DAY 2 www.bekabusinessmedia.com WWW.WISPA.ORG 1 WISP Financing has never been easier with us! Ability to fund ANY project/purchase starting at 10K up to 1.5 million A credit rates starting at 6.5% Ability to approve and fund transactions without personal guarantees on unsecured finance agreements. 24 hours or less response time for approvals. Ability to fund Fiber Only projects and Software only as well. Ability to fund any soft costs like maintenance, support and renewals. Ivan Crowe Icrowe@rtflease.com 818-921-3624 WISPA BROADBAND WITHOUT BOUNDARIES Visit us at booth 302 AND GET TO KNOW ABOUT EVERYTHING WE CAN FINANCE FOR YOUR WISP For the past 10 years Ritalia Funding has been a part of this event and industry with an astounding success rate. We have an approval ratio of 85% with all applications in this vertical because we are not your typical finance company. We specialize in creative financing structures that allows you to finance anything you need from a small router or CPE to a large Fiber Project, and everything else that goes with it. With flexible payment options, fast response time and few documents required. DAY 2 Since WISPA met last October in Las Vegas for WISPAPALOOZA, the organization has been working hard focusing on its concerns relative to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program (BEAD). During WISPAMERICA, attendees will hear a lot about what is happening, which we capsulize here. “We’ve had a number of meetings since October, including with NTIA chief Alan Davidson, key BEAD staff and technical folks,” said WISPA Director of Communications Michael Wendy. “We’ve gone in on our own, and with a number of WISPA member companies to help the agency understand the policy and technology – that excluding solutions will not only make BEAD more expensive, but it will delay its roll-out to the truly unserved, costing them billions in opportunity costs, too.” Wendy continued, “We’ve gone in to help them understand that unlicensed fixed wireless is reliable broadband and can do the job required by Congress. On top of this, there have been numerous and lengthy policy and technical correspondences to the agency. “And, most recently, we commissioned a White Paper by Dr. Bill Lehr, an MIT economist, to help the NTIA and state policymakers understand that the NTIA approach is the wrong direction – that open choice and state flexibility are the best way to get all Americans online quickly and cost-effectively,” he said. [See, ‘NTIA’s Technological Bias Could Raise Cost of BEAD by Tens of Billions of Dollars,’ on page 6.] While the lines of communication remain open, the NTIA still has not changed its mind on (Continued on page 4) NTIA BEAD Approach Remains on Wrong Track By Bruce Christian Attendees gathered Tuesday for breakfast and to listen to opening remarks during the first session of WISPAMERICA.
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DAY 2 4 WISPAMERICA I MARCH 6 - 9, 2023 www.bekabusinessmedia.com (Continued from page 1) its non-tech neutral approach to rolling out BEAD. “States play a big part in that roll out,” Wendy said. “And, as a consequence, we have developed a robust and growing state advocacy program to better advocate our positions where the BEAD money will get decided and spent. This will be an active landscape for the next couple of years.” Another avenue where WISPA received some support has been the U.S. Senate. Seven Republican members wrote a letter to the NTIA asking it to alter its definition of “reliable broadband.” Wendy pointed out that oversight is an important function of Congress, and BEAD is a massive program, making it a “legitimate concern about taxpayer waste and needless overbuilding,” which will occur if the NTIA continues on its current path. “We hope the NTIA hears this, but their silence is deafening,” Wendy said. “The agency has ignored Congress’ intent in prioritizing fiber as the main way BEAD deployments will roll-out in the states. They are going against time-tested approaches – the promotion of open choice – to ensure that all Americans have access to reliable broadband. They are going against small businesses – the first responders who are there and can finish the job of getting all online. They are going against small communities – those who will be left in the digital desert because of the NTIA’s untenable policy direction.” Wendy added, “We are encouraged by the Senators’ support. Importantly, their message resonates on both sides of the aisle. … Republicans and Democrats want to see every Americans on the internet as quickly and with the best use of government funding as possible. “Congress determined that the optimum way to achieve that is via a flexible, tech-neutral approach, which can be rapidly, efficiently applied by the states. That important principle holds true for Republicans and Democrats,” Wendy said. With the NTIA’s BEAD program, it issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to allow companies to apply for the funds. Determination of the funding allocation is supposed to be determined by need. “When the new FCC maps came out last November, it showed that 98 percent of all locations in America were covered by some form of broadband, as defined by the FCC,” Wendy said. “This is a success story, pure and simple. It is a testament to private investment. “The growth of access has become near ubiquitous precisely because of what government hasn’t done – that is, heavily regulate internet access like a 1934-era common carrier service,” Wendy continued. “This allowed a flood of private dollars – e.g., broadband provider CAPEX expenditures annually exceed $75 billion, and cumulatively have amounted to $2 trillion since 1996 – which has exploded access and choice. “Federal support to close the remaining gap should once-and-for-all eradicate the so-called digital divide,” he said. “Only those who choose not to use it will be offline.” Wendy said that access and affordability will not be a factor and WISPs have played a key role in all of this. “For nearly a generation, they’ve gone into areas that lacked broadband, or were forgotten by legacy providers – because they had low infrastructure and regulatory hurdles – and have served those areas with vital choice,” Wendy explained. “Using the right tool for the job, they continue to serve those communities with reliable, evolutionary broadband.” m Almvoy Inc., a Canadian-based manufacturer of steel infrastructure products, is expanding its U.S. service footprint, and it introduces its latest pre-engineered solutions designed specifically for WISPs at WISPAMERICA. The company will roll out several pole-mounting solutions, rooftop applications, and customdesigned innovations for WISP Antenna mounting. Almvoy Light Duty Micro Poles are designed perfectly for urban or rural on-premise deployment with limited real estate. These poles were designed for point-to-point and minimal-loading applications demanded by WISP installers. Almvoy offers a variety of non-penetrating rooftop ballast mounts for various antenna types. All products are pre-engineered and can be customized per project needs. “As modern supply chains continue to challenge deployment timelines and budgets, the need to simplify the process and standardize material is crucial in meeting critical timelines. Our philosophy is to streamline a customized process to best meet our customer ’s requirements. We are looking forward to continued growth in serving the WISP and broadband demands throughout United States and Canada.” Said Almvoy Inc.’s President Dominic Blago. Almvoy, based out of Cambridge, Ontario, serves national markets throughout North America. It specializes the manufacturing of high-quality steel infrastructure products including mounts, platforms, poles,and custom fabrications. m To learn more, visit booth 122 or go to www.almvoy.com. Receive Benefits of Partnering with DISH You can protect, retain, and grow your current customer base, with DISH. Dish offers an array of TV solutions for new and existing customers creating an additional revenue stream. Did you know: • 81 percent of 55-plus households in the United States have a Live TV Service • 74 percent TV households have a Live Pay-TV Service m Learn more about the benefits DISH can offer you at booth 418 Bruce Christian Senior Editor bruce@bekabusinessmedia.com Martin Vilaboy Editor-in-Chief martin@bekabusinessmedia.com Brady Hicks Managing Editor brady@bekabusinessmedia.com Percy Zamora Art Director percy@bekabusinessmedia.com Rob Schubel Digital Manager rob@bekabusinessmedia.com Jennifer Vilaboy Production Manager jen@bekabusinessmedia.com Berge Kaprelian Group Publisher berge@bekabusinessmedia.com (480) 503-0770 Anthony Graffeo Publisher anthony@bekabusinessmedia.com (203) 304-8547 Michael Burns National Account Executive michael@bekabusinessmedia.com (262) 993-9116 Corporate Headquarters 10115 E Bell Road, Suite 107 - #517 Scottsdale, Arizona 85260 Voice: 480.503.0770 Email: berge@bekabusinessmedia.com © 2023 Beka Business Media, All rights reserved Reproduction in whole or in any form or medium without express written permission of Beka Business Media is prohibited. RWS and the RWS logo are trademarks of Beka Business Media Almvoy Introduces Product Solutions
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DAY 2 6 WISPAMERICA I MARCH 6 - 9, 2023 www.bekabusinessmedia.com The NTIA’s BEAD NOFO will fall short of connecting all Americans online because it is not based on sound economic and other policy principles, concludes Dr. Bill Lehr in a white paper released in February. By designating fiber as a “priority broadband project” for NOFO deployments and excluding from the definition of “reliable broadband service” other viable technologies, NTIA’s total increased cost of opting for fiber could raise the costs of addressing U.S. broadband needs by tens of billions of dollars – potentially by as much as $60 billion – while also imposing significant delay in reaching truly unserved areas, foregoing billions more in lost consumer surplus and opportunity costs. “Prioritizing fiber projects over other broadband technologies represents a significant departure from the sound regulatory principle of technological neutrality,” states Lehr. This unreasonable bias “could increase costs by upwards of $30 to $60 billion depending on the distribution of fiber deployment costs for the unserved locations.” WISPA commissioned the paper to help NTIA and state policymakers realize the greatest success in bridging the digital divide through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the NTIA’s BEAD NOFO. The NOFO provides the states approximately $42 billion to deploy broadband where it is not. In framing the IIJA, Congress chose a tech-neutral path to roll-out needed services to all locations. NTIA, however, has eschewed that time-tested approach. The NOFO almost exclusively favors fiber deployments over other viable alternatives. Further, the NTIA has inexplicably removed unlicensed fixed wireless access (FWA) from the palette of “reliable broadband” solutions available to the states for BEAD projects. Technologies like FWA using only unlicensed spectrum, which the FCC has determined can be used by universal support program recipients to meet their performance obligations, can be deployed in a matter of months, not years, and at a fraction of the cost of fiber. According to Lehr, “Excluding broadband providers that use unlicensed spectrum to deliver broadband services … signals a threat to universal service policy goals and the healthy evolution of the internet ecosystem.” Using recent FCC data, Lehr calculates that walling off otherwise recognized broadband alternatives “unambiguously adds” at least 1.9 million new locations calling for government-funded overbuilding with BEAD funds. As a result, “the public funding challenge of promoting universal service to broadband in the U.S. may be elevated by a third, or by more than $10 billion,” states Lehr. By ignoring Congress’ tech-neutral intent, the NOFO’s fiber preference, which takes considerably more time (and in many cases years) to deploy, will certainly bring about expensive delay to communities that currently lack 25/3 Mbps and 100/20 Mbps broadband. “The increased costs and reduced options enabled for addressing unserved citizens will further delay the ability of those citizens to participate in the digital economy and contribute to the benefits that realization of universal service goals will deliver to all citizens.” Delaying the availability of broadband, if even for two years, could result in foregoing upwards of $30 to $60 billion in total surplus. Those “substantial opportunity costs cannot be overlooked,” in Lehr’s view. These infirmities might be mitigated if states could flexibly use the tools they deemed fit for their NOFO projects. But the latitude to employ anything other than fiber has been all but foreclosed by the NTIA. In fact, the agency doublesdown on its fiber bet by urging states to reach the highest possible costs when calculating an exception to its preference – e.g., the NOFO’s extremely high-cost per location threshold – essentially mooting that guidance, which would have allowed states to choose FWA, or other less-costly technologies, where the expense to wire via fiber was deemed exorbitant. The ”mistaken excessive prioritization of [fiber] … imposes unreasonable constraints on state broadband offices seeking to promote digital infrastructure goals efficiently,” concludes Lehr. To rectify this, he suggests states “actively engage with the FCC and NTIA to push for more sensible rules. Those efforts will be aided if the states have better and more granular data about the costs and available technical options for deploying broadband infrastructure in the state. That means better information regarding the costs of providing [fiber] to every location in the state, as well as the costs of using alternative technologies.” m To download a copy of the white paper go to this link: https://www.wispa.org/docs/Lehr_ White_Paper_Final.pdf By Mike Wendy Director of Communications, WISPA Positron VIRTUOSO GAM Makes Gig Managing Easier Positron Access announces the availability of VIRTUOSO (VIRTUalized Optimized Services and Operations), the element management and services platform for the Positron GAM. Managing the in-building delivery of Gigabit services over telephone pairs or coaxial; cabling now will be even easier. VIRTUOSO automatically discovers and provides comprehensive management information for your Positron GAM devices. Using the popular JSON API of GAM devices, the simple and effective dashboard provides a view of all your MDUs served with GAM devices along with the state of the Gigabit services you deliver to your subscribers. You have a global view of the state of each G.hn link serving your subscribers and you have access to detailed information about the health and performance of each individual links with a few clicks. VIRTUOSO aggregates alarm information from managed devices. Without leaving VIRTUOSO, you can connect to the GAM reporting the alarm and use the built-in spectrum analyzer of the GAM to troubleshoot and correct problems ahead and sometimes without having to dispatch a field technician on site. Firmware management for your devices can be automated. VIRTUOSO is free of charge and runs on a Virtual Linux server in your cloud. Reach out to sales@positronaccess.com for more information and to get access to your copy of VIRTUOSO. Positron Access also offers OMCI integration and interoperability with OLTs which allows service providers to manage the customer endto-end as another XGS-PON subscriber. m Visit Positron Access in booth 619 for more information. NTIA’s Technological Bias Could Raise Cost of BEAD by Tens of Billions of Dollars
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DAY 2 8 WISPAMERICA I MARCH 6 - 9, 2023 www.bekabusinessmedia.com One thing is clear: WISPA has a heart. At each WISPA conference, the organization raises money for an organization or an individual. WISPAMERICA in Louisville will be no different, as the father of six who needs brain surgery has been chosen as the recipient. Glenn Kelly’s cousin, Angela Pigman, with the help of Mike Hammett are organizing this event’s fundraiser. Pigman explained the situation in a note sent earlier to WISPA members. In case you haven’t seen it, it follows: “For those of you that know Glenn, this sounds like one of his crazy jokes, right? Sadly, it’s not. He has a brain tumor and has started having mini strokes. Without surgery to remove the pressure on his brain, it’s probably going to be terminal. He’s been in the hospital three times in the last couple of months. “I’m Angela, his cousin. Some days I’m surprised he claims me as fami ly. If you knew Glenn, you would think he has more l ives than my cat. Over and over again, he beat some real ly stiff odds – chi ld abuse, homelessness, breast cancer. His brother passed when we were teenagers. “Like the dude just won’t quit. And while at times he has been like my totally obnoxious little brother, he has always offered to generously help in any way he can. He was a medic, and he still pulls over to help people. “He’s got six kids. They need their dad in their lives. So, I don’t know – after all he’s been through I can’t decide if his luck is horrible or unbelievable. I don’t know if I would still be slogging on after all that. No one deserves to die from needing medical care. So, my request from you is to help him try to beat the odds again. All donations will be used for his medical care, either the surgery itself or the physical therapy after.” A letter asking for donations was sent to WISPA members, and during WISPAMERICA attendees are encouraged to go online at https://www.32auctions.com/ wispamerica2023 or to scan the QR Code and make a bid. If you still want to donate, reach out to Gary Helmers at ghelmers@wispa.org or Layne Sisk at laye@serverplus.com. The auction accepts services, products, gift cards or anything you think attendees would find value in. Also, when donating, send a description of the donation(s) and include the value of it. Please hold on to the donation until after WISPAMERICA, and WISPA will connect you with the winning bidder to arrange shipping. If you’re not donating, be sure to check out what you can win and make a purchase. Don’t let Glenn’s kids have to grow up without their father. m Women of WISPA (WoW) was co-founded in the fall of 2021 at WISPAPALOOZA by Susan Myers of East Carolina Broadband, Georgette LopezAguado of Sonar, Alison Vreeswyk of Preseem, and Jennifer Lisaius of WISPA. The purpose was to be a networking group of WISPA members who seek the advancement of women in the telecommunications industry with a goal to “Engage, Inspire and Connect” WISPA members in our field, our community and around the world, regardless of gender. WoW kicked off the inaugural breakfast on March 16, 2022, at WISPAMERICA in New Orleans. a 7 a.m. breakfast gathering at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center drew 60 people. The next event was a breakfast meeting at WISPAPALOOZA in Las Vegas. Co-founders of WoW doubled the number of attendees to more than 120 people. In Las Vegas, the breakfast began with an introduction from Jennifer Lisaius, WISPA, followed by a virtual presentation of encouragement and acknowledgment from Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), a member of the Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee, which oversees the technology policy debate in the U.S. Senate. Next, a panel of female WoW members spoke and engaged the audience on shared experiences and the common vision to Encourage, Inspire & Connect women in the technology sector, STEM programs, innovation, breaking barriers and mentorship. The panel included Susan Myers, East Carolina Broadband; Martha Huizenga,DC Access; Abbi Hubler, TekWav; Alison Vreeswyk, Preseem; and Georgette Lopez-Aguado, Sonar. WoW was joined by WISPA President and CEO David Zumwalt and many of our members, regardless of gender, to highlight the impact of women in the field of technology as we work to close the digital divide to ensure that all Americans have access to 21st-century education, economic development, health care, law enforcement and more, by providing highspeed, reliable internet service. WoW invites you to join it at its next breakfast during WISPAMERICA. The breakfast begins at 7 a.m., Thursday in Room M-103 of the Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC). Along with breakfast, a fun morning of Speed Networkig is planned, so don’t forget your business cards. WoW is grateful to its sponsors, Sonar Software, Preseem and Calix who make these events possible. m To join Women of WISPA, contact Jennifer Lisaius at jlisaius@wispa.org. WISPA Charity Aids Long-time Member WoW Plans ‘Speed Networking’ for Breakfast
DAY 2 1 0 WISPAMERICA I MARCH 6 - 9, 2023 www.bekabusinessmedia.com Recently FiberLight’s Chief Strategy Officer Ron Kormos shared his thoughts regarding the “Texas of Tomorrow” during a Waco Chamber of Commerce Infrastructure Summit. Among his observations was how the world has changed because of the pandemic. “I think one of the biggest changes we saw was the shift going from working at the office to working at home,” Kormos said. “Just five years ago, I cannot remember getting on a Teams call more than once a week. Now I am in virtual meetings six or eight times a day via Teams, Google, WebEx or another platform. “The transition to virtual work has made the infrastructure gaps easy to identify,” he said. “How many times does your screen freeze up on video calls because someone does not have enough bandwidth?” Kormos, a respected thought leader in the industry, asked attendees to imagine what it would be like to be on a virtual medicine appointment with their doctors and the screen suddenly becomes frozen. When asked about FiberLight working with the Texas Broadband Development Office, Kormos told the attendees the company owns and operate its network, which includes about 11,000 route miles in Texas. “One of the things that I want to emphasize here on the importance of the middle mile provider,” he said. “We provide access. We have over 8,500 miles in the state of Texas that we consider to be rural. In order to connect these areas, we need more middle mile infrastructure.” He added that one thing thing surfaced after the infrastructure bill was released is that Congress allocated only $1 billion to the middle mile and some $40 billion to the last mile. “Last mile is very important, but we all know that without the middle mile, the last mile does not work,” Kormos said. “Take water for instance, you can be in a subdivision and have great water, sewer and everything else, but if it doesn’t connect to the big water line, you do not have water. Same thing with networks, you must have middle-mile connectivity out to that area before you ever get to the last mile.” FiberLight has enabled more than 200 WISPs (Wireless ISPs) and ISPs on its network to deliver last mile services, which makes the company a “carrier’s carrier.” “We sell to the WISP and the ISPs, but there is a lot more money that needs to be put in the mid-mile piece,” Kormos said. “That is what we want to see out of the broadband committee.” FiberLight is a business that reaches beyond Waco, Kormos reminded the summit. “We work with a lot of different cities, states, and also different counties. We are working with Jasper County, Newton County, working with Burnett County, and working with all the Panhandle area right now in economic development,” he said. “I think it is critical on the public-private partnership, because let’s face it … we are [a] for-profit company. We must make a profit in order to pay our people. It is not practical to say, ‘Let’s go out to an area that only has 10 people living there.’ You cannot make the money to cover what you have to spend. So we need government involvement to help us deliver network to these underserved areas and rural areas.” Kormos also said the industry always must consider what’s on the horizon. “We must continue to improve,” Kormos said. “We need to get it done more efficiently in the industry. We already see that the workforce is way low. We have got to make that up in automation and the only way to do that is to get broadband out there and start utilizing that. I understand that content delivery is exploding. It is a $13 billion industry, and it is growing at a rate of 30 percent per year in the United States. So that is where I think we need to challenge ourselves and ask, ‘what’s next on the horizon?’” m For more information on how FiberLight is building Texas and its other coverage areas, visit booth 108 on the Exhibit Floor or go to www.fiberlight.com As a global leader in RF data transmission equipment design and manufacturing, SAF Tehnika is recognized by WISPs in the United States, European Union and around the world for innovative solutions. SAF Tehnika understands the challenges of delivering reliable, high-performance connectivity, especially in remote areas, and it knows that cost efficiency is crucial to the success of WISPs. The company designed the Integra-X radio to meet these demands. With the ability to transmit high power in the 18 GHz frequency range, Integra-X enables single-channel XPIC operations with a capacity of 2.2 Gbps for long-distance connections. And with transmit power of up to +31 dBm, it allows for wide channels up to 112 MHz in frequency bands starting from 6 GHz and above. Linkwave was one of the first companies to deploy Integra-X 18 GHz radios, using just 2.95 ft (~90 cm) diameter antennas to create long-distance hops up to 21 miles (~35 km) with remarkable performance. SAF Tehnika’s responsive customer service and five-year warranty also impressed the Linkwave team, while Linkwave’s CEO, Lorenzo Busatti, appreciated the built-in spectrum analyzer and polarization indication on Integra-X’s GUI. To read a case study, go to this link: https://cdn.bfldr.com/63PGQIPJ/at/ frh62fsm8r9883sjnp4g655h/SAF_Linkwave_ Case_Study_A4_WEB.pdf m If you’re ready to expand your network with the reliable, efficient, and cost-effective Integra-X, contact Ryan.Tisdale@saftehnika. com, visit saftehnika.com/en/integrax, or meet us at booth 508. FiberLight Looks to Build the Texas of Tomorrow Connect the Unconnected with Integra-X By Bruce Christian
DAY 2 WWW.WISPA.ORG 1 1 www.bekabusinessmedia.com Clearfield SeeChange Terminal Helps Operators Speed Fiber Deployments Clearfield Inc., a leader in community broadband fiber connectivity, announced the SeeChange Terminal and hardened connector system. The small, craft-friendly, carrier-grade, access terminal is ideal for any fiber network deployment requiring a plug-and-play approach. Purpose-built as a commercially off-the-shelf option for community broadband and 5G network operators looking to overcome industry-wide supply chain constraints and a shortage of skilled technicians, this readily available, plug-and-play terminal and hardened connector system is a cost-effective, pre-packaged solution that requires minimal training in any deployment scenario, tested to withstand even the most extreme environments. “I could author a book on fixed wireless technologies, but I know nothing about fiber,” said Rob Walker, owner of Telespan. “By teaming up with Clearfield and its new SeeChange platform, I can deliver a state-of-the-art fiber-to-the-home network to over 200 homes in Lubbock, Texas, using plug-and play-components with only my two wireless techs. “Anyone wanting an easy-to-understand and easy-to-install fiber network should consider the Clearfield SeeChange platform,” Walker added. SeeChange hardened fiber assemblies are available with either a multi-fiber MPO connector or a single-fiber SC APC connector. An integrated rear shell provides the feature that engages and fully seals a connection to the SeeChange Terminal. The connection is ideal for harsh OSP environments and is rated for installations below grade or above grade including aerial installations on strands. An MPO input port allows for four subscriber drop ports as well as an MPO Express output port that feeds downstream terminals, enabling the operator to push fiber deeper in the neighborhood. The compact size can be deployed in a variety of locations including pedestal, vault, flowerpot, pole-mount, smart-pole or strand mounted options. “Over the next decade, fiber networks will go further than they have ever gone before, connecting people and places previously unreachable based on economics and technology, said Clearfield Chief Operating Officer Johnny Hill. “Operators need solutions that speed time to market, reduce cost of deployment, and can be deployed with minimal training. SeeChange ensures that our customers can address these needs quickly and cost effectively, with a simplified solution that withstands the harshest environmental challenges.” SeeChange works alongside Clearfield’s other terminal products designed so that engineers can deliver fiber services in support of any size fiberto-the-home (FTTH), fiber-to-the-business (FTTB) or 5G network, with minimal training needed for installation and service activation. Both hardened connector styles are secured easily into open terminal ports and cleaned and inspected using a special optical probe tip, making it a complete solution for quick installations using entry level technicians. m Visit with Clearfield at booth 623 or go to the company website www.SeeClearfield.com. VIDEO STREAMING. E VE RYWH E RE . netskrt.io Visit us at Booth #424 Give your subscribers a high quality viewing experience—wherever they watch the game.
DAY 2 1 2 WISPAMERICA I MARCH 6 - 9, 2023 www.bekabusinessmedia.com WISPAMERICA Agenda-at-a-Glance WEDNESDAY, March 8 THURSDAY, March 9 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Registration Open 2nd Floor Concourse 7:30 a.m. – Morning Coffee M Rooms Foyer 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. – WISPA Concessions Open 2nd Floor Concourse 8 to 9 a.m. – Rules to Know as an ISP M104 Marketing Against Your Competition Both Big and Small M108 All Things Private Equity M109 Network Topologies M107 Animal Farm: Cambium Networks M111 8 to 10:30 a.m. – How to Find Good People – Sourcing to Onboarding to Training M100 Fiber Outside Plant M103 9 to 9:30 a.m. – Intermission 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. – New Rules and Opportunities in Multi-Tenant Environments M108 Preparing to Take Government Money from the Financial Side M104 Growing to 10,000 Customers M107 How to Improve Management of Site Rollout M111 Animal Farm: Aviat M109 10:45 a.m. – Remarks: Commissioner Nathan Simington 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Keynote: LEO Satellites and the Potential Threat They Pose to WISPs Ballroom C 12:00 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. – Exhibit Hall Open & Lunch Exhibit Hall B 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. – Financial Planning – It’s More Than Just Budgeting M109 Design Tools for Fiber M108 Great Troubleshooting Methods M107 M&A – How to Buy Your Neighbor M104 Animal Farm: Tarana Wireless M111 2:15 to 4:45 p.m. – Grounding – Stop Losing Equipment M100 I mpact of FCC’s New National Broadband Map on Broadband Funding M103 3:15 to 3:45 p.m. – Intermission 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. – Raising Your Prices Without Losing Your Customers M104 Legal Requirements of Installing Fiber M111 Home Wi-Fi – It Is Not Your Problem. But It Is. M108 Inventory Asset Tracking from Vehicles to CPE M107 Animal Farm: FIBRAIN + HALNY M109 4:45 to 6:15 p.m. – Exhibit Hall Open Exhibit Hall B 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. – Off Site Reception: The Sports & Social Club 7 to 8:3o a.m. – Women of WISPA Speed Networking Breakfast M104 7:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Registration Open 2nd Floor Concourse 8:00 a.m. – Morning Coffee Ballroom C 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. – Keynote Ballroom C 9:30 to 9:45 a.m. – Intermission 9:45 to 10:30 a.m. – Speed Dating and Closing Session Ballroom C 10:30 to 10:45 a.m. – Intermission 10:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Exhibit Hall and Brunch Exhibit Hall B 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. – Leadership + Management = Accountability M108 Tips and Tricks of the Fiber Trade M111 RF Design, Monitoring and Optimization M107 Why You Should Care About Cyber Security M104 12:30 to 3 p.m. – Over Subscription and Capacity Planning M100 Spectrum Update: 4.9GHz, 5.9 GHz, 6 GHz, CBRS, 10 GHz and More M103 1:30 to 2 p.m. – Intermission 2 to 3 p.m. – Employee Engagement – Myth or Real? M111 Writing a Grant for Fiber M108 Open Source vs. Closed Systems M104 How Can GIS Help You Grow Your Business M107 Please note: The Wednesday, March 8, schedule in the Show Guide repeated morning sessions and excluded afternoon sessions. This schedule above is correct.
DAY 2 WWW.WISPA.ORG 1 3 www.bekabusinessmedia.com 9dot S.r.l. 822 A10 Networks 511 Adtran 801 Advanced Media Technologies 1020 AFL 819 AirWay Technologies 625 AKKO 425 Alliance Communications 219 Alliance Funding Group Table 6 Almvoy Inc. 122 Altitude Benefits and Consulting LLC 825 American Tower 411 Arelion Table 9 Aheral LLC 303 Aviat Networks 319 AW Safety Services 600 Azotel/Solutions4ebiz 503 Baicells Technologies 617 Baltic Networks USA 126 BeyondReach Table 7 BillMax Billing Solutions 210 BLINQ Networks 119 Calix 201, MR 1 Cambium Networks 107, MR 2 Cellular Expert, UAB Table 8 ChannelVision Magazine 918 CHR Solutions Table 5 Citiwave Systems Ltd. Table 1 Clearfield Inc. 623 Crown Castle 202 CTI Towers 902 CTI Connect 101 DIRECTV 218 DISH 418 DoubleRadius 211 EdgeTeam Technology 104 Edgility by Telco Systems 607 ENGISO Engineered Magnetic Solutions 823 Ethernity Networks 324 Expera Online Table 3 Federated Wireless 702 Fiberlight 108 Fibersmith 917 FIBRAIN GROUP 903 Galooli Inc. 718 Grandstream 301 Hana Wireless 416 Horizon Powered 120 Hughes 603 ICT 117 Inscape Data Corporation 818 Intracom Telecom 217 IP ArchiTechs 318 IP Pay LLC 100 ISP Supplies 601 ISP Wholesale Networks by Easy Systems Inc 1000 Link Technologies 602 LinQ Antenna Technology 701 Live Oak Bank 308 Logic Networks 719 MarketBroadBand.com - Lorex Inc. 103 MECSIL 228 Mercku Inc. 824 Micronet Communications Inc. 317 Mid America Computer Corp. (MACC) 627 Millennium 806 Mimosa by Airspan 127 MimoTek Inc. 706 MitoTec 201 Morningstar Corporation 409 Multilink Inc. 225 Musco 711 NCTI Table 4 netElastic 216 NetExperience 328 NetPoint Antennas 226 NETSCOUT 426 Netskrt Systems Inc. 424 Newmar Table 10 Nokia 609 OnGo Alliance 726 PacketFlux Technologies 916 Paraqum Technologies (Pvt) Ltd. 707 Paymentus 505 Peraso Inc. 527 PerfectVision 501 Ping Marketing 112 PLP 802 Positron Access Solutions 619 Power & Tell 800 Powercode 528 PPC Broadband 323 Precision Optical Transceivers Inc. Table 2 Preseem 311 Radisys 325 Raycap 709 Red Jacket Solutions LLC 922 Regulatory Solutions Inc. 220 RemoteWinBox 518 RFelements 407 RINA Wireless 116 RITALIA FUNDING 302 ROHN Products LLC 703 SAF North America LLC 508 Safety One Training International Inc. 708 Saisei Networks 628 Segra 900 Select Spectrum 408 ServerPlus-Real Choice TV 524 Siklu 722 SkyBell Technologies 427 Solara Technical 309 Sonar Software 919 Streakwave Wireless 417 Superior Essex Communications 223 Tarana Wireless 401 Team Cymru 803 Tectonic - VComm – DEA 901 Telrad Networks 307 TELTECH GROUP 708 Tillman Infrastructure LLC 725 TOWER ONE INC. 419 TP-LINK USA 326 Unimus (NetCore j.s.a.) 509 UScellular 526 VIAVI 725 Vilo 209 Visp.net 111 WAV LLC 207 Wesco 423 Wind Talker Innovations Inc. 726 Winncom Technologies 717, 816 Xtreme Enterprises/Ericsson 606 Exhibitor �����������������������������������Booth # Exhibitor �����������������������������������Booth # Exhibitor �����������������������������������Booth # Exhibitor �����������������������������������Booth # EXHIBITORS AT-A-GLANCE
DAY 2 1 4 WISPAMERICA I MARCH 6 - 9, 2023 www.bekabusinessmedia.com Tarana Partners with VGI Technology to Bring High-speed Internet to Texas Towns CommScope Offers Right Closures for Right Network VGI Technology, an experienced internet service provider (ISP) based in Texas, and Tarana, manufacturer of the Gigabit 1 (G1) next-generation fixed wireless access (ngFWA) platform, recently announced the exceptional progress of their active G1 deployments in Marble Falls and Horseshoe Bay, Texas. VGI provides high-quality internet access as well as video surveillance, security, access control and home automation. The company is locally owned and has served Texas communities since 2002. Tarana is the category creator of ngFWA, a new broadband technology crafted through more than a decade of R&D that boasts two major industry breakthroughs: true interference cancellation in licensed and unlicensed spectrum, and remarkable non-line-of-sight (NLoS) performance. As a result, service providers can offer market-leading broadband speeds where fiber is impractical or impossible. With years of traditional FWA experience, the VGI team initially was skeptical of the claims around G1 performance. However, after piloting the product in late 2021 and witnessing download speeds of up to 600 Mbps in a noisy, urban environment,it became avid Tarana believers. Now VGI has hundreds of customers on active G1 networks, with many more installs to come this year. VGI had even more reason to be excited about G1’s capabilities than other ISPs. While Marble Falls and Horseshoe Bay are beautiful vacation destinations and the retirement dream of many Texans, the ground in that area is solid granite. This makes trenching impractical, and since aerial fiber is not an option for aesthetic reasons in these communities, wireless is their only viable broadband option. Before G1, that meant largely unreliable service and inadequate internet speeds. With Tarana ngFWA, wireless doesn’t have to come with compromise. Previously settling for only 5-50 Mbps service plans, the community members of Marble Falls and Horseshoe Bay now get up to 400 Mbps on VGI’s G1 network. An end user reported that this is “the best service Horseshoe Bay has ever had.” ngFWA is not only game changing for VGI’s customers, but also for its business. On a single Tarana Base Node (BN) installed on a water tower overlooking Horseshoe Bay, VGI has more than 130 active customers connected. Previous technologies limited it to 30 customers on a single sector. This dramatic increase in capacity has reduced the number of tower climbs and makes large-scale deployment faster. With the long-battled broadband problem solved in Horseshoe Bay, the local government and broadband committee are building three new towers specifically to support VGI’s expansion of Tarana-backed ngFWA networks. After accomplishing the mission to bring better internet service to the community, the Horseshoe Bay Broadband Committee is being disbanded. Mike Calabrese, VP of Worldwide Sales at Tarana, said, “VGI’s service areas are a prime example of why the Tarana team set out to flip the script on fixed wireless. The residents of Marble Falls and Horseshoe Bay no longer have to sacrifice quality internet to live there. We are very proud to be a part of this achievement and look forward to more success stories with the team at VGI.” m For more information, visit Tarana’s booth 401. As demand grows and expands, agile infrastructure is essential. Fiber splice closures are used throughout the network and are suited for various applications, including aerial, pedestal, buried or underground. Your closures must be compatible with multiple cables and be easily accessible for maintenance, updates and expansions. CommScope closures are designed to protect your network from water and harsh environmental conditions, keeping all components protected and your network up and running. Power & Tel is a stocking distributor for CommScope closures. Innovative gel sealing technology protects your connections inside from water, sand, dust and other contaminants that could degrade optical performance. Numerous re-entries are allowed because of their selfhealing capability, making maintenance and adding extra customers fast and easy long after deployment. Benefits of gel sealing technology include: • Suitable for aerial, pedestal, and underground (maintenance hole or direct buried) • Available for spliced and connectorized closures • Compatible with all fiber types (G652D – G657 series) • Facilitates fast, reliable closure, re-entry, and re-sealing. • Outside Plant conditions can be harsh. CommScope closures are field tested for these concerns: • Moisture resistance (underwater and under pressure) • Cable manipulation (axial pull, torsion, flexing, and impact) • Optical torsion and bending • Resistance to vibration, temperature, chemical, and UV rays At Power & Tel, we supply cutting-edge products that provide superior value to our customers. For 60 years, we have prioritized providing high-quality equipment while continually growing as an industry leader in supply chain management, innovation, and industry products. Each network has its trait – let us help you find the perfect solution and deploy the right closure in the right place. m For more information, visit us at booth 800 or go to our website https://www.ptsupply. com/5304/manufacturer/commscope
DAY 2 WWW.WISPA.ORG 1 5 www.bekabusinessmedia.com Baicells Technologies, a leading provider of 4G and 5G network infrastructure serving outdoor and indoor use cases for operators and enterprises, has launched its new 5G gNodeB (gNB), the Aurora243, at WISPAMERICA in Louisville. The Aurora243 is an advanced outdoor 5G Sub-6G fully integrated base station (gNodeB) designed and developed based on the Qualcomm 5G System on a Chip (SoC) solution. This highly compact but feature-rich 2x10W gNB enables operators to economically and easily rollout 5G services to their communities, and the many benefits these services deliver like faster speeds, lower latency and increased volume of connected end points. The Aurora243 will leverage 5G New Radio (NR) bands, include n48 and provide 100MHz channel bandwidth to reach up to 750 Mbps performance with ultra-low latency. Already, the Aurora243 is deployed by a large SEC university in Georgia that is building an autonomous smart farm. This farm uses the ultra-low latency attributed to 5G to continuously monitor water and soil sensors, drive autonomous vehicles and monitor the land via remote cameras. School districts across the United States are looking to the performance of 5G with the continued growth of e-sports teams, which require higher speed connectivity with low latency performance to compete effectively. The number and types of use cases that 5G enables continue to grow. “Expectations around broadband connectivity are evolving, and we’re seeing this reflected in the increasing minimum performance requirements established by state and federal organizations that are providing funding for these network buildouts,” said Minchul Ho, Baicells North America CEO. “To become eligible for the funding, network operators have to upgrade their networks and plan smartly. LTE is not exempt from this rule, and we don’t see a point anytime soon where these requirements become capped. Our strategy is to make it very easy for operators to ease in to 5G in their own networks and the Aurora243 is an operator friendly platform to deliver this.” This Aurora 5G platform marks ongoing innovations by Baicells for the benefit of its many customers. To build on this, Baicells R&D also continues down the path of developing mmWave 5G platforms while working to create its own chipsets that drive out platform costs while delivering unique functionality to provide operational simplicity and performance advantages. m To learn more about how 5G can help you tackle connectivity challenges or to get a better understanding of the 5G developments within Baicells, visit the Baicells booth 617 at WISPAMERICA. Baicells Highlights Aurora 5G gNB
DAY 2 1 6 WISPAMERICA I MARCH 6 - 9, 2023 www.bekabusinessmedia.com Baicells Reveals CBRS Base Station with Integrated GPS, Omni Antenna BillMax, Avalara Join to Automate Tax Compliance Baicells Technologies, a leading global fixed wireless LTE and 5GNR hardware manufacturer, has revealed several new products at WISPAmerica 2023, including the Nova439i – a zero footprint, two-carrier base station positioned to simplify deployments of CBRS networks. This 2x2MIMO base station can be stood up in virtually any environment and powered with a PoE++ to provide immediate LTE connectivity for end-users within several kilometers. The Nova439i marks the latest in Baicells CBRS adoption efforts, providing a 4x2W base station that can operate in Carrier Aggregation (CA) or Dual-carrier (DC) modes. Carrier aggregation allows the base station to aggregated discontinuous or contiguous channels to utilize up to 40 MHz of spectrum in the CBRS band, and lets the Nova439i reach a downlink up to 290 Mbps to support the growing need for connectivity for endusers. Alternatively, DC mode permits the Nova439i to treat the two carriers in the base station as independent cells, with each cell supporting up to 96 users so operators can connect a total of 192 end-users to the Nova439i. In addition to the integrated antennas, PoE++ power supply, and ability to adapt the base station through CA or DC modes, the Nova439i comes with HaloB pre-installed. HaloB embeds the core functionality of the MME to the base station so the hardware can continue to transmit data even if it loses connectivity to the network. The Nova439i is ready to plug-and-play into Baicells CloudCore – a cloud-based EPC solution that eliminates much of the complexity that is conventionally associated with private LTE networks. This isn’t the first time Baicells has integrated antenna solutions into base stations. The wildly popular Nova227, Nova230i, and Nova430i all launched to market with 65-degree internal antennas. However, the Nova439i does mark the first Baicells base station that comes with an integrated omni-antenna. “Municipalities and school districts are heartedly embracing private LTE solutions to begin bridging the digital divide within their communities,” said Minchul Ho, Baicells North America’s CEO. “However, many are looking at antennas as being an additional part of the puzzle that needs to be finalized before launching a network. It’s our hope that the Nova439i, and our other integrated products, will be recognized as a continuing simplification of private LTE networks for fixed wireless operators. We want to do everything we can to help organizations spin up these networks quickly and efficiently and the Nova439i is positioned perfectly to let more people take full advantage of the wide range of benefits regarding LTE and CBRS.” m The Nova439i is available to view at the Baicells booth. To learn more about this product and other integrated base stations, stop by booth #617 or contact Baicells North American sales team at sales_na@baicells.com. BillMax Billing Solutions, a software company for internet and VoIP providers, has partnered with Avalara, a provider of tax compliance automation software for businesses of all sizes. BillMax Billing Solutions is now part of Avalara’s “Certified for AvaTax” program, which features integrations that perform at the highest level, providing the best possible customer experience. As a result of the partnership, BillMax clients can choose Avalara’s AvaTax to deliver sales and use tax calculations within existing business applications at the time of checkout or billing — in real time. And, Avalara Returns to automate the indirect tax returns filing process, saving businesses time and money while reducing risk. BillMax Billing Solutions offers BillMax 2023 as a customer relationship management (CRM) system designed specifically for internet and VoIP providers. BillMax 2023 follows a customer’s complete life cycle and promotes automation for billing, service provisioning and payment processing. This latest platform gives a comprehensive view of business so small problems do not multiply. It can be extended or integrated with third-party application such as Avalara, for a “best of breed” approach. BillMax provides an innovative billing solution paired with flexibility, customization and client support. “We’re excited to partner with Avalara to provide our clients with an automated way to calculate taxes and fees,” said Paul Slezak, CEO of BillMax Billing Solutions. “Managing sales tax manually is complex and costly, especially for our clients who have expanded to multiple states. Our integration with Avalara helps our clients efficiently achieve compliance so they can return to their core business.” Marshal Kushniruk, executive vice president of strategy at Avalara added, “BillMax understands the needs of its clients, and their software solution reduces complexity for them in many ways. We understand that digitization of business processes is not an option, it is essential; we are proud to offer fast, accurate, and easy tax compliance solutions to our shared customers.” BillMax Billing Solutions is now an Avalara Certified partner. Certified partners pass a series of criteria developed by Avalara to ensure the connector’s performance and reliability, thereby helping mutual customers benefit from a seamless experience with Avalara’s tax compliance solutions. m For more information, visit BillMax at booth 210 or go to billmax.com.
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