A note from the organizers of Broadband Nation Expo<\/p>\n
The U.S. digital divide has been a central discussion for many years, and despite major federal investments, millions of Americans remain on the wrong side of the gap.<\/p>\n
The reasons for this divide are multifaceted and complex \u2014 ranging from geographic isolation, low population densities and outdated infrastructure. But regardless of the underlying reasons, the consequences are the same: Many communities remain underserved \u2014 especially those in rural, tribal and economically disadvantaged areas, cutting them off from healthcare, education and economic opportunities.<\/p>\n
Despite the challenges, there is still hope. Across the country, internet service providers (ISPs), cable companies, satellite operators, mobile carriers and wireless ISPs are stepping up \u2014 investing in fiber networks, expanding wireless connectivity through fixed wireless access (FWA), satellite and 5G \u2014 to help close the gap and reach the communities that have long been left behind.<\/p>\n
The barrier to closing the digital divide isn\u2019t the lack of technological options or social interest. It\u2019s due to the lack of strategic cooperation between key players. The challenge of building out the last mile is one of the most persistent to achieving digital equity. Broadband providers face high deployment costs and logistical hurdles due to a lack of partnerships needed to move projects forward.<\/p>\n
This is why the Broadband Nation Connect program is one of the most strategically important programs in the U.S. broadband industry. Taking place during the Broadband Nation Expo<\/a> Nov. 17-19 in Orlando, Florida, our tailored matchmaking service unites broadband providers with key technology solution providers offering the tools they need to bridge the digital divide in their state(s). By connecting the right people, this program accelerates projects that target the hardest-to-reach populations in the U.S.<\/p>\n Unlike other conferences, Broadband Nation Connect<\/a> has been intentionally designed to foster actionable partnerships. It\u2019s a platform where strategy meets execution, where broadband leaders build the necessary relationships to tackle the last mile and serve communities that have waited too long.<\/p>\n Here’s what our partners said when they joined the program in 2024:<\/p>\n Chief Government Affairs Officer, Ripple Fiber: \u201cI had the opportunity to participate in the Broadband Nation Expo Hosted Buyer Program and found it to be a valuable experience. Not only was I able to meet vendors that I could connect with the appropriate department leads at my company, but I was also able to gain greater insight to other aspects of fiber builds that are outside the scope of my current role.\u00a0 Participation in the program provided the opportunity to establish partnerships with new vendors and deepen my understanding of our industry.\u201d<\/p>\n Chief Operating Officer, Highline Midwest: \u201cI found the hosted buyer program to be incredibly valuable at the recent Broadband Nation Expo.\u00a0By having a set schedule of meetings, I found the companies had researched Highline, and we had very productive mutually beneficial discussions.\u00a0I\u2019d highly recommend participating in this program at future conferences.\u201d<\/p>\n If you work for a U.S. broadband provider and are responsible for purchasing decisions, the Broadband Nation Expo team invites you to join us this Nov. 17-19 in Orlando at no cost. We can help to empower you to deliver broadband access where it\u2019s needed most, leaving no community behind. For more information, please reach out to\u00a0me via email at: [email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Fierce Network editorial team was not involved in the production of this content.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A note from the organizers of Broadband Nation Expo The U.S. digital divide has been a central discussion…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":246898,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3161],"tags":[643,95685,30799,3082,53,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-246897","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-internet","8":"tag-broadband","9":"tag-broadband-nation-expo","10":"tag-fierce-network-homepage","11":"tag-internet","12":"tag-technology","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114815372104075448","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=246897"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246897\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/246898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=246897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=246897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=246897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}