Providence, RI – September 18, 2019 – FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr and Geoffrey Starks opened CCA’s Annual Convention by addressing FCC priorities and policies that directly affect the competitive mobile ecosystem. CCA’s Annual Convention takes place September 16-18 at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence.
In his keynote, Commissioner Starks stated that all communities should have the opportunity to benefit from the latest technology advancements, and commended the work performed by rural and regional carriers to help close the digital divide. Starks said, “High-quality, affordable broadband service is essential to ensuring full participation in our economy, our education system and our democracy, and the FCC has an important role to play in terms of ensuring that all Americans can take advantage of these opportunities.”
Commissioner Carr stressed the importance of the continued build out of infrastructure, access to spectrum, and the workforce development program, “We are seeing results of our workforce development program that has created thousands of new jobs and are looking for ways to continue to fill in the gap and bring in more skilled workers.”
“I am delighted that both Commissioners Starks and Commissioner Carr attended our Annual Convention and addressed some of competitive carriers’ most important issues including infrastructure, spectrum, network security, and bringing 5G services to rural America,” said Steven K. Berry, president & CEO of CCA. “Competitive carriers are committed to building out their networks and bringing next generation technologies to their customers. All communities, including rural areas, must be able to connect.”
At the Annual Convention, Berry addressed issues that affect the competitive carrier community, including access to spectrum, sound infrastructure policies, Mobility Fund II support and supply chain security. Regarding spectrum, Berry said, “Access to spectrum is crucial to satisfying consumers’ growing appetite for data, and CCA has been particularly focused on the C-band, which is key to providing next generation and 5G technologies. CCA’s 5G Plus Plan, with ACA Connects and Charter, is a commonsense approach that best serves the public interest, and we are pushing hard to get the FCC to realize the many benefits of this joint plan.”
Berry also addressed CCA’s advocacy work on Mobility Fund II, saying, “The biggest issue facing CCA members right now is ensuring reliable broadband coverage maps. We need better data and better information on where mobile broadband really exists and so we know where critical Mobility Fund II funds should be directed. Without accurate data, rural America risks being left behind.”
The Annual Convention featured a series of discussions with industry thought leaders including:
- G.S. Sickand, VP and CTO, regional carriers, Ericsson, examining maximizing 4G/5G coexistence;
- Josh Wigginton, VP, product management, Interop Technologies, discussing RCS as a catalyst for carrier;
- Dr. Theodore (Tod) Sizer, VP, smart optical fabric and device research, Nokia Bell Labs, addressing the societal impact of industrial IoT;
- Mike Keegan, CEO, Transaction Network Services, focusing on restoring trust in voice.
The Start-Up Pavilion returned to the exhibit hall with Acentury Americas, Echo Environmental, HCI Energy, IoT America, Raptor Labs, Spartan Camera, and Vume showcasing innovative products and services for the mobile industry. The Sales & Profit Pavilion, co-sponsored by the Wireless Business Owners Consortium, debuted on the exhibit floor with companies presenting their products and services aimed at creating profitable, new income opportunities.
About CCA
CCA is the leading association for competitive wireless providers and stakeholders across the United States. Members range from small, rural carriers serving fewer than 5,000 customers to regional and nationwide providers serving millions of customers, as well as vendors and suppliers that provide products and services throughout the wireless communications ecosystem. CCA’s 2020 Mobile Carriers Show will take place March 30-April 1 in Dallas, and CCA’s 2020 Annual Convention will take place October 5-7, in Amelia Island, FL. Visit http://www.ccamobile.org/.
Connect with CCA: @CCAMobile, #CCA2019
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