Panel Discussions Session 3: Infrastructure

Building a Broadband network

Time:  12:45 P.M. - 2:15 P.M.                                Location:  Utopia Ballroom

The term Broadband commonly refers to high-speed Internet access that is always on and faster than the traditional dial-up access. The speeds with minimum of 256 kbit/s (in at least one direction) are commonly marketed as "broadband" around the world. The Broadband infrastructure refers to advanced communications systems capable of providing high-speed transmission technologies such as DSL, Cable, Fiber, Wireless, and Satellite for services such as data, voice, and video over the Internet and other networks.

The Broadband is changing how we communicate with each other, how and where we work, how we educate our children, and how we entertain ourselves. According to Forrester, more than 60% of US households have broadband network at home. The online trends in social media, Web 2.0, online videos, P2P and cloud services are driving consumer need for ubiquitous broadband both at home and mobile. There are currently more than 4 billion mobile subscribers in the world but only fraction of these mobile subscribers have broadband and thus creating tremendous growth opportunity to innovate.  

The Broadband is a key driver of economic growth. The ability to share large amounts of information at ever-greater speeds increases productivity, facilitates commerce, and drives innovation. The increasing importance of broadband service access to everyday life makes policy makers address the need to stay competitive by plugging the region in global knowledge grid. The policy makers are also looking to address questions about how to bridge the “digital divide”, diversity in broadband access and “net neutrality”. The Broadband Initiatives funded in The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (stimulus package) are intended to accelerate broadband deployment across the United States.

In this panel we discuss the opportunities and challenges in building broadband networks and systems. The panel will address industry projections, sustainable business models, key markets for investment, innovations as well as thought-provoking questions on broadband policies.

Moderator:   Prith Banerjee     Senior Vice President of Research, and 
                                                     Director HP Labs, Hewlett Packard Corp.

Panelist:      Dilish Adhikari     Director - Solutions Marketing and Business 
                                                     Development
                      Bill Payne             Vice President, Wireless Broadband Solutions
                                                     & Technology, Motorola
                      Joel Mambretti    Director, International Center for Advanced
                                                     Internet Research, Northwestern University