World’s largest fiber broadband event set to “Light It Up” in Nashville

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today opened the Call for Speakers for Fiber Connect 2025, the world’s largest fiber broadband conference, held June 1 - 4, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn.

Fiber Connect 2025 will navigate the advancement of fiber broadband as the industry starts to “light it up” with the first BEAD-funded networks. The event is expected to draw more than 5,000 attendees from across the fiber broadband ecosystem as network operators, service providers, state broadband offices, technology innovators, and broadband industry leaders gather to collaborate, gain knowledge, and further advance the fiber industry.

“The fiber broadband industry is at a pivotal moment with nearly all Initial BEAD Proposals approved. We must build on this progress, and Fiber Connect delivers the experts, insight, and networking opportunities to advance connectivity initiatives,” said Evann Freeman, FBA Conference Committee Chair, FBA Board Member, and EPB Vice President, Government & Community Relations. “We’re curating the Fiber Connect 2025 agenda with content and speakers that will help service providers and network operators ‘Light Up’ the fiber broadband deployment maps by the end of the decade, ensuring that every American can connect to the possibilities only fully unlocked with fiber broadband.”

Fiber Connect 2025 is accepting speaker submissions for breakout sessions only. These breakout sessions are 100% panel-based and focused on key issues driving the fiber broadband industry forward. FBA is seeking industry experts to share insights, experience, and best practices. Submissions should be non-commercial in nature and focus on what the individual speaker can share with the audience. The Call for Speakers is not looking for panel suggestions as part of this process.

Individuals interested in participating in a breakout panel session should submit their qualifications via the Speaker Submission Portal before Friday, November 22, 2024. More information on the speaker submission process can be found on the FBA website here. The topics for submission include:

• Deployment Best Practices: Addressing challenges, opportunities, and solutions in the deployment of fiber broadband, this track will focus on how operators will take fiber further, especially to new, unserved markets.
• Networks at Work: The What, When, and How of Expanding Fiber Footprints: Operational and management insights as operators expand the range and reach of fiber broadband networks and services.
• Fiber Economics: Creating the Connections that Lead to Growth: Financial considerations and opportunities operators need to consider when deploying fiber broadband services in either greenfield or existing network environments in both rural and urban environments.
• Tribal Broadband: Key Considerations and Expectations: Sustainable paths for connecting tribal communities with fiber broadband in accordance with individual nations' laws and customs.
• Outside Plant: Digging in as BEAD Doles Out: Exploring the realities of deploying fiber broadband to new locations and the technologies and systems available to help operators expand.
• Middle Mile: Keeping It All Connected: Deployment of middle mile networks in supporting network operator fiber broadband expansion in rural broadband expansion.
• Service Provider Ecosystem: Building Teams That Move Business Forward: How the fiber broadband industry can improve the service providers’ experience by addressing industry challenges and reducing silos.
• Digital Equity and Workforce Development: Efforts to create workforce development programs to help close the digital divide.

All Fiber Connect 2025 speaking submissions will be reviewed by the FBA Conference Committee with the following considerations: expertise on subject matter, involvement with FBA, and relevant speaker experience. No submissions featuring or focused on specific company products or solutions will be considered. For questions about submissions, contact Program Director Richard Williams at rwilliams@fiberbroadband.org. To learn more about product presentations, contact Lucy Green at lgreen@fiberbroadband.org about sponsorship opportunities at Fiber Connect 2025.

About the Fiber Broadband Association

The Fiber Broadband Association is the largest and only trade association that represents the complete fiber ecosystem of service providers, manufacturers, industry experts, and deployment specialists dedicated to the advancement of fiber broadband deployment and the pursuit of a world where communications are limitless, advancing quality of life and digital equity anywhere and everywhere. The Fiber Broadband Association helps providers, communities, and policy makers make informed decisions about how, where, and why to build better fiber broadband networks. Since 2001, these companies, organizations, and members have worked with communities and consumers in mind to build the critical infrastructure that provides the economic and societal benefits that only fiber can deliver. The Fiber Broadband Association is part of the Fibre Council Global Alliance, which is a platform of six global FTTH Councils in North America, LATAM, Europe, MEA, APAC, and South Africa. Learn more at fiberbroadband.org.

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