced capacity from these routes will support customers that have exponential growth needs driven by emerging technologies such as 5G, cloud adoption, IoT, AI, edge computing, and automation. Expanding Global Low-Latency Network Zayo has also been working to expand capacity in other key economic centers across the globe. In October 2022, Zayo announced its global low-latency route connecting the U.S. to South America’s financial hub of Sao Paulo. In Q3 2023, the company completed expansions to its connectivity infrastructure in Sao Paulo including a new key terrestrial route that will provide connectivity throughout the metro ring and to four key data centers. IP Infrastructure Growth IP demand continues to be a driver for capacity increases. Zayo continues to bolster its IP infrastructure with new PoPs in key markets and data centers across the globe. Zayo added eight new IP PoPs to its North American network in Q3. Zayo’s IP backbone, which runs on Zayo’s wholly owned fiber infrastructure, makes up nearly 10% of the world’s Internet capacity. Zayo currently manages 96Tb of core capacity and 34TB of peering capacity, and adds 1-2Tb of peering capacity every quarter. Upgrading Long-Haul Capacity As one of the other providers actively investing in its long-haul infrastructure, Zayo is continuing to overbuild its routes in high-demand areas to enable enhanced fiber capacity. In Q3 2023, Zayo completed the overbuild of its Omaha to Denver route, providing increased capacity on this highly sought-after route. Zayo also has three new long-haul route builds and two additional route overbuilds in progress with scheduled completion by the end of 2023. The enhancement to Zayo’s long-haul dark fiber routes provide customers with diverse routing options and the ability to customize and enhance their network to meet the unique needs of their businesses while maximizing resiliency and ability to scale. p For more information, go to www.zayo.com or visit Zayo in the Skybox Meeting Room.
high-performing network high-performing people Unique Midwest Routes Next-generation technology, High-capacity, low latency 400G transport connecting major Data Centers across 6 states Efficient 100GE/400GE service delivery using 400G wavelengths Enhanced fault isolation capability with per span OTDR for real time fiber event visibility internet - data - voice - video - more Great Plains Communications is one of the largest telecommunications, last mile, and middle mile providers in the Midwest. At the core of our service offering is an extensive 18,000 mile regional fiber network with community access rings, last mile, and middle mile solutions.
14 THE INCOMPAS SHOW I OCTOBER 8 - 10, 2023 www.bekabusinessmedia.com DAY 2 Ziply Fiber Brings Northwest’s Fastest Internet to Tieton and Republic, Wash., with Launch of New Multi-gig Fiber Networks GTT Appoints Ed Morche as CEO Sinch MessageMedia Launches New SMS Service to Improve Customer Experience Ziply® Fiber, the fastest internet service provider in the Northwest, announced that its ultra-high-speed, 100% fiber-optic network is now ready for service in Tieton and Republic, Wash. The launch means fiber internet connectivity – with speeds from 100 Mbps to as fast as 10 Gig – is now available at more than 750 addresses throughout the cities. With multi-gig services available, this launch not only makes Ziply Fiber the fastest internet provider in the city, but it also means Tieton and Republic will have the fastest household internet speeds in the Northwest and be among the fastest cities in the nation, even faster than most major metropolitan areas. Fiber internet, unlike other options like cable or satellite, provides the bandwidth and capacity to keep entire families streaming without interruption, provides symmetrical upload and download speeds to easily power video conferencing and online gaming and delivers the reliability to empower residents and businesses for decades. Ziply Fiber offers many different service options for residents, including: • FREE or reduced cost monthly internet service for qualified people as part of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a benefit program from the FCC. To learn more about ACP, please visit ziplyfiber. com/internet/community-discounts • The entry level Fiber 100/100 plan provides all the reliability of fiber at great value. Residents who sign up for service in June can get the first three months of service at just $10/month, and then just $20/month for the remainder of the first year • Ziply Fiber’s most popular Gig-speed plan, which includes $10 off for the first three months of service for new customers who sign-up in June. Following the three-month promotion, the cost is $60/month for the remainder of the year. • The company’s ultra-fast, high-capacity 10 Gig, 5 Gig and 2 Gig connections • All residential plans come with no data caps and no annual contracts p For more information about Ziply Fiber, go to ziplyfiber.com or meet with them at Deal Center Table 15. GTT Communications, Inc., a leading global provider of managed network and security services to multinational organizations, last week announced the appointment of Ed Morche as chief executive officer and board director. Morche is an accomplished business leader with an excellent track record that spans more than 30 years in the telecommunication industry. Before joining GTT, Morche served as president of Lumen’s North American Enterprise and Public Sector, and previously held other senior leadership roles at CenturyLink and Level 3 over his tenure with the combined organization. Morche’s experience includes global and North American leadership positions at Igaea Communications, Teleglobe, Global One and Sprint, in addition to multiple philanthropic roles supporting the Virginia Hospital Center, including serving as a director on the hospital’s foundation board. “We are delighted to welcome Ed as we look to a bright future as a managed network services and security provider serving global multinational enterprises,” said Tony Abate, GTT executive chairman of the board. “His deep industry experience, long-standing commitment to service delivery excellence, and proven track record of empowering and inspiring teams make him an ideal choice to continue to drive the company forward.” p For more information about GTT, go to www.gtt.net or visit with the company in the Meeting Room 10. Sinch, which powers meaningful conversations between businesses and their customers through its Customer Communications Cloud, announced its global launch of SMS for Zoho Desk, which extends Sinch MessageMedia’s industry-leading, two-way SMS capabilities. Deepening existing, highly-rated integrations with the Zoho Suite — SMS for Zoho Desk by Sinch MessageMedia enables customer service teams to easily manage and quickly address customer inquiries from a centralized platform, cutting down on response times and improving customer satisfaction. “Customer service teams are integral to the success of a business — no matter the size. They shouldn’t be bogged down by siloed messaging channels, which makes it harder to support customers and frustrating for everyone involved,” said Sean O’Neal, president, SMB, Sinch. “We are proud to add to our robust portfolio of over 85 integrations with SMS for Zoho Desk by Sinch MessageMedia, fulfilling service teams’ need for centralized, real-time conversational messaging and supporting the full customer journey — from marketing and sales, to service and support.” Customer service interactions can make or break customer relationships or a brand’s reputation, with direct impacts to companies’ bottom lines. Research from Sinch MessageMedia finds that customers are 82% more likely to have a favorable impression of a brand simply by being able to engage in two-way conversations. SMS for Zoho Desk by Sinch MessageMedia empowers businesses to take their customer support to the next level. Seamless, one-to-one conversational messaging directly within Zoho Desk eliminates the need for support teams to juggle multiple platforms, and instant, automated responses free agents up to focus on more complicated customer queries. The result: reduced strain on staff and faster ticket times. p For more information about Silver Sponsor Sinch, go to www.sinch.com or visit with the company during the Buyers Forum.
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