General Sessions Day 2: Building Momentum, Scaling Smarter, and Looking Ahead 

General Sessions Day 2: Building Momentum, Scaling Smarter, and Looking Ahead 

Energy remained high throughout Tuesday’s general sessions, as speakers and panelists explored what it takes to deploy faster and scale smarter alongside established network footprints. From broadband expansion to the infrastructure powering AI, healthcare, and remote work, Day 2 focused on how the industry is turning ambition into action. 

Leo Garcia, Director of the FloridaCommerce Office of Broadband, opened the day by highlighting Florida’s progress in connecting underserved and unserved communities. To date, the state has connected 200,000 locations and remains committed to ensuring every resident has access to reliable broadband—and the opportunity it creates. 

FBA Chairwoman Ash Brown followed with an inspiring message about broadband’s power to fuel creativity, imagination, and progress. She reminded attendees that the industry is building something so reliable, secure, and seamless for the next generation that they may never have to think about it at all. Her call to action was clear: build not only to meet future expectations, but to surpass them—and turn imagination into infrastructure. 

A fireside chat led by Katie Espeseth, VP of New Products at EPB, spotlighted the critical connection between fiber and energy. Conner Prochaska, Director at the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy, spoke about the nation’s most ambitious and emerging energy priorities. With innovation accelerating across the department—including efforts supporting a $1.5 billion fusion industry—he emphasized the need for secure, reliable infrastructure to sustain that momentum and encouraged the fiber industry to engage in both current and future energy initiatives. 

The first panel session, Fast and Furious: Accelerating Network Deployments, explored how broadband demand is driving better tools, more efficient processes, smarter software, streamlined workflows, and a fresh approach to building at speed. Moderated by Scott Jackson, National Market Manager at Graybar, the panel examined how service providers and vendors are collaborating to accelerate growth and revenue. Speakers included Mark Davis, SVP of Network Engineering & Construction at Highline Fiber; Bo Gresham, SVP & CRO at DYCOM; Tommy Taylor, CTO at Buckeye Broadband; and Bob Whitman, VP of Market Development at Corning Optical Communications. 

As infrastructure scales, so do the applications that improve quality of life—from entertainment and remote work to better healthcare. These intelligent applications are increasingly data-intensive and depend on low-latency infrastructure capable of optimizing behavior, systems, and scale. Dr. Jeffrey Egler, Chief Medical Officer at Noom, explored that shift in his keynote, Behavior Change at Scale: What AI Makes Possible. 

After that, a new panel tackled the “Groundhog Day” effect familiar to many operators: build, scale, repeat. Each new wave of demand restarts the cycle with more devices, more capacity, and more upgrades. Kathryn de Wit, Project Director of Broadband Access at The Pew Charitable Trusts, led a discussion on the challenges operators face during the largest fiber expansion period in U.S. history. Panelists shared how they are evolving internally and alongside their customers to ensure growth continues in the right direction. Speakers included Seth Arndorfer, CEO of Dakota Carrier Network; Gene Cruise, CEO of Surf Internet; David Eckard, Head of Strategy, North American Market Development at Nokia; and Loren Rapp, Senior Product Manager at Sumitomo Electric Lightwave. 

For rural and Tribal communities, fiber is no longer just broadband infrastructure—it is economic infrastructure, sovereignty, opportunity, access, and the foundation for building a stronger future on their own terms. Allyson Mitchell, General Manager of Mohawk Networks, shared an Operator Light Talk focused on Mohawk’s success in creating new pathways for connection, resilience, and self-determination. Joined on stage by Roger Ouellette, General Manager, Utilities at Aecon Group, Inc., she highlighted broadband’s power to transform education, healthcare, workforce development, and economic growth. 

Maryland Broadband Cooperative was also recognized as the newest recipient of FBA’s All Fiber Certification. This distinction is reserved for operators delivering the gold standard in broadband connectivity through all-fiber networks, demonstrating a deep strategic commitment to fiber deployment and ensuring customers receive the fastest, most reliable broadband experience possible. 

FBA’s weekly Fiber for Breakfast webinar moved to the main stage in a live format, where FBA President and CEO Gary Bolton interviewed Josh Kim, Co-Founder of Starfront. In Coleman County, Texas, dark skies, dry weather, and a rural setting create ideal year-round conditions for astronomy. Josh shared how Starfront’s fiber infrastructure enables hundreds of thousands of hobbyists around the world to tap into that pristine viewing location and pursue their astronomical dreams. 

Scott Hendrix, Chief Executive Officer of Tombigbee Fiber, also delivered an Operator Light Talk, underscoring that connectivity is now essential to opportunity, access, and daily life. He shared stories of how the rural Mississippi provider is changing lives by building a stronger community—from helping a grandmother stay connected with family to supporting emergency services when every second matters. 

Rounding out the day, FBA VP of Research & Workforce Development Deborah Kish joined Thomas Kamber, Founder and Executive Director of Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) at AARP and Senior Planet, to spotlight efforts expanding high-speed fiber connectivity and digital skills training for older Americans. By pairing infrastructure investment with education and engagement, the initiative addresses both access and adoption—two essential components of digital equity. 

Fiber Feud finalists then competed for the championship title, and the Guardians of Connectivity Team proved that instant communication and quick response are advantages both on the broadband network and in game-show teamwork. 

As FBA Conference Committee Chair Jessica Koch summed it up, “today was about scale—how we build faster, smarter, and more efficiently than ever before…and tomorrow, we take the next step.” Wednesday’s programming will feature the AI and Emerging Tech Infrastructure Summit, giving Fiber Connect attendees a unique opportunity to hear from renowned physicist Dr. Michio Kaku and other industry leaders about fiber’s expanding role in AI, quantum innovation, and the future of intelligent networks.