COMPTEL PLUS Fall 2012 Convention and EXPO

Monday, October 8, 2012
1:30 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.	USF Contribution Reform: What’s at Stake? The FCC is currently considering reforming the way in which carriers, including competitive providers, must pay into the Universal Service Fund (USF). The changes could mean significant costs for the competitive industry, as the burdens of USF collections for carriers of all kinds could shift dramatically with the FCC's reform. The speakers will discuss the likely outcomes of this reform, the positions of the major industry players, and the possible timing of FCC decisions.

Moderator:	Ash Johnston (bio) Partner Lampert, O'Connor & Johnston

Speakers:	Adrienne Biddings (bio) Telecom Policy Counsel Google

	Angela Kronenberg (bio) Wireline Legal Advisor, Office of Commissioner Mignon Clyburn Federal Communications Commission

	Genevieve Morelli (bio) President Independent Telephone and Telecommunications Alliance (ITTA)

	Rich Morris (bio) Senior Counsel, Federal and State Government Affairs Sprint

2:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.	Billing Disputes: How to Comply with Reforms and Regulations In the aftermath of intercarrier compensation reforms, carriers and billing companies face new challenges. This session will focus on billing disputes arising from the reforms and tariff changes. Panelists will discuss billing and collections issues they are encountering, potential resolutions to these problems and what other conflicts potentially lay ahead.

Moderator:	Carey Roesel (bio) Vice President and Consultant Technologies Management Inc.

Speakers:	John Haraburda (bio) Product Manager Transaction Network Services (TNS)

	Bob McCausland (bio) Senior Vice President of Regulatory and Government Affairs Hypercube

	Jim Steele (bio) Director, Delivery Management ATG Consulting

Tuesday, October 9, 2012
9 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.	Election 2012: How Results Could Shift the Policy Landscape With elections just weeks away, this panel will focus on how the outcome of the presidential and congressional races could impact future communications policy. There are many scenarios that could result with a fickle electorate visiting the voting booth on November 6. What could each scenario mean for your business? Join our panel of political experts to discuss the trends and forecasts of what is shaping to be another landmark election season.

Moderator:	Ted Gotsch (bio) Senior Editor Telecommunications Reports

Speakers:	Chris Murray (bio) Senior Vice President of Public Policy Earthlink

	The Honorable Chip Pickering (bio) Former Member of U.S. House of Representatives

10 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.	Last Mile Access for the 21st Century: The Transition to All-IP The FCC now has before it the opportunity to implement two critical reforms that will facilitate the transition to all-IP networks. First, to prevent the continued diversion of scarce capital from competitors to the largest incumbents, the FCC should address pricing of existing TDM-oriented special access facilities, which dominate the market today and will remain important for years to come. Second, the FCC should ensure that IP-oriented last-mile connections are made available at reasonable rates. This panel will explore steps the FCC can take to achieve these dual goals.

Moderator:	Bill Weber (bio) General Counsel Cbeyond

Speakers:	Kristie Ince (bio) Vice President, Regulatory Affairs tw telecom

	Rich Morris (bio) Senior Counsel, Federal and State Government Affairs Sprint

	Chris Murray Senior Vice President of Public Policy Earthlink
11 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.	Connecting America: How Competitors Successfully Invested in Broadband for Rural Markets With the ever-increasing demands for communications services, providing access in geographically dispersed areas can be challenging. As a result, the rural community is often underserved, even by incumbent telcos. Rural communities need broadband services to support economic development and eliminate the digital divide. In this session, competitive service providers will share their success stories and reveal their strategies for delivering broadband to rural areas. Speakers will discuss their service markets, the cutting-edge technologies and products they’re employing, funding, approaches to meeting the needs of this market and the challenges they’ve encountered.

Moderator:	Tim Koxlien (bio) CEO TeleQuality Communications, Inc.

Speakers:	Jerry Cady (bio) Director of Sales & Marketing LS Networks

	Ron Massingale (bio) Vice President, Sales & Marketing BalsamWest FiberNet

	Brad Worthington (bio) Executive Vice President, and COO NTS

Wednesday, October 10, 2012
	Wednesday Workshop Sponsored by A Three-Hour Tour of the New Universal Service Fund: Rough Seas or Smooth Sailing? The metamorphosis of the federal Universal Service Fund (USF) mandated by the FCC’s USF Transformation Order is well underway, yet it will take years to complete. More important, its success or failure in spreading ubiquitous wireline and wireless broadband services to all corners and income groups of the nation— and its impact on the competitive telecommunications landscape-- are yet to be determined. This workshop will provide a nuts-and-bolts overview and progress report on all key aspects of this ongoing transformation, with emphasis on how competitive providers can meet the new USF program requirements and find new opportunities and profitability in the next generation of the fund.

8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.	Scouting Out the Island: The New Structure of the Universal Service Fund This panel will provide an overview and status report on key elements of the FCC’s 750-page USF Transformation Order, with emphasis on how the transition from the telephone-centric High Cost Fund to the broadband-oriented Connect America Fund and Mobility Fund will impact your business, and the opportunities that competitive providers can find in the new environment.

Moderators:	Chris Savage (bio) Partner Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

	Mark Trinchero (bio) Partner Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

Speaker:	Mark E. Brown (bio) Senior Director & Senior Counsel Charter Communications, Inc.

	David R. Conn (bio) VP, State Regulatory T-Mobile USA

	Angela Kronenberg Wireline Legal Advisor, Office of Commissioner Mignon Clyburn Federal Communications Commission

9:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.	Break

9:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.	The New Low Income Program (or: Gilligan Needs a Lifeline): How to Cope With the New Requirements and Find New Opportunities in the Lifeline Program The FCC has drastically altered the Low Income Program of the USF—fundamentally changing the support scheme, adding strict new eligibility and verification requirements, eliminating the Link Up program except in Tribal lands, and initiating a Broadband Pilot Program that will further transform the Lifeline regime. Learn what you need to know about the new program and its pitfalls and opportunities.

Moderator:	James M. Smith (bio) Of Counsel Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

Speakers:	Danielle Frappier (bio) Partner Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

	Garnet Hanly (bio) Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau Federal Communications Commission

	Dale Schmick (bio) Chief Strategy Officer YourTel America Inc., and Chairman, COMPTEL Board of Directors

10:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.	Rural Health Care Rulemaking and the Way Forward Much remains to be done to complete the new USF and achieve its goals: among many other ongoing developments, the FCC has revived its Rural Health Care Program Reform rulemaking and is aiming for a final Order by year’s end. Included in the proposal are both infrastructure and broadband service opportunities for carriers, such as its proposed new health care connectivity program to expand investment in broadband services and fiber. This workshop session will provide you with a timely update and discussion.

Moderator:	Randy Lowe (bio) Partner Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

	Mark E. Brown Senior Director & Senior Counsel Charter Communications, Inc.

	Joe DePetro ( bio) Director, Carrier Relations ECC Technologies, Inc.

	Duke Horan (bio) General Manager GS4 Technologies

11:45 a.m. - Noon	Open Q&A on all USF Topics

Preliminary Agenda (pdf)

Sessions are color-coded by specific focus on business, regulatory or technology interests:
Red: Regulatory
Green: Technology
Blue: Business

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