WISPAPALOOZA 2016 - Show Guide

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Q: What are you most excited about for this year’s show?
AP: This show traditionally signifies the beginning of a new
year’s cycle for us, and it gives our membership an opportunity
to be inspired. In addition to updating everyone on what we’ve
done and what we will do, we know that our members face
great challenges every day—so we want to also stress the great
opportunities out there for them and our industry as a whole.
It’s an exciting time.
Q: Is there anything new for this year for attendees?
AP: One thing that’s new for this show is that we’ve worked
with a company that has done a quantified study on the
nature of the WISP industry. The report is being announced
at the show, and they’ll make that data available to members.
The report outlines, with hard data, why WISP businesses are
successful, why people should invest in them, and why banks
should offer credit and other resources to allow members to
grow. Our members can take this information to a bank or an
investor as part of their business plan.
Q: You mentioned opportunities—what are some of the
things that are happening?
AP: All too often, the most difficult trends also represent the
greatest opportunities. WISPs have always been the ones
to serve areas where no one else is willing to invest; and we
bring important services to our communities. Now, more of
the larger players are encroaching on our service areas and
that has people worried. They’re also worried about growth
and going to new areas where there may be a large operator
already in place. But the reality is, the big guys will always lag
behind, in service and in understanding the community. They
go in with a cookie-cutter approach to things and they think
money will fix everything. But that’s not the truth, and our
opportunity is that we can simply do things better and serve
our customers better.
Q: What about video and TV?
AP: Video is the service that we have a love-hate relationship
with. We hate how much it affects networks, but we love how
much people love it. Consumers want to cut the cord and
watch the types of media that they want to watch, when they
want to watch it, and our better broadband can help them do
that. A challenge for our industry going forward is challenging
the Netflix view that OTT providers should have unlimited
access to the capacity in our networks without paying for it.
Q: What regulatory efforts fromWISPA are you showcasing
this year?
AP: We know that there are plenty of things that are unfair at
the FCC, things that really slow our members down. But we’re
always making progress in D.C. and making progress with
the regulators. As I just mentioned, we’re going to continue
to talk to the FCC and lay the groundwork for more cost-
effective delivery for content, for one. We’re also watching the
introduction of LTE unlicensed and LAA—if this starts having
negative effects on customers to the benefit of cell phone
companies, we need to protect ourselves. Something that
disruptive to the ecosystem can’t go unchallenged.
Q: What are you doing on the spectrum-sharing front?
AP: We are working with a standards body called the Wireless
Innovation Forum, to lay the groundwork for spectrum-sharing.
We are working closely to make sure we’re represented as
standards are developed, but also this will be the way of
the future—so we need to prepare for having access to this
resource and be aware that this will change how spectrum is
granted in the future.
Q: IsWISPA also ramping up its legislation efforts?
AP: That’s a big push for us. At the FCC we fight for what’s
right against what’s wrong. But it’s difficult to get things done
when what’s legal and not legal don’t match up. More right
things should be legal, and more wrong things should be
outlawed. On the Net neutrality front, we’re trying to get some
exemptions for small businesses passed, for example.
Q: Any final thoughts onWISPAPALOOZA?
AP: This is our sixth show, and it’s well on its way to being
another record-breaker, with a lot of new vendors and our
best attendance to date. We’ve also really grown from focusing
mainly on technical content to dedicating tracks to best
practices, and HR and marketing and how to run your business.
I look forward to seeing all the new faces that are attending
this year, and catching up with our members and old friends.
As the wireless ISP industry embarks on a new sea of opportunities in diverse areas like
enterprise services, video and fiber—while deepening their commitment to traditional
service areas—this year’s show promises more opportunities for learning, conversations and
insights than ever before. Alex Phillips, WISPA President and founder of ,
sat down for a Q&A to discuss the year ahead.
Welcome to WISPAPALOOZA!
4 WISPAPALOOZA 2016
Alex Phillips
President, WISPA