WISAPAPLOOZA Fall 2017 - Day 1 Show Daily

L Z OO 2017 6 WISPA PALOOZA 2017 SHOW I OCTOBER 9 - 13, 2017 www.bekabusinessmedia.com DAY 1 Trina Coffey Director of Operations 260-622-5775 866-317-2851 ext 102 tcoffey@wispa.org Arielle Coffey Administrative Assistant 260-622-5773 866-317-2851 ext 100 arielle@wispa.org Gary Helmers Sales/Membership Coordinator 260-622-5774 866-317-2851 ext 103 ghelmers@wispa.org Will Peterson Marketing Associate 260-622-5772 866-317-2851 ext 101 wpeterson@wispa.org Martin Vilaboy Editor-in-Chief martin@bekabusinessmedia.com Percy Zamora Art Director percy@bekabusinessmedia.com Berge Kaprelian Group Publisher berge@bekabusinessmedia.com Rene Galan Associate Publisher rene@bekabusinessmedia.com Anthony Graffeo Associate Publisher anthony@bekabusinessmedia.com Miki Takeuchi Marketing & Digital Media W ith all the partisan rancor that’s occur- ring in Washington, D.C. these days, it’s tempting to look the other way and focus solely on one’s own businesses. But that would be a big mistake for the wireless Internet service provider (WISP) industry. Since its founding, WISPA has always devoted significant resources to cultivating relation- ships with government officials and advocating on its members’ behalf because so many policy debates – in Congress and at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) – have major impacts on the industry. WISPA’s federal legislative and regulatory efforts are focused on four primary objectives. Gaining access to additional spectrum. Spec- trum is the lifeblood of the fixed wireless broadband industry. WISPs have traditionally relied on unli- censed or lightly licensed spectrum, and if it weren’t for the sector’s innovation in these bands, millions of Americans would still lack broadband access. WISPA was an early adopter of the prin- ciple of “spectrum sharing,” and the association continues to believe that hierarchical spectrum- access regimes and “use it or share it” rules will expedite broadband deployment and improve the customer experience. WISPA also is advocating for spectrum auction rules that allow bidding in smaller geographic areas. Auctions covering large areas tend to concentrate control over the airwaves in the hands of the largest companies serving the densest markets. Eliminating FCC regulations that dispropor- tionately burden small broadband providers. In recent years, the FCC adopted a “grand slam” of new rules that had a disproportionately adverse effect on small broadband providers. WISPA led the way in Congress and at the FCC to win an exemption from these rules for smaller companies. Reforming broadband subsidy programs. WISPA believes Congress should adopt legisla- tion that refocuses universal support programs on subsidizing broadband deployment, and eliminates the requirement that recipients offer voice service. Support should not depend on whether a provider uses a particular technology or is categorized as one type of provider; instead, federal policy should prioritize cost-effectiveness, speed of deploy- ment, and performance criteria such as throughput speed, data usage restrictions, and latency. WISPA has been deeply involved in advocating for rules in the FCC’s upcoming Connect America Fund reverse auction that would enable fixed wireless and small businesses to compete. Modernizing the Communications Act. Finally, WISPA is working for legislation to bring telecom policy into the 21st century. For example, federal law should no longer regulate broadband providers on the basis of the access technology they use; to the greatest extent possible, the legal framework should be the same for all broadband providers. How does WISPA carry out its advocacy work? WISPA’s elected board determines our overall strategic direction and priorities. Volunteers on WISPA’s FCC and Legislative Committees provide feedback on specific policy proposals, regula- tory filings, and draft legislation, and a team of several board members and outside professional advisers manage our day-to-day advocacy efforts. Our activities are recapped and shared with our members via emails, social media, and the WISPA website, and the WISPA D.C. team presents detailed updates at WISPAmerica and WISPA- PALOOZA each year. There is no doubt that WISPA’s advocacy efforts are paying off. Since the start of 2017, both Congress and the FCC have taken action on WISPA-supported measures to roll back burden- some regulations. WISPA representatives have been invited to meet with FCC commissioners, White House staff, and key members of Congress to educate them on our industry and advocate for our priorities. For example, WISPA had the opportunity to provide input on the AIRWAVES Act before it was introduced, and was able to achieve modifications that would preserve GAA access in the CBRS band and protect investments WISPs have already made. Earlier this year a WISPA-led coalition filed a petition at the FCC to open access to an addi- tional 500 megahertz of mid-band spectrum that is perfectly suited for fixed wireless broadband. WISPA members who are interested in learning more and getting involved with the association’s advocacy efforts should attend today’s session at 4:30 p.m. entitled “Legislative Update and WISPA’s Policy Priorities,” and contact Jimmy Carr or Mark Radabaugh, chairmen of WISPA’s Legislative and FCC Committees, respectively. m Additional information and a detailed version of WISPA’s policy priorities are available at www.WISPA.org . WISPA’s Public Policy Team: Building a Stronger Future for Our Industry