Broadband Communities Magazine has announced that Bob Knight, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Harrison Edwards PR has been named a co-chair of the 2021 Broadband Communities Summit, to be held April 19-22 at the Marriott Marquis in Houston, TX. Knight, who leads Harrison Edwards’ broadband practice, will provide strategic direction and help shape programming for this annual industry event that draws upwards of 1,000 attendees, speakers, and sponsors from around the globe.
“It is an honor to participate in this capacity as the stakes have never been higher for the fiber-broadband industry,” says Knight. “The global pandemic has daylighted why broadband connectivity is critical infrastructure. This year alone in the U.S., bandwidth demand has increased by 30% as millions of Americans are working and learning remotely.”
Consumers are also heavily relying on broadband networks for their entertainment. Knight notes: “Gaming and streaming are up sharply this year, but so are internet buffering and slowdowns, as the nation’s 1970’s- and 1980’s-era copper and cable networks are at capacity. More fiber connectivity is needed, and fast; the broadband industry has the capacity to meet this challenge.”
This year, the BBC summit will tackle issues including fiber-enabled economic development, bridging the digital divide, the role of 5G networks, telemedicine, connecting rural America, and figuring ways to best provide service in multi-dwelling units (MDUs). Importantly, there will be a sharp focus on what the Biden administration could mean in terms of federal policy and funding.
“According to a recent survey by Common Sense Media, as many as 15 million or 30% of this country’s 50.7 million public school students lack adequate internet connectivity at home for virtual learning,” Knight points out. “That’s a mandate for lawmakers and the fiber-broadband industry to come together to solve the issue,” he said.
Besides leading Harrison Edwards’ broadband practice, which serves clients throughout the United States, and in Canada and Australia, Knight is now serving his sixth term as Commissioner, Economic and Community Development for the Town of Ridgefield, Connecticut, and sits on the State of Connecticut Region 5 Business and Jobs Long-Term Recovery Committee.
Information about the Summit can be found at https://www.bbcmag.com/events/summit-2021/home.