The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) says it has postponed its annual Fiber Connect conference and exposition this year from June 6-8 to July 25-28. The event also is being moved, from Dallas, TX, to the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, TN. The association made the change to “make it more accessible for attendees to adhere to any remaining modified corporate travel protocols during the pandemic,” the FBA said in its announcement.
The FBA is a trade association dedicated to the promotion and support of all-fiber access network deployments in North America, including to the home, business, and other locations that would benefit. The group points out that year’s event comes as the pandemic has placed a spotlight on the importance of fiber broadband networks and government-backed initiatives, such as the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), to ensure more people have access to them.
“It is important for the fiber ecosystem to come together to collaborate on new technologies, opportunities for business development, and advance investment in fiber,” said Gary Bolton, FBA’s president and CEO. “We are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Fiber Broadband Association and look forward to highlighting the innovation and fiber industry advancements that have led to the creation of jobs, increased economic possibilities, and the positive and long-lasting impact on communities of all sizes across North America.”
The FBA notes that the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center is following CDC health and safety guidelines. The event will be organized to enable social distancing throughout the conference areas, the resort, and during all activities.
Ahead of the July start date, the FBA has opened a Call for Speakers with an abstract submission deadline of April 2, 2021, deadline. Abstracts may be submitted at http://www.fiberconnect2021.com/call-for-speakers-2/. The FBA has long encouraged participation from the cable MSO community and has featured speakers from CableLabs in previous events.
The Fiber Broadband Association is part of the Fibre Council Global Alliance, which is a platform of six global FTTH Councils in the Americas, LATAM, Europe, MENA, and APAC.
Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director & Associate Publisher
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, DOCSIS technology, and more.