1 0 WISPAMERICA 2022 I MARCH 14 - 17, 2022 www.bekabusinessmedia.com DAY 2 the organization and the industry as he prepares to step down. “I’m gratified to see the amazing growth we’ve seen in staff, membership, financial bottom line and most of all, positive impact for our members,” Aiken said. “Very few associations our size can honestly say that they have achieved multi-billion-dollar positive impact for their industry: we can be proud that we have achieved that. “For our members, first, I would say keep your focus on your community and your customers,” he continued. “The reason our industry is great is because we care deeply about our communities, and it shows.” He said a second thing the industry must continue to do is to engage with government. “Your life is easier if you have positive relationships with your local, state, and federal officials,” Aiken said. “Especially as government is spending billions on connectivity, those engagements will pay off.” This second point especially is important because as Aiken said, “This is something WISPA worked hard on: to ensure that the money appropriated had flexibility to be used for all different types of technologies including fiber and fixed wireless.” As details of how the money is divided, Aiken said WISPAMERICS 2022 has panelists from the government who will help attendees understand the trajectory of the funds, suggesting that it likely will be “a patchwork of different approaches depending on the state and locality in question.” Aiken said, “Our members need to engage their elected and appointed representatives to ensure they’re understanding the contours of this funding, ensuring that they are ready to seek it or to ensure that they are defending against it. “This is exactly why we had a Broadband Billions Bootcamp at WISPAMERICA this year, to help folks understand the funding and provide practical advice on how to address the opportunities and threats,” he said of Monday’s special co-located event. The event brought together operators, government officials, and industry experts who presented a deep dive into the $65 billion of broadband deployment funding within the new Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act and other related funding programs. The Bootcamp provided attendees with a comprehensive blueprint on where that funding is and provided those seeking funds the framework to compete for the opportunities. “After working on these issues for almost 15 years, I can safely say even this amount of money will only go so far,” Aiken said. “This will be hugely impactful and will ensure many more Americans have access to robust connectivity, but it isn’t the one-shot permanent solution that policymakers hope it will be.” He explained, “The gaps are going to look different in the future, but I believe our industry is well-positioned to fill them. It will be more focused on affordability and digital literacy, as well as infrastructure sustainability: something customer-focused companies thrive at addressing.” With a little more than a month to go before he leaves, Aiken said he’d like to see full implementation of the WISPA Path to Gigabit plan. The plan (located at https://www.wispa.org/ path_to_gigabit_proposal.php) calls for: • A localized spectrum policy to supercharge competition • Use of best-in-class data to develop futureproof subsidy programs • An aligned infrastructure policy to unleash competition by small innovators • Promotion of digital adoption and inclusion “I’m gratified that aspects of this are in the works, but if policymakers can make spectrum available on terms that make sense for innovators and entrepreneurs, ensure subsidy programs are fair and equitable, streamline access to infrastructure, and partner with service providers to advance digital equity, we’ll all be better off as a country,” Aiken said. Aiken added that he is grateful for the opportunity to lead WISPA and he thanked the organization and its members for placing their trust in his leadership. “The future, of WISPA and its members, is bright. It continually amazes me how much our members can accomplish, and this role has been one of the greatest joys of my professional career. Incredible volunteer leaders and dedicated staff have come together to accomplish things that I couldn’t have imagined possible when I first started in 2018,” he told agl Media Group. Although he told the Daily he isn’t sure where he will end up after April 30, he is hopeful it is a role “where I continue to interact with the fantastic folks in WISPA.” As for his eventual replacement, Aiken said, “I’d say stay laser-focused on the needs of our industry. Our association needs to continue to grow and evolve and develop new programs to positively impact our members.” m (Continued from page 1)
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTg4Njc=