Arlington, Va. – Connected Nation is joining an exciting lineup of speakers at the Telecommunications Industry Association's premier annual summit and conference – TIA 2011: Inside the Network – May 17-20 at the Gaylord Texan Hotel in Dallas.
Brian Mefford, CEO of Connected Nation, will deliver a keynote speech addressing the critical issues surrounding the future of the network on May 18 at 3 p.m.: Connecting Communities: Public-Private Initiatives in Overcoming the Nation's Broadband Challenge. Mefford will also participate in a keynote panel Thursday morning, May 19 with National Telecommunications Cooperative Association President Sandy Vandevender.
"We deeply appreciate Brian sharing the hands-on experience that Connected Nation has in bringing broadband technologies to the nation's communities," said TIA President Grant Seiffert. "His awareness of the hurdles we face in bringing the benefits of broadband to unserved and underserved areas, and how we face and conquer those challenges, will provide participants at TIA 2011: Inside the Network with knowledge that can be put to immediate use."
Connected Nation has a program footprint that spans more than 30 states and territories from Alaska to Puerto Rico and is currently managing broadband expansion programs in 12 states and territories across the nation. It knows firsthand the local demands of effective broadband planning and the solutions that will inject energy and momentum towards sustainable solutions. Connected Nation provides underserved communities the knowledge, expertise, and energy to take control of their broadband future and bring the benefits of broadband to their communities.
In February, the NTIA and FCC released the nation's first ever broadband map. Connected Nation, through its state partner projects, is the single largest data contributor to the map. Connected Nation contributed nearly a quarter of the records in the national map. Connected Nation's contribution covers approximately 42 percent of the country's landmass, approximately 39.5 million households, and data of more than 1,200 broadband service providers.
"TIA has pulled together an impressive lineup of thought leaders who are impacting the future of the network and we look forward to the important discussions and decisions that will occur during the summit," said Connected Nation CEO Brian Mefford. "As Connected Nation works in communities across the country from Alaska to Puerto Rico to leverage the network to strengthen local economies, we have gained a keen appreciation for the need for collaboration between technology solutions providers and grassroots leaders. I'm looking forward to engaging with stakeholders from these and other key groups to determine practical ways we can work closer together to spur innovation and growth in our state and local economies."
Connected Nation's Texas program, Connected Texas, is working with the state's Dept. of Agriculture and Public Utility Commission on a comprehensive broadband initiative to expand broadband adoption and use across the state. Their latest study, "The Broadband Landscape in the State of Texas," finds that 96 percent of Texans have access to broadband, but only 62 percent are using it.
TIA 2011: Inside the Network is being held May 17-20 at the Gaylord Texan Hotel in Dallas, starting on annual World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. The event features educational sessions covering Converged Networks; Smart Grid; Machine to Machine; Cloud Computing; Mobile Backhaul, Video and Data; Sustainable Networks; Regulatory Issues; Security and more. Leading speakers include:
» Randall Stephenson, Chairman, CEO and President, AT&T
» Anthony J. Melone, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Verizon
» FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski
» Jeff Gardner, CEO and President, Windstream Corp.
» Robert Vrij, Executive Vice President, Alcatel-Lucent, President of Americas Region
» Charles Vogt, CEO and President, GENBAND
» Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas)
» Rep.
Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.)
» FCC Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker
» FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell
» Tim Harden, President, Supply Chain & Fleet Operations, AT&T
» Kittur Nagesh, Senior Director, Mobility and Security Solutions Marketing, Juniper Networks
» Joseph Ambeault, Director, Product Development and Management, Video Services, Verizon FiOS
» Jeremy Legg, Senior Vice President of Business Development & Multi-Platform Distribution, Turner Broadcasting System
» Rose Schooler, GM, Communications Infrastructure Division, Embedded Computing Group, Intel Corp.
» Milo Mendin, Vice President, Fiber to the Communities, Google
TIA Digital Marketplace
In addition to the TIA 2011 on-site Conference and Summit, TIA has also launched a virtual platform for the event: TIA Digital Marketplace. Watch an on-demand Webinar that showcases the features and functions and previews the content of TIA 2011: Inside the Network.
Virtual Attendee Brochure
Media registration is free and provides access to all keynotes, panels, conferences in this summit. For more information about media participation in TIA 2011: Inside the Network, please contact Mike Snyder at msnyder@tiaonline.org or at +1.703.907.7723. Register today.
About TIA
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) represents the global information and communications technology (ICT) industry through standards development, advocacy, tradeshows, business opportunities, market intelligence and world-wide environmental regulatory analysis. Since 1924, TIA has been enhancing the business environment for broadband, mobile wireless, information technology, networks, cable, satellite and unified communications. Members' products and services empower communications in every industry and market, including healthcare, education, security, public safety, transportation, government, the military, the environment and entertainment.
TIA's 2011 Market Review & Forecast, is available for purchase online at the TIA store. TIA members receive a discount of more than 60 percent off of the cover price. Review copies are available for qualified media.
View video news programming on TIA Now at http://www.tianow.org.
TIA is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Visit tiaonline.org.
TIA's Board of Directors includes senior-level executives from ADTRAN, Alcatel-Lucent, ANDA Networks, AttivaCorp, Cisco Systems, Dow Chemical Company, Ericsson, Inc., GENBAND, Inc., Henkels & McCoy, Juniper Networks, ILS Technology, Intel Corporation, Intersect, Inc., LGE, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, OneChip Photonics, Panasonic Computer Solutions Co., Qualcomm, Research In Motion, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corporation, Tellabs, TE Connectivity, Ulticom, Inc., Walker & Associates and WirefreeCom, Inc. Advisors to the Board include FAL Associates and Telcordia Technologies.
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