Recapping Broadband Communities’ 2017 Economic Development Conference

NGN kicked off the month of November with Broadband Communities’ Fall Economic Development Conference in Atlanta, GA. The 3-day event played host to an exceptional group of speakers and vital conversations about how broadband capacity can drive economic development in rural communities.

Michael Foor, NGN’s Vice President of Market & Member Services, delivered a keynote address highlighting the impact of NGN’s fiber network on economic development and quality of life for rural citizens – from supporting local businesses with globally competitive connectivity to creating educational opportunities for local students and offering the first Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) in rural Georgia.

Other notable speakers included Blue Ridge Mountain EMC’s General Manager, Jeremy Nelms, and Director of Economic Development, Erik Brinke, as well as NGN Connect Board Chair, Charlie Auverman, and several members of the NGN team.  All shared their experience with rural broadband and lessons learned for conference participants to bring back to their own communities.

NGN would like to thank Broadband Communities Magazine for allowing NGN to host the conference and for educating participants on how to leverage broadband for economic development in rural areas. We certainly look forward to future events that encourage these discussions!

Below are some photos of our team members from the conference:

CAPTION: Charlie Auvermann, NGN Connect’s Board Chair, presented best techniques for broadband & economic development professionals to work together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAPTION: David Little, NGN’s Vice President of Network Operations, led a panel comparing Fiber, 5G, CBRS, and TV White Space technologies.

 

 

 

 

CAPTION: Michael Foor, NGN’s Vice President of Market & Member Services, presented “The Georgia Story” keynote, which includes NGN’s own history and the impact of the NGN fiber network on North Georgia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAPTION: Erik Brinke, BRMEMC Director of Economic Development, moderated a panel titled “Electronic Cooperatives: Broadband Leads the Way to Economic Development.” Brinke is an expert on EMC’s leading the way for broadband and is one of the visionaries who helped start NGN.

 

*Not Pictured: Jeremy Nelms, BRMEMC General Manager, spoke on the “Partners on the Road to Rural Broadband … Continued” panel.  He shared how the EMC he leads has brought true broadband to a very rural, hard-to-save area through a partnership with NGN.