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COMPTEL PLUS Fall 2015 Business Expo
COMPTELPlus
|
Monday, October 19, 2015
Beka Publishing,
www.bekapublishing.com6
DAY 1
T
he COMPTEL PLUS Fall 2015 Business Expo
is focusing on the policy of competition and
the future of the industry with its kick-off
keynotes this morning. FCC Commissioner Jessica
Rosenworcel will take the stage at 9 a.m. to discuss
what’s happening in Washington D.C., and its impli-
cations. Her conversation with COMPTEL CEO Chip
Pickering will be followed by a CEO Roundtable
Keynote entitled, “The Future of the Industry - Are
You In?” This panel discussion will offer critical
industry intelligence from those in charge of the
high-level visions at their respective companies.
Commissioner Rosenworcel is expected to
provide attendees with insights into the commu-
nications landscape and current priorities at the
Federal Communications Commission.
“From her time with the FCC and on Capitol Hill,
Commissioner Rosenworcel understands the impor-
tance of a competitive marketplace for fostering
economic growth, enhancing educational oppor-
tunities and enriching our civic lives,” said Pickering.
“She is a tireless advocate for our children, the future
of education and bringing the benefits of broad-
band and the digital age to schools and libraries
through the E-rate program. No one has done more
to raise the importance of the homework gap for
low-income students. In addition, she has worked
to ensure there is sufficient wireless spectrum to
support telehealth and other core initiatives. We look
forward to hearing from her about the topics taking
precedence at the Commission and her vision for the
future of the industry.”
Commissioner Rosenworcel joined the FCC in
May 2012, bringing a decade and a half of public
and private sector communications law experience
to her position on the Commission. Prior to joining
the agency, she served as senior communications
counsel for the United States Senate Committee on
Commerce, Science andTransportation. In this posi-
tion, she was responsible for legislation, hearings
and policy development involving a wide range of
communications issues, including spectrum auctions,
public safety, broadband deployment and adoption,
universal service, video programming, satellite televi-
sion, local radio and digital television transition.
Before joining the staff of the Committee, she
served as legal advisor to former FCC Commissioner
Michael J. Copps and legal counsel to the Chief of the
Wireline Competition Bureau, and practiced commu-
nications lawat Drinker Biddle and Reath. She is a
native of Hartford, Conn., and is a graduate ofWesleyan
University andNewYork University School of Law.
During the CEO Roundtable Keynote, Pickering
will host Chris Ancell, CEO of XO Communications;
Randy Brouckman, CEO of EdgeConneX; and Laura
Thomas, CEO of TNCI. This much-anticipated event will
give industry CEOs an opportunity share their insights
on the evolving communications marketplace. The
panelists will discuss trends in the communications
and technology market and technological develop-
ments on the horizon. Topics of discussion will include
how to incent network deployment, the impact of
market consolidation, and what actions are needed to
promote continued innovation and competition.
o
Networking Events
Monday, October 19 – 4:30-6 p.m.:
Beers with Peers Networking Reception (Expo Hall)
Tuesday, October 20 – 5-8 p.m.
Closing Party at Mezzanine (444 Jessie St) featuring entertainment by
Pop Rocks, with special guest Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray
Program Highlights
All keynotes will take place in the Golden Gate Ballroom
Monday, October 19
8:30 - 9 a.m.:
Welcome and special announcement by COMPTEL CEO Chip Pickering
9 - 9:30 a.m.:
Morning keynote with FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel
9:30 - 10:15 a.m.:
CEO Roundtable: The Future of the Industry
Tuesday, October 20
9 - 10 a.m.:
Keynote Panel on The Disruptive Impact of Technology on Traditional Video Delivery
(see preview story, page 8)
Wednesday, October 21
8:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m.:
Half-day workshop - The FCC’s Open Internet Order: Key Issues for Carriers and
ISPs (Nob Hill Meeting Room)
Competition and the Future of the
Industry: Don’t Miss the Kickoff Keynotes
Thanks to explosive demand for bandwidth,
largely created by the need to support over-the-
top (OTT) and edge services, global network
investment has accelerated—this in turn has fed
back into a cycle of innovation and further trans-
formation, the panelists noted, as cloud, over-the-
top and mobile services have become the norm in
a bandwidth-rich world.
For its part, EarthLink is evolving as a service
provider to meet the demands of the market,
Eazor said. Eazor, who before taking the helm
at EarthLink, served in executive level positions
EMC, Electronic Data Systems (EDS), HP Enterprise
Services at Hewlett-Packard, McKinsey & Company
and Springbow Solutions. He noted that he has
focused on positioning EarthLink for continued
success and future growth by responding to and
anticipating future trends, focusing in on core
areas of the business and most importantly by
continuing to invest in its network—because the
writing is on the wall when it comes to bandwidth’s
role in the future economy.
Meanwhile Laws drew from his deep experi-
ence with startups in the OTT arena, lending his
perspective on how the investment landscape—
and the competitive landscape—has transformed
over time and continues to do so. Pickering noted
that Laws “creates services he wants to exist
and then hopes the rest of the world finds them
useful. And so far the world has.”
For COMPTEL too, transformation is a critical
component of its continuing efforts as a trade
association. Since coming on board as CEO,
Pickering has focused on expanding COMPTEL’s
advocacy, membership and trade show events to
better reflect all facets of the competitive commu-
nications ecosystem.
“In doing so, our membership has not only
grown, but has also become more diverse by
the addition of companies that provide content
and OTT, and data center and cloud services,”he
explained.“It is because of members and partners,
like EarthLink and AngelList, that we have been able
to grow and better position COMPTEL for the future.”
He added, “Each of us in our own way is
investing in the future of the communications and
technology market.”
The COMPTEL PLUS Opening Night Reception
&Wine Walk, sponsored by Netflix and supported
by COMPTEL’s Board of Director companies,
followed the keynote.
o
(Keynote, continued from page 1)