INCOMPAS NEWS -- July 25, 2017

INCOMPAS announced yesterday that it is changing its event format starting in 2018, moving The INCOMPAS Show to once a year in the Fall, and expanding its popular INCOMPAS Policy Summit in the Nation's Capitol to include educational sessions that address policy implications for business and other elements from the traditional Spring INCOMPAS Show. In addition, starting this Fall, The INCOMPAS Show also will expand to include two new colocated partners - the NEDAS San Francisco Symposium and ChannelVision Expo West.

The INCOMPAS Show: Fall 2017 will take place October 15-17 at the Marriott Marquis San Francisco. The show will offer many new features and partnerships, including:

Colocating with the Northeast DAS & Small Cell Association (NEDAS), a consortium of in-building wireless solution providers, which is hosting the NEDAS San Francisco Symposium on Tuesday, October 17 - The NEDAS San Francisco Symposium will provide a full day of workshops and training sessions to educate attendees on the technologies and solutions driving growth throughout the in-building wireless industry, gives infrastructure providers more insight into wireless solutions and helps enable IoT everywhere. Prior to the one-day symposium, on Sunday, October 15, Ilissa Miller, president of NEDAS and CEO of iMiller Public Relations, will host a marketing workshop - "Five Steps to a Successful Marketing Plan" - that is open to attendees of both events.
Women in Tech Networking Breakfast - Co-hosted by INCOMPAS and Women in the Channel (WiC), a grassroots organization empowering women to advance their careers in telecom and IT, the breakfast will feature a session on "Confidence and Connections: Elevating Each Other." Taking place on Tuesday, October 17, from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and led by WiC Founder Nancy Ridge, executive vice president for Telecom Brokers, the session will focus on the challenges women in tech face in becoming leaders, as well as specific strategies for meeting these challenges head on.
Debut of the new ChannelVision Expo West (CVx West), which will host a pavilion featuring channel partners who can promote carriers' products and services to the small and mid-sized business market.
Daily educational content hosted by INCOMPAS - Policy-oriented workshops on Open Internet and broadband infrastructure deployment and panel discussions on how to successfully integrate companies after a merger, advancements in fiber deployment and emerging technologies, and leveraging SD-WAN as a platform for new revenue-producing services.
The Buyers Forum - Back by popular demand, the Buyers Forum facilitates exclusive networking time for vendors and qualified industry buyers.
An exclusive arrangement with MarketWired, through iMiller Public Relations, offering exhibitors and sponsors flat-rate press release distribution for news announced at the show.

In Fall 2018, The INCOMPAS Show will be back at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis on October 21-24.

The 2018 INCOMPAS Policy Summit will take place in February at the Newseum, in Washington, D.C. Now in its fourth year, The INCOMPAS Policy Summit offers attendees a unique opportunity to hear from policymakers and lawmakers, and meet with key representatives on Capitol Hill and at the Federal Communications Commission.

To register for The INCOMPAS Show: Fall 2017 featuring the NEDAS Symposium in San Francisco, visit the show website. For more information on exhibits or sponsorships, email Samantha Edidin or call 312-673-5685.

For additional details about The INCOMPAS Policy Summit, email Jenny Gilbert or call 202-296-6650.

INCOMPAS Urges FCC to Bring Broadband Competition to Apartments, Condos, MTEs

INCOMPAS filed comments yesterday with the FCC on the Notice of Inquiry regarding broadband deployment and competition enhancement in multiple tenant environments (MTEs) - such as apartment buildings and condominiums. INCOMPAS applauded the Commission's efforts to accelerate broadband deployment and suggested areas of reform that will help foster competition.

In addition to the FCC filing, INCOMPAS released the following statement:

"We support the Federal Communication Commission's efforts to speed broadband deployment and bring broadband competition to consumers and families living in apartment buildings, condos and other MTEs. Accelerating broadband deployment in these types of dwellings will increase consumer choice and improve service. Competition is the law. Signing a lease on an apartment shouldn't mean signing away your freedom to faster, more affordable broadband.

"Today, more than 30 percent of Americans live in MTEs. We encourage the FCC to reevaluate the policies that currently police broadband service in apartments, condominiums and cooperatives. Pervasive revenue-sharing deals between landlords and incumbent service providers merely serve as a kickback from the provider to the landlord; this is to the detriment of the consumer as these uncompetitive practices result in higher prices and slower speeds for tenants.

"We also urge the FCC to undertake a thorough investigation of wiring exclusivity agreements between communications providers and landlords, revisit other forms of exclusivity agreements that discourage competition, and acknowledge recent state and local mandatory access laws that have effectively increased competition.

"The lack of competition for residential broadband access has impaired innovation and discouraged new providers from entering the market. Removing these various barriers to entry will ultimately increase consumer choice and competition, thereby lowering costs and providing higher-quality services for MTEs and surrounding neighborhoods."

INCOMPAS Op-ed on Deployment Agenda Featured in Skinny Wire

Last week, Skinny Wire Magazine published an op-ed - "Broadband Deployment: A Path to the Future" - by INCOMPAS CEO Chip Pickering that argues for a better approach to broadband infrastructure deployment policies.

Pickering promotes "one-touch make-ready," and illustrates how speeding the process for pole attachments will bring more competition. He also addresses the opportunities wireless and small cell deployment hold, while calling for an end to monopoly deals that block apartment and condo residences from broadband choice and competition.

INCOMPAS Files Reply Comments on Wireless Broadband Deployment

INCOMPAS last week filed reply comments in the FCC's docket exploring ways to accelerate wireless broadband deployment. The association noted support for a number of proposals offered, and focused its reply comments on a certain set of reforms needed to reduce the costs and accelerate the deployment of wireless facilities. Specifically, INCOMPAS said "the Commission should 1) exempt small cell deployments from Section 106 Review; 2) clarify fee related aspects of the historic review process; 3) strengthen shot clocks applicable to wireless siting applications; and 4) limit rights-of-way (ROW) use charges and siting application fees,
consistent with Sections 253 and 332."

SBA to Host July 13 Regulatory Reform Roundtable in Kentucky

The Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Advocacy will host a Regulatory Reform Roundtable on July 31, from 9:30 a.m. - Noon at the Embassy Suites, 1801 Newtown Pike, Lexington, KY 40511. The purpose of this roundtable is to help the SBA identify specific regulatory barriers to small business growth through first-hand testimony ,and thereby assist federal agencies in complying with the President's directive to eliminate burdensome regulations.

The Office of Advocacy needs input from Kentucky small business that can be used to pursue reforms that will benefit their businesses. Representatives of federal agencies and congressional offices are expected to attend the roundtable.

There also is an online form for small businesses that may not be able to attend, but have regulatory issues to report.