The 2019 INCOMPAS Show, Day 1

www.bekapublishing.com THE INCOMPAS SHOW WWW. INCOMPAS .ORG A s we look into the near future and investi- gate the possibilities and importance of 5G, it’s clear that during the next few years the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will have a focus on broadband deployment. In turn, INCOMPAS will be fighting for its members with an emphasis on increasing competition, reducing deployment barriers and fostering investment in faster next-generation networks, said INCOMPAS CEO Chip Pickering.  For starters, Pickering believes INCOMPAS members that are building high-speed broadband networks should be very excited about the FCC’s announcement that it is establishing a Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), which will commit $20.4 billion during the next decade to network develop- ment in rural America.   “This represents a significant investment that can help address the persistent broadband availability problem that we see in this country,” he said. “It also will enable the deployment of robust, sustainable, scal- able and future-proof technologies that will be used to deliver both wired and wireless digital opportunity for millions of Americans and their communities.” With respect to the RDOF, the FCC proposes to conduct a reverse auction in two phases: first targeting unserved rural areas and then partially served areas. “INCOMPAS supports a reverse auction and believes that allowing numerous entities to compete for funding will promote more efficient distribution of high-cost funding,” said Pickering. “Furthermore, we have voiced our support for the FCC’s proposal (Continued on page 6) INCOMPAS Continues Its Battle for Broadband SHOWDAILY Chip Pickering, INCOMPAS CEO N O V E M B E R 4 - 6 | L O U I S V I L L E | K E N T U C K Y THE 2019 DAY 1