Schedule

The Connect (X) Annual Golf Tournament will take place at Hawks Landing Golf Club in Orlando FL on Monday, October 4th. The golf tournament offers a great opportunity to see friends and colleagues in the industry while enjoying the day outside. The tournament will begin at 10:00am and will continue throughout the day until the awards ceremony.

Contact Hayley.Dodds@WIA.org for more information.

Graybar is offering fiber optic training to/from the headend, tower and small cell via our multi-manufacturer Graybar Training Alliance. This 3 hour workshop is available as an add on to any Connect (X) pass type.

Frequency bands and spectrum are at the center of Mobile Broadband Eco-system. “Spectrum Scarcity” is a known issue and yet it is often misunderstood. This course will provide an overview of key aspects of spectrum bands – auctions and allocation, coverage vs capacity, propagation, and future-readiness.

Different types of spectrum bands (low-band, mid-band, and mmWave) and recent spectrum auctions (CBRS, C-band, mmWave for 5G) are summarized. The course also helps understand how the selection of frequency bands affects the design of multiband cell sites (Macro and Indoors). Other topics include overview of unlicensed bands for Wi-Fi and future bands for 6G.

  Register here or add-on to any Connect (X) pass type.

For many businesses, managing a network is too costly and too time consuming. As networks become more complex, network management becomes very specialized and that’s difficult for may organizations to maintain.  That’s why we are seeing growing momentum around the network-as-a-service model where the network management is handled by an external party whether that’s a cloud provider or a mobile operator.  Verizon, for example, often describes its role with its cable MVNO partners as a NaaS model.  This panel will look at the pros and cons of NaaS and what it means for infrastructure companies.

Open Radio Access Networks, or Open RAN, refers to a disaggregated approach to deploying mobile networks by using open, interoperable protocols and vendor-neutral hardware.  The main benefit of Open RAN is that it allows operators to build networks less expensively by using non-proprietary white box hardware and software from different vendors. Network operators that choose to deploy Open RAN can avoid being stuck with one vendor’s proprietary hardware and software, which increases network flexibility and agility. However, some large operators are reluctant to deploy right now, because they say it isn’t ready for widescale deployment. This session will look at how Open RAN is changing the economics of wireless networks and what the technology will mean for infrastructure owners.

5G networks are expected to generate a tremendous amount of data, which requires networks to become denser and coverage gaps to be eliminated. But this requires a lot of time and expense to determine where new macro sites, small cells, backhaul and fiber should be located to handle growing demand. But artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can streamline that process and cut costs by using sophisticated algorithms to predict network traffic patterns and assist in network planning.  This session offers a practical guide to using the latest technologies like AI and ML to streamline the network planning and siting process.​​

Winners of CBRS PAL licenses can transfer their licenses to another party and various systems are now being put in place to handle those types of transactions.  This panel will discuss the pros and cons of using CBRS PAL licenses vs. unlicensed CBRS spectrum. In addition, it will delve into the various ways to secure CBRS PAL licenses on the secondary market.

The increasing demand for bandwidth offers new investment, acquisition and merger opportunities for mid-tier tower owners seeking to expand their footprint into fiber networks, edge computing sites, in-building neutral hosts and small cells. This panel discusses the market opportunities, capital sources and investment scenarios at play in the wireless infrastructure community, and offers examples on how tower owners can finance, acquire or exit their existing asset business. ​

Since the beginning of President Biden’s term, the White House and Congress have been negotiating a multi-trillion dollar package to fund infrastructure improvements throughout the country.  At least $65B of this total will be dedicated to expanding broadband access and deployment projects.  During this panel discussion, you will hear from the key Congressional staffers who have been negotiating where the broadband dollars will go, and you’ll find out what it means for your business.

Today, the big question is: Why do carriers even need to own their networks? MNOs are showing a willingness to “lease versus own” more parts of their networks. The main driver is the substantial capital expenditure needed to build and operate large-scale networks especially as wireless service revenues remain flat. What does this mean for the infrastructure sector? Shared RAN, Shared Spectrum, Shared Wholesale Network – the business of infrastructure sharing is moving beyond towers and sites. 

One of the big benefits of Open RAN is that it offers a multi-vendor RAN model. But this can also be a challenge because when a problem arises in the network, identifying and isolating the cause of that problem can be more difficult. And when an issue is found, which vendor will fix it?   Because of this the role of the systems integrator will become very important to the Open RAN ecosystem. This session will delve into the integration of Open RAN and the role of the systems integrator in the Open RAN environment.

Learn how changing times, changing deployment/procurement models and changing carrier and municipal considerations affect 5G installations.

5G brings notable improvements to speed, latency and bandwidth. For office buildings, convention centers and other connected venues, this means that tenants will likely have faster, more reliable service. But 5G also means a slew of new capabilities and functionality – from creating immersive new virtual reality experiences to offering cloud gaming capabilities. But bringing 5G into the building requires an infrastructure upgrade. This panel will talk about what is being done to improve in-building connectivity in a 5G world – from distributed antenna systems to digital distributed radio systems. It will also discuss the benefits of having 5G inbuilding connectivity. ​

The Covid-19 pandemic put a spotlight on the need for ubiquitous broadband connectivity. There are numerous government funding programs that are directing millions of dollars to bridging the digital divide. Is fixed wireless service a strong contender for these funds? Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T all over some form of fixed wireless broadband service, and there are hundreds of wireless ISPs that also deliver fixed wireless to areas of the U.S.  This panel will look at the viability of fixed wireless as an effective broadband service and also look at what some of the challenges are in terms of bandwidth, interference and coverage.

Investors looking at the digital infrastructure market know that most existing assets enjoy high valuations. With the wave of private and public money targeting the digital sector in infrastructure investment, the question now is which is a better value: to build a new asset or buy an existing asset. This session weighs the two options and looks at the ROI from an investor perspective. ​

Broadband is always a top issue in state houses across the U.S.  31 States have passed small cell bills, paving the way for greater deployment, but States have also considered numerous bills this year affecting the wireless infrastructure industry.  At this session, you will hear from experts who have been involved in these debates and learn more about what to expect during next year’s legislative sessions.

Connectivity is transforming the built environment as visionary developers create innovative new solutions to solve age-old problems. Cities simply cannot become smart without smarter buildings and smarter transportation solutions. Hear from leading companies who are building a new connected future today as they share their experiences, lessons learned, and implications for the larger infrastructure community.

The new generation of low earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations promise to offer new services and deployment models that could have major impact on the service provider ecosystem including wireline and wireless service providers. Starlink and OneWeb, to name just two, expect to deploy large number of satellites and to provide service with latencies below 100 msec – a 5x improvement over the performance of GEO satellites.  The threat of LEO satellites and their impact on terrestrial network operators and infrastructure owners is what is covered in this Session.

Although Open RAN presents new opportunities for operators, there are many different timelines and deployment models for the technology, which is still in its infancy.  These differing timelines are due to a variety of factors – from how the networks are configured to operator business goals. This panel will discuss the latest Open RAN trials and commercial deployments as well as look at the timeline for deployments in the U.S. It will also delve into the different ways operators may use Open RAN – will it be used throughout the entire network or only in certain geographies?  What use cases are ideal for Open RAN?  Will the technology be used for private 5G networks?

Current RAN technology is offered as an integrated platform that combines both software and hardware. But Open RAN’s goal is to disaggregate (or separate the hardware from the software) to allow for a multi-supplier RAN environment with open interfaces and virtualization. This allows software to control and update the networks. But how will Open RAN impact infrastructure owners? Will increase competition in the RAN supplier market result in new opportunities for towers, small cells and site development?

Private wireless networks hold the potential to transform many industries and enterprises— from manufacturing to farming to transportation.  But there are many decisions that need to be made before deploying a private network. Should CBRS spectrum be acquired on the secondary market or should unlicensed spectrum be used?  Should the enterprise build its own network or work with a trusted partner? This session will examine the pros and cons of the various private network deployments models as well as discuss how each model best fits for the applications envisioned.

Fixed wireless access is taking its turn in the spotlight, now that the government and the private sector are moving to invest, deploy and operate next generation gigabit networks to serve rural and under-served markets. This session discusses FWA against fiber, and details multiple use cases and business models that can be leveraged off of a FWA network, including last mile access; private LTE backhaul and enterprise mobility.​

Wireless operators shelled out billions of dollars in the C-Band wireless spectrum auction completed earlier this year. Verizon acquired 3,500 licenses for $45.5 billion, while AT&T picked up more than 1,600 licenses for $23.4 billion. T-Mobile, which already has a strong spectrum portfolio, spent more than $9 billion for 142 licenses. This session explores the impact on network buildout and investments in 2022 and beyond due to the massive investment in C-band spectrum.​

Congress and the FCC have allocated billions of dollars to reach unserved and underserved areas.  However, these programs have varied criteria and requirements.  Our panel of experts will fill you in on the details and what the next steps will be from the various Federal government agencies that disperse these funds. ​

Municipalities of all sizes are grappling with an increase in applications for small cells and a denser array of wireless antennas in their ROW and jurisdictions. Mobile operators, infrastructure partners and services are examining their approach to the process of digitization of civic infrastructure. This session offers an update on new methodologies, new partnerships and new strategies to help all stakeholders manage the process and outcome of small cell site deployments.

Indoor areas with high data capacity demands, including offices, shopping malls and theaters, are a natural environment for initial indoor millimeter wave (mmWave) deployments. While mmWave technology has been utilized in outdoor networks, its application to the indoor environment is gaining adoption. This session provides a comprehensive look at indoor mmWave, including best practices in deploying the solution indoors; an overview of the technologies at work today; and finally, a discussion about the myths versus reality of mmWave in today’s 5G network evolution. Issues to be covered include: Debunking myths about mmWave technology; Best practices in deploying mmWave indoors; and Integrating indoor 5G with mmWave.​

Automation promises significant opportunities to streamline and automate indoor and outdoor wireless cell site deployment. There are several tools that are being offered that improve site development efficiency and reduce manual operations but at the same time there are always going to be certain tasks that have to be done manually. This panel will explore different automation tools that promise to streamline existing processes.

Despite the lingering uncertainty about the licensing framework for the shared CBRS bands, there exists strong interest about how and when Private LTE solutions can interconnect with the major mobile network operators today, tomorrow and over the next five years. This session focuses on the evolution toward cellular interconnect; what that means for neutral host networks (especially inside buildings), and how enterprises utilizing CBRS/OnGo can use cellular interconnect to maximize their private LTE investment. ​

5G networks will unleash a new series of high-speed services across billions of devices and the internet of things, or IoT, including high-definition video devices, self-driving cars and smart cities. Although these services are expected to evolve in multiple stages over the next decade, mobile networks will not be 5G-ready unless the necessary security capabilities are built in by design. Although these improvements will yield revenue opportunities for operators, the explosion of low-cost, low-power, unsecured IoT/sensors will also pose increased security risks for both operators and end users. Establishing the right security approach for the emerging 5G networks is critical.​

There are over 100 cell tower companies with headquarters in the United States. They range from the largest publicly traded tower companies to small operators with under 10 assets. With rollout of 5G networks and promise of next-generation advanced networks and services, the value of towers is expected to rise. But is that true with the low and mid-tier asset owners? This session examines the business of the private independent tower owner and their opportunities for maximizing lease revenues, merging and exit strategies.​

The past few years have been marked by major efforts to reform the federal regulations that affect broadband deployment.  New leadership at the FCC, under the Biden Administration, has new priorities for regulatory reform.  You will hear from the wireless advisors for the FCC Commissioners on the next steps that the Commission will take to promote wireless broadband access.

Open to HetNet Forum Members only.

Join us for an exclusive concert for WIA Connect (X) conference attendees at Howl At The Moon in Orlando, FL. Presented by Title Sponsor Vertical Bridge, proceeds from this concert benefit Music Movement's cause of developing and funding music-centric programs for young people with Autism & other learning differences. We look forward to seeing you for an unforgettable evening benefiting a worthwhile cause.

Register now!

Fiber is the backbone of 5G networks. But there are challenges to deploying fiber such as accessing the right-of-way and getting permits, not to mention the costs of tearing up streets to deploy more fiber.  This session will focus on the role of fiber in delivering 5G connectivity and what solutions and strategies are available to help fiber providers work with 5G operators to meet aggressive expansion goals.

To deliver on the high speeds and low latency that is promised by 5G, service providers have to move more compute and storage resources to the network’s edge.  But the edge also presents a big opportunity for operators to make money.  Many 5G use cases —cloud gaming, video streaming, virtual reality/augmented reality and autonomous automobiles — are reliant upon edge computing.  Plus, there are opportunities for operators to deliver services and applications to the enterprise using their edge networks coupled with the cloud. But operators will need to figure out how to translate these new capabilities into business models that will work for consumers and enterprises.  This panel will identify new edge use cases and look at some of the obstacles to developing and monetizing the 5G edge.

Putting small cells on billboards, street infrastructure, retail businesses or other alternative locations can present unique challenges. This panel will discuss different techniques that can be leveraged to keep the cell site process on track so it meets cost requirements and the desired timeline. The panel will also provide tips for working with large utilities and portfolio property owners.

SD-WAN is a software-defined approach to managing the wide area network and it is designed for central management of a geographically dispersed network. SD-WAN is growing in popularity with enterprises because it is less expensive and enterprises have a choice when it comes to connectivity —they can mix and match MPLS, fiber, LTE, or 5G.   This panel will look at how SD-WAN benefits the enterprise and how when combined with 5G it can leverage 5G’s bandwidth capacity.

Many municipal entities are contemplating the deployment of next generation smart city infrastructure. While vendors offer solutions such as smart lighting or smart parking, each with their own communications backbone, a consensus emerging as to the importance of enabling communications networks in the community. Who owns it? How open is it? Who invests in building it? How customizable is it? This webinar explores the Public-Private Partnership (P3) as an effective way to fund enhanced civic infrastructure projects that enable a smarter, more connected community. ​

The wireless industry supports over 4.7 million jobs and contributes $475 billion to the U.S. economy. Along with federal oversight, the wireless sector must navigate state and local issues on a variety of issues including zoning and small-cell legislation that impact their businesses but also impact cellular users in the state. Grass-roots efforts by state wireless associations can successfully educate their local lawmakers on wireless broadband policies that best serve constituents and the municipalities governing them. Along with advocacy decisions, telecom is increasingly becoming an employment opportunity, which benefits local communities as well as it is estimated 5G will create more than 4 million jobs. This panel will explore how grass-roots outreach can enable better understanding among state and local stakeholders, their constituents and the wireless industry.

The Honorable Mignon Clyburn, former FCC Commissioner and Acting Chairwoman, will lead representatives from higher education, industry, the US DOL/OA, US DOC/ NTIA and WIA in an in-depth analysis of ways that these sectors can work collaboratively to bring broadband and 5G services to university campuses, underserved surrounding communities and beyond. The session will focus on federal government programs such as apprenticeships and recent broadband funding for HBCUS, HSIs and other minority-serving institutions of higher education. Presenters will discuss challenges and develop strategies for eradicating barriers that discourage MSIs from fully engaging in apprenticeship programs and other federal funding opportunities. Attendees will learn about the benefits of successful apprenticeship programs and how intermediary, WIA, can facilitate collaborations across different sectors.

Join Jonathan Adelstein, President & CEO of the Wireless Infrastructure Association, and the leaders from major infrastructure providers for a candid discussion of the issues facing the wireless infrastructure industry.

Susan Allen President and CEO of US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce and Ron Busby, President and CEO of US Black Chambers, Inc. will co-host a robust conversation with leaders of other minority chambers and organizations about best practices for working with WIA and its members to bring broadband 5G services to underserved populations and underrepresented communities, homes, businesses, and anchor institutions such as schools, hospitals and minority serving institutions of higher education. This session will discuss workforce strategies with a focus on apprenticeship programs that these chambers can employ to create successful partnerships with WIA’s industry members and supporters.

Neutral hosts act as an intermediary between building owners and mobile operators, particularly for in-building scenarios. With demand for more capacity and connectivity necessitating wireless network densification, indoor and outdoor buildouts can be capital intensive, especially at venues like mass transit stations, stadiums, campuses, dense metropolitan areas, shopping malls and convention centers where provisioning service for more than one mobile network operator is essential. In addition, new licensed, unlicensed and shared spectrum being made available to bring a range of new services for end-user applications, exacerbates the site infrastructure ROI challenge for enterprises, venue owners and third-party owners of multi-operator networks. This session looks at the considerations for deploying cost-efficient wireless networks with scalable configurations to minimize operational complexity of multi-operator upgrades and provide economic viability to leverage future spectrum allocations for either improving capacity per user or monetizing new use cases. ​

For successful deployment of 5G, mobile network operators (MNOs) need transport technologies that can meet stringent throughput, latency, and reliability requirements over increasingly densified networks. 5G network operators are today faced with an increasing array of choices in designing, architecting, and managing their networks. And if operators don’t choose the correct IP transport, they could end up with bottlenecks. This session looks at the latest innovations in IP transport networks including fronthaul, backhaul and everything in between.​

5G networks require a much greater density of cell sites and fiber to meet the anticipated data traffic demands. To make sure sites are being deployed in the most efficient manner without obstructions that can block signals, network planners will need to use accurate geospatial location data to determine where to place infrastructure and cell sites. This session will look at the role geospatial planning plays in 5G networks.

There is an intense debate around Wi-Fi 6 and 5G as these technologies unlock unprecedented performance in terms of throughput, capacity and low latency. As organizations make their investment decisions, they are increasingly asking the question “which technology will prevail?” This session addresses the 5G vs Wi-Fi rivalry; discusses the strengths of each technology, and the use cases both technologies enable. ​

As 5G moves toward adoption, virtualization of the RAN emerges and CBRS powered private LTE networks proliferate, the opportunities for the fiber transport carrier move beyond the traditional applications of backhaul, transport and fronthaul. Suddenly, enterprises of all sizes see 5G, network slicing and Private LTE offering new opportunities in application development and service enablement. This session discusses the combination of CBRS and fiber transport to add new value from services, computing and communications.​

The Biden Administration as well as other agencies within the federal government (including the FCC) have pledged billions of dollars in digital components of the nation’s infrastructure. This session presents a comprehensive view of the current and expected funding initiatives and explores the impact this money has on M&A, new builds, and new investments. What strings are attached to these funds, and how are private organizations maneuvering to use, or not use, the investment? ​

Major regulatory reforms from 2018 and 2020 have been challenged in court, which can have a major impact on how you site and deploy networks.  We will be joined by a panel including the lawyers and policy experts who have been arguing these cases in court.

A recent McKinsey study on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the workforce found that the careers of women were almost twice as vulnerable than comparable men.  Simply put, millions of women quit the workforce over the last eighteen months and those who remained report feelings of burnout and exhaustion in far greater numbers than their male peers.  The WWLF (Women’s Wireless Leadership Forum) has a long history of supporting women in the Telecom industry.  Their mentorship program is helping provide the industry’s rising leaders with advice and counsel needed to develop their careers.  Hear from WWLF leadership discuss their response to COVID.  Learn more about mentorship in telecom and what is coming next.  Find out how you too can get involved in this valuable program.

In the telecom world, edge computing often is referred to as mobile edge compute or multi-access edge computing. Regardless of the term used, edge means putting the compute and storage for applications closer to the end users. The benefits are lower latency and high bandwidth. The edge can be on enterprise premises or at a tower site or as part of the operator network. Sometimes a distributed cloud is used to run applications over multiple sites. This panel will look at the importance of edge computing and the role of public cloud providers as partners.

Drones can be used to collect information and inspect towers more safely and more efficiently than a tower climber and many companies are finding that using drones for inspections can dramatically reduce costs. But drones can be used for much more than just inspections – from deliveries to creating flying cell sites, the technology holds a lot of promise. But there are some challenges to using drones, and the industry must be well versed in the FAA requirements.  This panel will discuss the future of drones and look at some of the current operational challenges.

Enterprises that want control, dedicated services and data resiliency see the value in the deployment of a private LTE network as encouraging. Setup, network deployment and integration are details that some enterprise IT executives may not be ready for. This session examines the network-in-a-box trend, where RAN, virtualized Core and a self-commissioning and self-configuring network setup is an option.​

This session will discuss how the finance and investment community views various neutral-host business models and funding of new systems. This session will also discuss the outlook for in-building wireless network build and investments in the current post-Covid environment in which office space has increasing vacancies. What company and system-specific characteristics attract and deter investment and funding? This panel will explore how the financial community values DAS and what market trends could affect valuations in the future.​

Connectivity is at its most needed during, and immediately after, disasters and emergencies.  In the face of increasingly severe weather events, telecommunications infrastructure is exposed to numerous threats every day.  This session examines the steps taken by network owners and operators to ensure connectivity when disaster strikes and to quickly restore networks when they are damaged.

Beamforming antennas are an essential tool for mobile operators as they build out their networks for capacity and 5G. Unlike traditional antennas that could transmit and receive only on fixed radiation patterns, beamforming antennas dynamically shape their main and null beam directions according to the location of their connected users. Beamforming antennas are unique in their ability to effectively reduce interference, improve the signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) and deliver a significantly better end user experience. This session is a guide to beamforming technologies and is designed for RF planners tasked with developing 5G and capacity build-out strategies, who risk over- or under-engineering parts of their networks, resulting in unnecessary costs, insufficient performance, or both.​

With billions of potential funding flowing into solving the digital divide, many companies are stepping up with plans to deliver broadband to rural America.  The recent Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) reverse auction is just one way in which companies are getting funds to help them build broadband networks in underserved areas.  Some plan to use fixed wireless, others will use fiber. Even satellite provider SpaceX’s Starlink says it can fill in the gaps where 5G and fiber aren’t reaching.   This panel will look at the various initiatives designed to deliver funds to broadband providers to help with buildouts and how those funds will be allocated. How can infrastructure players get a piece of this lucrative business?

There are many known challenges in deploying wireless networks. In-Building Wireless Challenges include: backhaul, venue/technology fit, cost/benefit analysis. For outdoor networks, and in particular small cell deployment, known challenges are backhaul, siting, permitting, scheduling. One common problem for both environments that is often ignored is the power infrastructure. Power is either not available or not sufficient to handle the needs of new remote radios or small cells. Running local power for indoor networks or running drops from the utility at every cell site for outdoor is an option but comes at a cost. Centralizing power has always been desired to lower installation costs and make it easier to backup, monitor, and maintain the wireless network. But centralized power today has distance limitations when Remote Feeding Telecommunications-Voltage limited (RFT-V) are used. Centralized power with high voltage raises many safety concerns. This session explores the concept of Fault Managed Power that addresses these challenges, and the new Fault Managed Power solutions that address these needs.

Does our industry have enough spectrum for commercial use? What’s next on horizon after C-Band and 3.45 GHz? Will we see more macro towers and/or small cells because of the C-Band rollout plans? Will the spectrum-sharing techniques be limited to CBRS? How does spectrum impact infrastructure spending for our industry? This panel will try to get answers of these and more questions from the experts on spectrum for 5G and future generations of technologies. Take part in the discussion through a trivia game during the session.