The second Annual Connected America conference was held March 11-13th in Irving, Texas. The VETRO Team of Owen Grohman (Strategic Accounts), Sean Dundon (Partnerships), Roger Pearson (Western Region Account Executive) and James Irvine (Solutions Engineer) were dispatched from Maine and Texas to meet with customers, partners, and new prospects.
The annual Connected America conference brought together industry leaders to discuss the future of broadband access.
Open Access Day
This year’s event kicked off a day early with Open Access Day hosted by VETRO partners COS Systems. The half day event focused on Open Access Networks, a model where multiple providers share the physical infrastructure. A panel discussion explored the benefits of open access networks. By sharing infrastructure costs, providers can offer more competitive rates and reach underserved communities.
Mikael Philipsson, CEO of COS Systems, highlighted his experience with completed Open Access Networks in Sweden with 10-15 ISPs on a single network, all with differentiated offerings to the customer. The network owner of the shared infrastructure was able to realize a significant ROI over a non-open access network with a single provider.
The discussion also delved into the three key layers of open access infrastructure: physical infrastructure, neutral network operations, and the ISPs selling services to subscribers. Automation was identified as crucial for managing a network with multiple providers.
VETRO participated in a panel around the desired tech stack and a “digital approach” for a successful Open Access Network and why automation is critical with multiple providers on a single network.
Themes – Digital Equity, Green Cities, Middle Mile, BEAD and Tribal Opportunities
The conference addressed various aspects of broadband deployment, with a focus on reaching unserved and underserved populations and strategies for both rural and urban areas, with a goal of providing affordable and high-quality internet access.
Green city initiatives explored strategies for monitoring energy use in networks and incorporating sustainable practices into infrastructure design. Discussions on subsidies, including the BEAD program and tribal grants, highlighted the need for careful planning to minimize ongoing operational costs (OPEX) since subsidies primarily focus on upfront capital expenditures (CAPEX).
Additional panels addressed connected agriculture, neutral operators, digital healthcare, 5G, network deployment options, and optimizing capex to generate better ROI for your network.
The conference covered a range of topics relevant to broadband deployment, including connected agriculture, neutral network operators, digital healthcare, 5G advancements, and optimizing network costs. Overall, Connected America 2024 emphasized the importance of shared infrastructure, innovative technologies, and efficient planning to bridge the digital divide and provide affordable, high-speed internet to everyone.
About VETRO
At VETRO, we believe visualizing data unlocks hidden potential, radically simplifying the way businesses operate and digitizing the future of connectivity. We focus on empowering network operators with unparalleled clarity and control over their fiber networks, enabling them to move faster, better, and more efficiently than ever before. Our revolutionary platform isn’t just software – it’s the physical network asset system of record, offering unprecedented visibility and control from strategic planning to daily operations. We empower our customers to bridge the digital divide at a rapid pace, unlock unforeseen opportunities, and squeeze the maximum value from their networks. Let’s illuminate the unseen, digitize the way we connect, and shape the future of connectivity, together.
