Panel: Light It Up - The Community Connection: How Fiber Impacts Economics and Opportunity

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

9:55 AM - 10:30 AM CT

Location: Presidential Ballroom

Moderator(s)

Linda Hardesty (she/her/hers)

Executive Editor
Fierce Network
Denver, Colorado, United States

Panelist(s)

BR

Brandy Reitter

Executive Director
Colorado Broadband Office
Scott R. Hendrix (he/him/his)

Chief Executive Officer
Tombigbee Fiber
Tupelo, Mississippi, United States
Scott Neuman (he/him/his)

Corporate Vice President of Marketing
Calix
Norwich, Vermont, United States
Mary Larkin Furlow

Senior Manager of Connecting the Heartland
Heartland Forward

As the fiber broadband industry moves to close the Digital Equity Gap, there will be an effect on local stakeholders in terms of economic impact and opportunity. This panel will discuss some metrics that show fiber plays a role in improving GDP, creating job opportunities, and bringing new business development. The panel will also explore how fiber has helped with public safety networks (or been sorely missed in other cases). In addition, the panel will discuss some Smart Town initiatives that are leveraging fiber to bring free Wi-Fi to community spaces. And while panelists agree that fiber broadband is usually the best choice, we’ll discuss whether a decision to use another broadband technology could potentially leave a community behind.