Preview the California Broadband Summit on May 29, 2024

Live broadband

Explore the panels, atmosphere and topics of the California Broadband Summit on Wednesday, June 5.

Preview the California Broadband Summit on May 29, 2024

The countdown has begun to the highly anticipated California Broadband Summit on June 5, 2024, where top policymakers, industry leaders and supporters of the Golden State will gather to share in the mission to revolutionize connectivity for all Californians. The event is part of the CalMatters Festival of Ideas, which will take place on June 5-6.

The event on Wednesday, June 5 will start at 10:30 a.m. PT (1:30 p.m. ET). Registration for the livestream of the California Broadband Summit and CalMatters Ideas Festival will be available soon.

For those looking forward to the event, attend an exclusive preview with the CEO of Broadband Breakfast Drew Clark and get a guide to the exciting summit program.

Visit the event program page for details on the California Broadband Summit at the CalMatters Ideas Festival:

California Broadband Summit Program

Panel 1: California’s broadband moment

As billions of people engage in broadband expansion across the country, California is riding the wave, earning $1.86 billion from the government’s flagship Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program. How did this pivotal moment unfold for the country’s leading technology center? How does this relate to current state initiatives to stimulate innovation in the technology and telecommunications sectors?

Patrick Blacklock, Chief Executive Officer of California Rural County Representatives
Mark BlakemanPresident, California and Pacific States, AT&T
Tasha BoernerAssemblyman, California’s 77th Assembly District
Carl GuardinoVice President, Government Affairs and Policy, Tarana Wireless
Janus Normanpresident of the California Broadband and Video Association (CalBroadband)
Rob OsbornDirector, Communications, California Public Utilities Commission
Drew Clark (Moderator), CEO and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast

Interlude: Fixing broadband affordability and digital equity

By popular demand, after the panel kicking off “The California Broadband Moment,” we’ll hear with ears to the ground from advocates (in Sacramento and Washington, D.C.) addressing a key issue on everyone’s mind: the potential demise of the federal government’s Affordable Communications program, as Will the Golden State respond to the affordability crisis?

Scott AdamsDeputy Director for Broadband and Digital Literacy, California Department of Technology
The remaining participants were invited

Panel 2: California’s groundbreaking Middle Mile program

In 2021, California unanimously passed SB 156, committing $6 billion in broadband investment to close the digital divide statewide. More than half of the funds are earmarked for building publicly available, state-owned mid-mile networks equipped with high-capacity fiber optics. As this expansive investment spreads across the state, how can California leverage this expansive statewide investment? What opportunities and potential pitfalls might the country encounter along the way?

Barbara HayesDirector of Economic Development, California Rural County Representatives
Mark Monroedeputy director of California’s Middle Mile Broadband Initiative
More panelists were invited

Panel 3: Construction Cost in California

California, with one of the most extensive highway networks in the country, also faces the thorny issue of broadband priority access, which often increases implementation costs. This legal authorization to deploy and maintain broadband infrastructure along public routes often muddies the ground around broadband expansion plans. What is the state’s position on this issue? Are there still bottlenecks that need to be addressed to ensure broadband flows smoothly across the state?

Dane JasperSonic CEO
Roger TimmermanExecutive Director of UTOPIA FIber
Lori AdamsVice President of Broadband Financing Policy and Strategy at Nokia
More panelists were invited

Panel 4: Net neutrality and privacy

While federal net neutrality rules hang in limbo, California has long adhered to its own data equal treatment law as well as the state’s leading online privacy law. What impact does net neutrality have on California’s game plan, given widespread access to broadband across the state? How does California’s leadership on net neutrality and broadband privacy impact California?

Barbara van Schewickdirector of the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford University
More panelists were invited
Sarah Lai Stirland (moderator), multimedia journalist

Our world is rapidly changing due to the widespread and growing availability of communications. AT&T is leading the way with our nationwide, fast and reliable 5G network combined with our expanding multi-gigabit fiber home internet service. While we depend on broadband today, we believe this is just the beginning. Connecting communities across California is in AT&T’s DNA. Since Alexander Graham Bell’s invention of the telephone over 145 years ago, we have been a leader in connecting people and businesses.

Ram is the creator of ngFWA (Next Generation Fixed Wireless Access), an entirely new technology built from the ground up to deliver reliable residential broadband Internet. G1, our ngFWA platform, overcomes previously insurmountable industry challenges for service providers in every market to more efficiently deliver better broadband access.

CalBroadband consists of California’s leading experts in broadband infrastructure development and deployment. We leverage the expertise of our members to educate and advocate for transformative public policy that enables broadband providers to continue their efforts to connect Californians. These efforts include expanding the availability of high-speed Internet and broadband to unserved geographic areas and increasing utilization in existing service areas throughout the state.

For the past decade, the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) has been on a mission to build partnerships and support public policy to close the digital divide. This work was strategically, results- and people-oriented. CETF is a leading advocate for a Digital Capital Rights Bill.

The full program and biographies can be found on the website California Broadband Summit.