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Webinar

Building Telecom Partnerships to Bridge the Digital Divide

Thursday, October 27, 2022, 4:30 PM IST / 12:00 PM London
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Summary

In this panel discussion on the topic Building network partnerships to bridge the digital divide, speakers will share exclusive insights on:

  • Which urban and rural markets boast the most solid infrastructure, affordable services, and high subscription rates? What is the best route to achieving these objectives, and how does this differ market by market?

  • Which types of connectivity work best in rural areas, and to what extent do they seamlessly interoperate?

  • What are the challenges in managing supply chain and labour needs in resource-stressed markets?

  • Which innovative practices will enable faster broadband rollouts, as well as greater access to modern infrastructure?

  • Who will be the stakeholders in the networking ecosystem of the future?

Speakers

Stephen

Vice President and General Manager

Stephen Szymanski is the Vice President and General Manager of Sterlite Technologies Limited (STL), Americas Region. A 25- year veteran of the fiber and cable industry, Mr. Szymanski is a builder of fiber businesses, economies, assets and organizations.

Throughout his career Mr. Szymanski has held leadership roles in general management, business development, product management and sales. He has significant experience working with telecom carriers worldwide and has conducted industry business on six continents.

Mr. Szymanski holds a B.A. degree from the College of Charleston, graduate level business diplomas from SDA Bocconi School of Management and Supply Chain Management from Rutgers University.

Buddy Bayer

President, Enterprise and Wholesale - Windstream

Ron “Buddy” Bayer is president of the Enterprise and Wholesale business unit.

Bayer is responsible for sales and marketing, service delivery, customer care, service assurance, and access as well as the Channel Program for the Enterprise business unit. Bayer will continue to oversee Windstream Wholesale sales and operations as well as network engineering and field operations in markets where Windstream is a competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC).

Bayer also leads network engineering, architecture, and capital investment as well as field operations in markets where Windstream is a competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC).

Prior to being named Chief Network Officer in 2019, Bayer was previously senior vice president of transport engineering, overseeing Windstream’s long-haul, regional and metro networks; inside plant facilities, and fiber deployment.

He joined Windstream in September 2014 from CenturyLink, now Lumen, where he was director of transport planning and engineering. He had previously held a variety of management and engineering positions with OnFiber Communications and MCIWorldCom.

He joined Windstream in September 2014 from CenturyLink, now Lumen, where he was director of transport planning and engineering. He had previously held a variety of management and engineering positions with OnFiber Communications and MCIWorldCom.

Bayer holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Oklahoma State University.

Phil Murphy

Senior Advisor, Office of the Assistant Secretary - National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)

Philip (Phil) Murphy has served as Senior Advisor and Legislative Director to Congressman Mike Doyle (PA-18), Chairman of the Communications and Telecommunications Subcommittee on the Energy and Commerce Committee. He has directed and overseen the Congressman’s legislative agenda and his Chairmanship of the Subcommittee. He also served as Staff Director of the Congressional Robotics Caucus. Previously, he served as a Legislative Clerk for the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet under then Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell.

Phil grew up in Washington, D.C., and is a graduate of Union College. He and his wife Jean live in Washington. Phil is an assistant coach for the Congressional Baseball Team and enjoys playing hockey.

Jennifer Sims

CEO - Power & Tel

Jennifer Sims is the CEO of Power & Tel, a worldwide distributor of communication equipment enabling connectivity wherever people work, learn, recover, and play. When not at Power &Tel, she’s lending her support as Chair Emeritus for WICT GMJ chapter and formerly as TIA’s and QuESTs Executive Boards as Treasurer. She is sharply focused on helping customers and manufacturing partners increase their competitive edge by lowering their transaction and total ownership cost.

As the communication industry evolves and consolidates, Ms Sims is focused on providing long term strategic direction, while carrying on the heritage of family leadership, lifelong industry relationships and expertise. Her strategic vision is to drive continuous improvement in communication, distribution, and material management solutions with integrity. Driven by a family legacy of company ownership, she is committed to lead Power & Tel for the next generation. Sims is passionate about sustaining Power & Tel’s sterling reputation of high-quality service and uncompromising ethics in the communications industry.

Ms Sims brings more than 20 years of experience in the technology and communications industries including roles in Sales, Finance, and Operations. Before joining Power & Tel in 2004, she held positions at HP and IBM. She holds an MBA, with concentrations in Finance and MIS, from the University of Tennessee in addition to her BA in Communications from Vanderbilt University. She has also received her CTM Certifications through the University of Southern California (USC) and certificate from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business YPO Executive Program.

Anna Gross

TMT Correspondent - Financial Times

Anna Gross is Telecoms, Media and Technology correspondent for the Financial Times, mainly covering telecommunications, semiconductors and the gaming industry. She was previously in Paris, reporting on a wide range of topics, including energy, migration and health.