Panelists: Anna Gomez, Konstantinos Masselos, Adam Scott, Geoffrey Starks
Moderator: Bryan Tramont
Key takeaways from the panel:
- 5G development faces infrastructure and workforce challenges. The U.S. tackles the issue through large-scale federal funding programs like BEAD, but workforce availability is another concern: 5G expansion requires a diverse network of technicians and engineers to manage the move toward millimeter-wave spectrum.
- The U.S. Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) was critical to low-income households seeking broadband services, but funding has run out. In Europe, regulatory policies enable private investment in broadband networks. Canada leverages a public-private partnership, where low-income households can access discounted broadband.
- LEO satellites, such as Starlink’s, are being integrated into rural broadband strategies. LEO satellites have the potential to extend coverage to highways and remote areas where other networks are economically unfeasible.
- Broadband deployment within each country differs due to geographic, financial, and regulatory challenges. For instance, Canada struggles to deploy long fiber links to remote communities. Greece has excellent 5G coverage but low fiber penetration. The EU focuses on fostering an investment-friendly, unified regulatory regime to transition from legacy copper to high-capacity fiber networks.
You can watch videos or read full transcripts of each panel, including this one, on TPI’s YouTube channel. Below is a live illustration of this panel provided by graphic artist Karina Branson of CoverSketch. Stay tuned for more panel summaries from 2024’s Aspen Forum!
