Silver Star VP/COO Barbara Sessions named 2021 FTTXcellence Award winner

July 27, 2021
The award, now in its 18th year and co-sponsored by Corning and Lightwave, recognizes an individual who has advanced the use optical communications in broadband networks in the Americas.

Barbara Sessions, vice president and chief operating officer of Wyoming-based broadband service provider Silver Star Communications, received the 2021 FTTXcellence Award yesterday during the opening General Session at the Fiber Connect conference and exhibition in Nashville, TN. The award, now in its 18th year and co-sponsored by Corning and Lightwave, recognizes an individual who has advanced the use optical communications in broadband networks in the Americas.

The selection of Sessions from a slate of candidates nominated by their peers recognizes her leadership in fiber broadband expansion projects in Wyoming and East Idaho in the face of both environmental and COVID-related challenges. “This year’s recipient stood apart from a very impressive slate of nominees. Our 2021 honoree has displayed great vision and an unwavering commitment to bringing fiber to the good people of Western Wyoming and Eastern Idaho,” commented Joe Jensen, market development director at Corning Optical Communications during the award ceremony. “As the vice president and COO of Silver Star Communications, Barbara Sessions spearheaded the successful coordination and execution of two CARES projects in different states simultaneously.”

In Western Wyoming, Sessions led Silver Star’s efforts to deploy 133 route miles of conduit and main cable, passing 2,825 locations, to provide access to fiber broadband services. Silver Star estimates that the construction and other project spending have resulted in at least $1.2 million of economic stimulation for Wyoming’s Star Valley. The deployment projects in East Idaho saw more than 150,000 feet of conduit and fiber installed to pass 690 locations, 368 of which previously had access to internet speeds under 25 Mbps downstream and 3 Mbps upstream.

Sessions received an award of Steuben glass in recognition of her achievements. A donation also was made in her name to US Ignite, a non-profit organization that seeks to act as a catalyst for communications network advancement as well as for innovation in smart city services. Mari Silbey, senior director of partnerships and outreach for US Ignite, spoke during the ceremony on behalf of the organization. Sessions declined to speak.

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About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave

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, and more.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.

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