INCOMPAS News -- July 15, 2024

Vol. 20, No. 27

July 15, 2024

Uniti's Gunderman and

NTIA's Bleau to Keynote

The 2024 INCOMPAS Show

INCOMPAS is proud to announce that Kenny Gunderman, President and CEO of Uniti Group Inc., and Sarah Bleau, Director of the Middle Mile Program for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will be the featured keynotes at The 2024 INCOMPAS Show, taking place October 20-22 at the Sheraton Denver Downtown.

Kicking off the show on Monday, October 21, Gunderman, who has led Uniti since 2015, will share his perspective on the state of the communications industry and his outlook for the future. He also will discuss Uniti’s path forward as it merges with Windstream to create a national fiber powerhouse that will continue to bridge the digital divide with fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and focus on Tier II and III markets, as well as the long-term vision for the company and what partners and customers can expect post-merger.

Gunderman has more than 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry and is focused on growing Uniti's real estate portfolio of mission-critical communications infrastructure. He has prior experience at Stephens, Lehman Brothers and KPMG, and currently serves on the board of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, the Hendrix College Board of Trustees and the NAREIT Board of Governors.

Bleau, who joined NTIA in February 2021, has spent the better part of her career buying, building and selling fiber networks. She took on the leadership role for the Broadband Infrastructure Program in Fall 2021 and saw the program through to the award recommendations and announcements made in February 2022.

During her keynote on Tuesday, October 22, Bleau will discuss NTIA’s Middle Mile Program, which provides funding for the expansion and extension of middle mile infrastructure across the U.S. and its territories. In 2023, this program allocated $980 million to fund projects for the construction, improvement or acquisition of middle mile infrastructure. Bleau will share details on Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program projects that have been awarded in the last year and how the program impacts other infrastructure initiatives.

The 2024 INCOMPAS Show will feature a full schedule, starting with a Welcome Happy Hour on Sunday, October 20; nightly networking happy hours and parties; panel discussions on Monday, October 21, and Tuesday, October 22; dedicated exhibit hours; a Buyers Forum featuring dedicated speed meeting time with the industry’s top buyers; an afternoon track dedicated for technical and operations professionals; a Women in Tech luncheon and more.

Early bird registration savings of up to $150 are available until August 23. For more information, or to register, visit show.incompas.org.

Webinar This Thursday, July 18

Post-Chevron: What's Next for the Communications Industry

With the Supreme Court recently overruling their landmark 1984 decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, the power of federal agencies to interpret the laws they administer has been sharply curtailed. This recent decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo is expected to have far-reaching effects, since Chevron has been one of the most important rulings on federal administrative law over the past 40 years, being cited more than 18,000 times by federal courts.

What does this ruling mean specifically for the communications industry? Join INCOMPAS President Angie Kronenberg and a panel of legal experts from INCOMPAS member company law firms for a webinar on Thursday, July 18 at 2 p.m. ET, where they will discuss:

Details of the recent Loper Bright ruling
The impact of the decision on appeals that are pending
How this decision will affect future FCC orders and proceedings and NTIA’s BEAD NOFO

Advance registration is required. For those who are interested, but unable to attend live, please register to receive a recording of the webinar to watch on demand.

Kronenberg Speaks on New Open Access Network Developments

Last week, INCOMPAS President Angie Kronenberg spoke on the panel New Developments in Open Access Networks. Under this model, multiple service providers share the same infrastructure managed by a separate network operator. The promise is a cost-effective way to promote competition and spur innovation, also reducing capital costs for some entrants. The panel discussed the new developments and insights impacting open access networks, as well as the obstacles that exist.

FCC Reminds of Reimbursement Spending Report Obligations

The FCC Wireline Competition Bureau issued a public notice reminding recipients in the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program of their obligation to file reimbursement spending reports with the FCC within 10 days after the end of January and July, starting with the recipient’s initial drawdown of reimbursement funds. The bureau said all recipients who have been notified of the approval of a reimbursement claim request must submit their next spending report by August 12, 2024, through the online portal.

Now Available On-Demand: Trend Setting and Policy Making: Shaping the Digital Infrastructure Landscape of the Future

Last week, INCOMPAS CEO Chip Pickering and iMiller Public Relations CEO Ilissa Miller spoke during a webinar - Trend Setting and Policy Making: INCOMPAS, Shaping the Digital Infrastructure Landscape of the Future. This insightful discussion focused on innovation, the meteoric rise of AI, infrastructure deployment, and what the historic levels of private and public investment means to our industry.

View the webinar on-demand.

House Subcommittee Holds Hearing on FCC Budget

The House Communications & Technology Subcommittee held a hearing with all five FCC Commissioners last week concerning the agency’s operating budget request for the next fiscal year. The hearing memo, the Commissioners’ testimonies and the full video recording can be accessed on the subcommittee website. The FCC is seeking an additional $30 million in its budget for the broadband map.

Report Shows Urgency to Pass Spectrum, National Security Act

The Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel called on Congress to provide support to small and rural broadband providers struggling to remove and replace unsecure Chinese network equipment after a new FCC report found 40% of Rip and Replace program participants lack funding to complete the work. Sen. Cantwell’s Spectrum and National Security Act would provide more than $3 billion to cover the Rip and Replace program shortfall. With most sites located in rural areas, this lack of funding disproportionally threatens service to rural communities.

Appropriations Bills Provide Funding for Reconnect Program

The House Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year 2025 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The bill, among other things, provides $100 million in ReConnect Program funding. In an accompanying report to the bill, the committee offered suggestions on ReConnect coordination with other federal broadband programs, and urged the USDA to consider areas lacking access to 100/20 Mbps service in FY 2025 to provide consistency across federal programs. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2025 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, which provides $75 million for Reconnect.

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