Fiber Broadband Association Opens Call for Speakers and Announces Proof of Concept Program for Fiber Connect 2022

WASHINGTON, D.C.—(December 2, 2021)—The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced its Call for Speakers and a new Proof of Concept (POC) program for Fiber Connect 2022. Fiber Connect 2022, held June 12 – 15, 2022, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, will include several pre-conference workshops, keynotes from industry leaders, policy makers, regulators and influencers designed to provide the tools needed to successfully close the digital equity gap forever. New programming at Fiber Connect 2022 includes sessions focused on public/private partnerships, demand drivers for fiber broadband, innovation, cybersecurity, grant writing and training.

“The recently passed Infrastructure Bill, along with other federal and state programs, will ensure that our industry can get every person connected and close the digital equity gap once and for all,” said Gary Bolton, President and CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association. “The FBA’s goal is to ensure our members have the tools needed to fund, design, deploy and deliver fiber broadband services. Our conference team has created exciting opportunities for people to learn, network, make deals and advance the deployment of fiber broadband further.”

Companies interested in submitting proposals to share best practices, innovative use cases, industry perspectives, deployment success stories and examples of community impact can find details, recommendations and submission requirements here: https://www.fiberbroadband.org/page/fiber-connect-2022-call-for-speakers.

Sessions will be curated to showcase the proven role fiber broadband has as a mechanism for community growth and economic development, best practices, innovative use cases and innovation that can drive the market forward. Speakers will be selected from the industry, as well as from its over 250 member companies that include incumbent, regional and rural service providers, cable operators, equipment vendors, system integrators, engineering consultants and other members of the fiber broadband ecosystem.

New in 2022, the POC program is designed to demonstrate the benefits fiber brings to communities as they look to leverage high-capacity services once the digital divide is closed. The program is centered on services that bring both financial opportunity and social good. Companies are encouraged to demonstrate how their products and applications can be used to deliver services to support telehealth, precision agriculture, remote learning/work, emergency and first responder services, smart grid, smart city, smart home and other applications that require the capacity fiber can deliver to have the biggest impact. Companies interested in submitting a POC application can find additional information here: https://www.fiberbroadband.org/page/overview-of-fiber-connect-2022-poc-unlimited-capacity-creates-limitless-possibilities.

“Fiber Connect is where the industry comes together and this year we’re excited to share new insights into public/private partnerships, the creation of the Fiber Connect Deal Zone and the POC program that should serve as a roadmap to offering the types of innovative applications and services that can profoundly change communities and lives,” said Joseph Jones, FBA Board Member and Fiber Connect 2022 Conference Chair. “Fiber unlocks limitless possibilities and Fiber Connect 2022 is the preeminent event for our industry as it looks to showcase the societal benefits that only fiber can deliver.”

Fiber Connect 2022 welcomes Platinum Sponsors ADTRAN, Calix, DZS, Nokia, Plume and Sumitomo; Gold Sponsors 3-GIS, CommScope, Corning, Dycom, Graybar and OFS; and Silver Sponsor Clearfield. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, contact Lucy Green at lgreen@fiberbroadband.com.

###

About the Fiber Broadband Association

The Fiber Broadband Association is the largest and only trade association that represents the complete fiber ecosystem of service providers, manufacturers, industry experts and deployment specialists dedicated to the advancement of fiber broadband deployment and the pursuit of a world where communications are limitless, advancing quality of life and digital equity anywhere and everywhere. The Fiber Broadband Association helps providers, communities and policy makers make informed decisions about how, where and why to build better fiber broadband networks. Since 2001, these companies, organizations and members have worked with communities and consumers in mind to build the critical infrastructure that provides the economic and societal benefits that only fiber can deliver. The Fiber Broadband Association is part of the Fibre Council Global Alliance, which is a platform of six global FTTH Councils in the Americas, LATAM, Europe, MENA, and APAC. Learn more at fiberbroadband.org.