#broadbandlive
Broadband Breakfast Live Online Wednesday, March 31, 2021 – State Broadband Authorities
Panelists include Scott Rudd, Indiana Broadband Office, Teresa Ferguson, Colorado Broadband Office, Matt Schmitt, Illinois Office of Broadband, Kenrick Gordon, Maryland Office of Rural Broadband, Burt Lum, Hawaii Broadband Initiative, Moderated by Drew Clark, Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast.
See “State Broadband Authorities Play Crucial Role in Mapping, Planning and Educating for Digital Inclusion,” Broadband Breakfast, April 2, 2021
Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place every Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. You can watch the March 31, 2021, event on this page. You can also PARTICIPATE in the current Broadband Breakfast Live Online event. REGISTER HERE.
Wednesday, March 31, 2021, 12 Noon ET — “State Broadband Authorities“
- Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the U.S. Department of Commerce created the State Broadband Initiative. The partnership between state government officials, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and the Federal Communications Commission included an important component for state officials in broadband mapping. But State Broadband Initiatives did much more: They coordinated infrastructure investments, facilitated training and grants for digital literacy and digital inclusion, and helped raise consumer awareness about broadband. What’s the next chapter for state broadband authorities?
Panelists:
- Scott Rudd, Director of Broadband Opportunities, Indiana Broadband Office
- Teresa Ferguson, Director of Federal Broadband Engagement, Colorado Broadband Office (CBO)
- Matt Schmit, Director, Illinois Office of Broadband
- Kenrick Gordon, Director, Governor’s Office of Rural Broadband, Maryland
- Burt Lum, Strategy Officer, the Hawaii Broadband Initiative
- Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast
Scott Rudd currently serves as Director of Broadband Opportunities at the Indiana Broadband Office. He works closely with Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs on the Next Level Connections broadband grant program. Mr. Rudd has traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with federal legislators, learning more about the federal perspective of legislation regarding broadband and communicating Indiana’s strategy. Previously Mr. Rudd operated as the town manager and economic development director for the town of Nashville, Indiana, where he oversaw seven town commissions, three task forces, directed four departments and served as the town’s public information officer for four years. In that capacity, he also founded the Brown County Broadband Task Force to help steer the county’s broadband strategy and secured more than $20 million in private broadband investments to expand access to more than 7,500 homes and businesses in the area.
Teresa Ferguson is the Director, Federal Broadband Engagement for the Colorado Broadband Office (CBO). Prior to joining the CBO she worked for the Public Utilities Commissions of Missouri, Washington and Colorado where she held national leadership positions, engaging with the FCC, USAC, USDA and NARUC, advocating on behalf of state telecom & broadband policy interests. Ms. Ferguson spent 17 years in the private sector deploying broadband networks for schools & libraries and tribal nations funded through the federal E-Rate program.
Matt Schmit currently serves as Director of the Illinois Office of Broadband, where integration of 21st century infrastructure and service delivery is a primary focus of his work and research. He previously held office as a senator in his home state of Minnesota, and has served on many legislative boards on broadband deployment, transportation policy & investment, and community & economic development. In addition, Mr. Schmit has served on the Cook County Council on Digital Equity (CODE), the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) board, the Blandin Broadband Strategies board, the St John’s University Board of Regents, and the Legislative Water Commission; represented Minnesota on the National Conference of State Legislators Nuclear Energy Work Group and Commerce Committee; and was an active member of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators and State Ag and Rural Leaders.
Kenrick Gordon currently serves as Director of the Governor’s Office of Rural Broadband, where he oversees the expansion of broadband capabilities statewide to bring access to households and businesses in Maryland’s rural areas. He has over 30 years in engineering design and construction administration experience, beginning as a civil engineer working with municipalities on public works projects, then moving into commercial and industrial development. Mr. Gordon has also served at the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a General Field Representative for the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service Telecommunications Program.
Burt Lum is the State of Hawaii’s Strategy Officer for the Hawaii Broadband Initiative dedicated to digital equity and ensuring that Hawaii establishes robust, resilient, ubiquitous connectivity to the global broadband network. He was previously the Executive Director of Hawaii Open Data, a non-profit dedicated to advancing the principles of open data/knowledge in Hawaii, including policy work and community collaborations. He has more than 30 years in Hawaii’s technology and communications sector and is a frequent speaker and panelist on the topic of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Moderator Drew Clark, the Editor of Publisher of Broadband Breakfast, is also a telecommunications attorney at Marashlian & Donahue, PLLC, The CommLaw Group. Clark served as executive director of the Partnership for a Connected Illinois, the State Broadband Initiative in the land of Lincoln. PCI engaged in broadband mapping and planning, infrastructure investment, and digital literacy training. For more than a decade, Clark has been one of country’s leading voices advocating for improved broadband mapping efforts and a rational geospatial system for collecting broadband data.
Panelist Resources
- “State Broadband Authorities: The Next Chapter,” Kenrick Gordon, Maryland Governor’s Office of Rural Broadband
- “Hawaii Broadband,” Burt Lum, Hawaii Broadband Initiative
- Indiana Broadband Office
- Colorado Broadband Office
- Illinois Office of Broadband
- Maryland Governor’s Office of Rural Broadband
- Hawaii Broadband Initiative
- “Access, Literacy, and Livelihood: Broadband Hui Leverages Public and Private Collaborations to Support Digital Equity for All Hawaiian Residents,” Corian Zacher, Next Century Cities, March 31, 2021
WATCH HERE, or on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
As with all Broadband Breakfast Live Online events, the FREE webcasts will take place at 12 Noon ET on Wednesday.
SUBSCRIBE to the Broadband Breakfast YouTube channel. That way, you will be notified when events go live. Watch on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
See a complete list of upcoming and past Broadband Breakfast Live Online events.
#broadbandlive
Broadband Breakfast on Wednesday, February 14, 2024 – Quantum Computing and Broadband
Quantum computing could be a harbinger of change for future broadband networks
Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place on Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. Watch the event on Broadband Breakfast, or REGISTER HERE to join the conversation.
Wednesday, February 14, 2024 – Quantum Computing and Broadband
The application of quantum physics to traditional internet connections holds great promise for enhancing speed, efficiency, and security in future networks. As quantum processors venture out of physics labs and into data centers, hear how they could work in tandem with advancing broadband infrastructure to transmit vast datasets across future internet backbones. Tune in for a dynamic discussion on how quantum mechanics can transform computing, the internet and global communications.
Panelists
- Panelists have been invited
- Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast
#broadbandlive
Broadband Breakfast on February 7, 2024 – Social Media in the Courts
The Supreme Court ruling on state social media laws could shape broader tech regulation
Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place on Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. Watch the event on Broadband Breakfast, or REGISTER HERE to join the conversation.
Wednesday, February 7, 2024 – Social Media in the Courts
Two cases that could set precedents for social media regulation are heading to the Supreme Court after lower courts issued divergent rulings. These center around Florida and Texas laws that bar platforms from suppressing users’ posts based on their opinions. With the high court poised to decide whether such statutes infringe on companies’ First Amendment rights, broader debates are simmering about overhauling long-standing legal shields for online networking sites. What exactly is at stake here? What ripple effects might these cases have on oversight and accountability across the social media landscape?
Panelists
- Panelists have been invited
- Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast
SUBSCRIBE to the Broadband Breakfast YouTube channel. That way, you will be notified when events go live. Watch on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
See a complete list of upcoming and past Broadband Breakfast Live Online events.
#broadbandlive
Broadband Breakfast on Wednesday, January 31, 2024 – Congress, Net Neutrality and Privacy
Sharply divided views pour in following the FCC’s proposal to reinstate the once-scrapped regulation
Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place on Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. Watch the event on Broadband Breakfast, or REGISTER HERE to join the conversation.
Wednesday, January 31, 2024 – Congress, Net Neutrality and Privacy
The battle over net neutrality rages on as sharply divided views pour in following the FCC’s proposal to reinstate the once-scrapped regulation. In recent pitches, the Democratic-led agency has touted classifying broadband providers as Title II common carriers rather than information services – the crux of the net neutrality debate – would also safeguard customer privacy and public safety. But this would grant the FCC oversight powers that some argue fall outside its remit. What does the internet landscape look like presently, especially after Congress just pumped billions of dollars into expanding broadband access?
Panelists
- Panelists have been invited
- Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast
-
Robocall5 days ago
CES 2024: FCC and AT&T Say Collaboration is Key in Combatting Spam
-
Open Access4 weeks ago
Former Utah House Speaker Spearheads Campaign Against UTOPIA Fiber
-
#broadbandlive4 weeks ago
Broadband Breakfast on January 3, 2024 – The Broadband Forecast for 2024 with Tech Journalists
-
12 Days of Broadband4 weeks ago
Broadband Breakfast Presents the 12 Days of Broadband
-
12 Days of Broadband3 weeks ago
12 Days: How Soon Will the Affordable Connectivity Program Expire?
-
Spectrum4 weeks ago
President Biden Signs Law Giving FCC Limited Authority Over Spectrum Licenses
-
Satellite4 weeks ago
Starlink Plans to Join Affordable Connectivity Fund Subsidy Program
-
Congress4 weeks ago
Republican Lawmakers Criticize ACP as ‘Wasteful’ in Letter to FCC Chairwoman