INCOMPAS Fall 2017 - Day 2 Show Daily

www. INCOMPAS .org « 7 » www.bekabusinessmedia.com DAY 2 (carried in unoccupied UHF and VHF chan- nels, hence the name) are also capable of traversing the physical barriers and long distances that make internet access for rural communities such a challenge. Through Airband, Microsoft will invest in these upfront capital projects (TVWS, as well as other technologies where appropriate), which will be carried out by local operators. The company will then seek a revenue share to recoup its investment, and to keep the ball rolling, plans to re-invest that revenue in addi- tional projects to expand coverage further. “This is a real business opportunity for competitive providers, given that 40 percent of people in rural areas are not connected,” said Kevin Connolly, director of Airband Interna- tional. “There’s a real addressable market here, and we’re offering an opportunity to co-invest to address that market quicker than they would be able to otherwise.” Microsoft has also done cost modeling on its plan: TVWS is expected to provide the best approach to reach approximately 80 percent of the underserved rural population, particularly in areas with a population density between two and 200 people per square mile. Satellite coverage will likely be the most cost-effective solution for most areas with a population density of less than two people per square mile, and for areas with density greater than 200 people per square mile (for example, underserved farming towns), fixed wireless would likely best fit the bill. Microsoft expects this mixed model to bring the total national cost of closing the rural broadband gap to roughly $10 billion. This strategic model hinges on being able to deploy affordable network technology, so the company is also providing royalty-free access to at least 39 patents and sample source code to better enable broadband connectivity through the use of TVWS spectrum. “We want to catalyze the ecosystem to address this issue,” Connolly said. “This model works: We’ve successfully invested globally in initiatives like this, and now it’s time to bring that home and apply our exper- tise in our own backyard.” Aside from building out the broadband network itself, Airband will also invest in training people of all ages on the latest technology, so they can use the new connectivity to improve education, healthcare, agriculture and trans- form their businesses. Microsoft’s first partner- ship in this area is a multi-year agreement with the National 4-H Council, which will engage America’s largest youth development organiza- tion to provide digital literacy skills training and teen-led learning programs. “If there’s anything we’ve learned in the last year or so, it’s that a significant number of people feel left behind in this country,” Connolly said. “We’re doing what we can to lift all boats.” p 6 3 10 278 +1.800.770.3691 WWW.TELEVERGENCE.COM Outstanding Customer Management Our team of experienced telecom professionals perform adds, moves and changes with ease across all major Tier One and regional networks so you don’t have to. Geographic and Network Diversity By maintaining overlapping infrastructure built- out in regional data centers and major clouds, our network has delivered 100% uptime to our customers for the past three calendar years. Save Money and Time Benefit from our existing wholesale relationships and rates with major carriers without having to navigate individual contracts or minimum usage commitments. Infinite Flexibility A complete menu of a-la-carte services to fit your business model including: Full RESPORG Services, Multi Carrier Provisioning, Disaster Recovery Planning and Completely ManagedWholesale Toll Free Service Delivery via Public and Private SIP. TOLL FREE NUMBERS in Service and Growing! With over 30 years of experience focusing on the needs of the domestic market, it’s no wonder so many carriers small and large, have placed their toll free numbers and trust in Televergence. Contact our sales team to start achieving the benefits of toll free complex routing and network diversity. Bridging the Digital Divide: Microsoft’s Rural Airband Initiative When: Tuesday, 11:30 a.m. - Noon Where: Golden Gate Ballroom A Speaker: Kevin Connolly, Director, Microsoft Rural Airband Initiative (Continued from page 6)