Take a look at the returning fan-favorite keynote sessions, expert panels, community meetups and
brand new content stages confirmed for Metro Connect USA 2027.

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Download a PDF of the 2027 Agenda at a Glance (opens in a new tab)

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12:30
  1. Fiber Leaders Lunch (Spouses & Family Welcome)
    Diplomat Florida
    90 mins
14:00
  1. Fiber Leaders' Forum
    Diplomat Florida
    180 mins
    Sponsored by:

    Lead Partner:

    fiberlight

17:00
  1. Digital Infra Leaders' Dinner
    Diplomat Florida
    180 mins
  2. Welcome Drinks Reception (open to all)
    Diplomat Florida
    90 mins
08:45
  1. Opening remarks - techoraco
    Keynote stage
    5 mins
08:50
  1. Conference chairs opening remarks
    Keynote stage
    10 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Andy Lipman
    Andy Lipman, Partner - Morgan Lewis
09:00
  1. Opening Keynote address
    Keynote stage
    30 mins
09:30
  1. Keynote address
    Keynote stage
    30 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Marc Ganzi
    Marc Ganzi, Chief Executive Officer - DigitalBridge
10:00
  1. Keynote: State of the Market Address
    Keynote stage
    30 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Gregory Williams
    Gregory Williams, Director - Equity Research - TD SECURITIES (USA) LLC
10:30
  1. The CEO panel: How are network operators evolving in the AI age?
    Keynote stage
    50 mins
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Adrian Sullesta
    Adrian Sullesta, Senior MD - FTI Consulting
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Sowmyanarayan Sampath
    Sowmyanarayan Sampath, CEO - Zayo Group, LLC
    Speaker image for Kenny Gunderman
    Kenny Gunderman, President & CEO - Uniti Group Inc.
    Speaker image for Chris Morley
    Chris Morley, CEO - LIGHTPATH FIBER INFRASTRUCTURE LLC
11:20
  1. Keynote Fireside
    Keynote stage
    20 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Brad Moline
    Brad Moline, Founder & President - Allo Communications
    Speaker image for Mike Wittrock
    Mike Wittrock, COO - Directv
11:40
  1. The Investor Panel: Who Captures the Next $500 Billion of Digital Infrastructure Value?
    Keynote stage
    50 mins
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Brandon Howald
    Brandon Howald, Partner - ROPES & GRAY LLP
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Josh Pang
    Josh Pang, Head of Digital Infrastructure AIF - Apollo
    Speaker image for Jason Hill
    Jason Hill, Managing Director & Co-Head of U.S. Technology, Global Head of Digital Infrastructure - HOULIHAN LOKEY
12:25
  1. Networking lunch
    Diplomat Florida
    95 mins
12:30
  1. Data Center Fiber Lunch Meetup
    Core Networks Stage
    90 mins
    Sponsored by:

    Lead Partner:

    adtran

    Associate Partner:

    coax fiber

  2. Community Engagement Workshop & Lunch (invitation only)
    Data Center Stage
    90 mins
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Ilissa Miller
    Ilissa Miller, CEO - iMiller Public Relations
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Dipan Patel
    Dipan Patel, COO - Duos Technologies Group
  3. Women in Digital Infrastructure Lunch
    Diplomat Florida
    90 mins
14:00
  1. Network Monetization and Operations Summit 
    Bespoke session - reserved
    Last Mile Stage
    45 mins

  2. Data Center Fiber Summit

    Lead Partners:

    logo

    Panel: The AI Backbone - How data center networks must evolve for the next wave of AI demand
    Core Networks Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Dan Davis
    Dan Davis, CEO - ARCADIAN INFRACOM
    Speaker image for Robert Worden
    Robert Worden, Chief Executive Officer - VISION NET, INC.
    Speaker image for Tad Deriso
    Tad Deriso, President & CEO - MBC
    Speaker image for Kevin Sheehan
    Kevin Sheehan, CTO of the Americas, Vice President of Sales Engineering, and S3 - Ciena Limited

  3.  Community Engagement Summit

    Panel: The Community Risk Premium - How Public Acceptance Is Shaping Investment Decisions in Digital Infrastructure
    Data Center Stage
    45 mins

  4.  Fiber Investment Summit

     

    Associate partners:

    logo

    Panel: How is consolidation evolving in fiber- the rise of JVs and cashless mergers?
    Investment and Finance Stage
    45 mins
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Kemal Hawa
    Kemal Hawa, Partner - KIRKLAND & ELLIS
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Todd Holder
    Todd Holder, Managing Director - TD SECURITIES (USA) LLC
    Speaker image for Emmanuel Gionakis
    Emmanuel Gionakis, Managing Director - Wren House
    Speaker image for Chad Crank
    Chad Crank, Managing Director - Grain Management, LLC
    Speaker image for Garrett Baker
    Garrett Baker, Head of Telecoms - LAZARD
    Speaker image for Felix Boyeaux
    Felix Boyeaux, Director - KKR
14:45
  1. Panel: How are FTTH operators scaling their operations?
    Last Mile Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Kerry Haughan
    Kerry Haughan, Sr Vice President Commercial Strategy - CALIX
    Speaker image for Justin Lampman
    Justin Lampman, COO - 123NET
    Speaker image for Jeff Glahn
    Jeff Glahn, Senior Vice President of Global Sales - Harmonic Inc.
    Speaker image for Mark Murphy
    Mark Murphy, Founder, President and CEO - Greenlight Networks
  2. Panel: Picking Partners - How do data centers engage with carrier partners effectively?
    Core Networks Stage
    45 mins
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Greg Bryan
    Greg Bryan, Senior Manager - TELEGEOGRAPHY
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Justin Forte
    Justin Forte, CEO - INDATEL Services
    Speaker image for Tom Spackman
    Tom Spackman, CEO - Gigabit Fiber, LLC
    Speaker image for Allen Meeks
    Allen Meeks, Chief Executive Officer - MOX Networks, LLC
  3. Panel: The Social Licence to Grow - Addressing Communities’ Biggest Concerns on Power and Water
    Data Center Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Swati Mehra
    Swati Mehra, Director Datacentre Operations, Global - CO+I - Microsoft Corp
    Speaker image for Chris Pennington
    Chris Pennington, Sr Director, Energy & Sustainability - IRON MOUNTAIN DATA CENTERS
  4. Panel: What Makes a Fiber Asset Investable in the AI Era?
    Investment and Finance Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Alex Kozak
    Alex Kozak, Managing Director - Guggenheim Securites
15:00
  1. DIRECTV Happy Hour
    Diplomat Florida
    60 mins
    Sponsored by:
    Company name - DIRECTV
15:30
  1. Networking Break
    Last Mile Stage
    30 mins
  2. Networking Break
    Core Networks Stage
    30 mins
  3. Networking Break
    Data Center Stage
    30 mins
  4. Networking Break
    Investment and Finance Stage
    30 mins
16:00
  1. Bespoke session - reserved
    Last Mile Stage
    45 mins
  2. Panel: From Meet-Me Room to Metro Fabric – Building the interconnection ecosystem for the AI era
    Core Networks Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Hunter Newby
    Hunter Newby, CEO - Newby Ventures
    Speaker image for Robert Conger
    Robert Conger, General Manager and VP, Strategy & Solutions - ADTRAN, INC.
    Speaker image for Derek Gillespie
    Derek Gillespie, Chief Executive Officer - 365 DATA CENTERS
    Speaker image for J. Todd Raymond
    J. Todd Raymond, CEO & Managing Director - 1547 DATA CENTER MANAGEMENT SERVICES, LLC
  3. Panel: From Consultation to Consent - Building Public Trust for Digital Infrastructure Growth
    Data Center Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Susan Dawson
    Susan Dawson, Community Engagement - NTT Global Data Centers Americas
  4. Panel: Is enterprise fiber the new favourite asset class?
    Investment and Finance Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Benjamin Desmarais
    Benjamin Desmarais, Partner - NOVACAP MANAGEMENT INC
16:45
  1. Panel: How are operators driving ROI on FTTX networks?
    Last Mile Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Glenn Goad
    Glenn Goad, CEO - EARTHLINK
    Speaker image for Bob Thompson
    Bob Thompson, Founder & CEO - UNDERLINE INFRASTRUCTURE
    Speaker image for Gavin Keirans
    Gavin Keirans, CEO - Blue Stream Fiber
    Speaker image for Brian Gregory
    Brian Gregory, Senior Director of Product Marketing - Intermedia.net, Inc.
    Speaker image for Gustavo Gonzalez
    Gustavo Gonzalez, General Manager of North America Broadband - COMMSCOPE
  2. Panel: First Things First - Designing connectivity before the data center opens
    Core Networks Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for James Tindall
    James Tindall, Senior Vice President, Hyperscale and AI Cloud Infrastructure - NOKIA
    Speaker image for Stephen Rose
    Stephen Rose, CEO - Render Networks
    Speaker image for John White
    John White, Chief Operating Officer - US SIGNAL COMPANY LLC
  3. Panel: Permitting, Policy and Progress - The regulatory roadmap for digital infrastructure
    Data Center Stage
    45 mins
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Maria Browne
    Maria Browne, Partner - DAVIS WRIGHT TREMAINE LLP
    Speakers
    Speaker image for James Hofman
    James Hofman, Senior Director of Government Affairs and Policy - NTT Global Data Centers Americas
  4. Panel: What are the most effective capital-raising strategies for fiber operators?
    Investment and Finance Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Rachel Stack
    Rachel Stack, CFO - LIGHTPATH FIBER INFRASTRUCTURE LLC
17:30
  1. Network Monetization and Operations Summit drinks reception
    Last Mile Stage
    45 mins
  2. Data Center Fiber Summit drinks reception
    Core Networks Stage
    45 mins
  3. Community Engagement Summit drinks reception
    Data Center Stage
    45 mins
  4. Fiber Investment Summit drinks reception
    Investment and Finance Stage
    45 mins
18:00
  1. Evening drinks reception
    Diplomat Florida
    60 mins
09:00
  1. Government/Policy Keynote
    Keynote stage
    20 mins
09:20
  1. Keynote Address
    Keynote stage
    20 mins
09:40
  1. Panel: Community Solutions - Mending the fence with local communities
    Keynote stage
    50 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Doug Recker
    Doug Recker, CEO - Duos Edge AI
    Speaker image for Chuck Mcbride
    Chuck Mcbride, CEO & Founder - Atmosphere Data Centers LLC
    Speaker image for Ryan Mallory
    Ryan Mallory, President & Chief Operating Officer - Flexential
10:30
  1. Panel: Energy lynchpin - Why power is the key to infrastructure investment
    Keynote stage
    50 mins
11:20
  1. Panel: The Inference Economy - Who wins in the next phase of AI infrastructure investment?
    Keynote stage
    50 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Jeffrey Moerdler
    Jeffrey Moerdler, Chair, Data Center and Digital Infrastructure Practice - Haynes Boone
    Speaker image for Scott Willis
    Scott Willis, CEO - DartPoints
    Speaker image for Mike Krza
    Mike Krza, CEO - RadiusDC
12:10
  1. Panel: The Human Bottleneck - Solving the human capital challenge behind AI infrastructure
    Keynote stage
    35 mins
12:25
  1. Networking lunch
    Diplomat Florida
    95 mins
12:30
  1. FTTH Meetup
    Last Mile Stage
    90 mins
    Sponsored by:

    Lead Partner:

    millenium

  2. Power & Energy Meetup
    Data Center Stage
    90 mins
    Sponsored by:

    Associate Partner:

    maddox logo

14:00
  1.  BEAD Delivery Summit
    Panel: What is needed to support the smooth delivery of BEAD?
    Last Mile Stage
    45 mins
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for J. Bradford Currier
    J. Bradford Currier, Of Counsel - MAYNARD NEXSEN
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Roger Timmerman
    Roger Timmerman, Executive Director & CEO - UTOPIA Fiber

  2.  Design and Construction Summit

    Panel: The New Economics of Network Construction - Why every build model is being rewritten
    Core Networks Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Jim Anetsberger
    Jim Anetsberger, Chief Revenue Officer - MILLENNIUM
    Speaker image for Wyatt Wisnefske
    Wyatt Wisnefske, President - RADD NETWORK SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Speaker image for Troy Lupe
    Troy Lupe, CTO - Zayo Group, LLC

  3.  Power and Energy Summit

    Panel: Pace of Power - How can the grid expand to meet AI demand in time?
    Data Center Stage
    45 mins

  4. Data Center Investment Summit

    Panel: Build vs Buy - Where Is the Best Risk-Adjusted Return in Data Centers?
    Investment and Finance Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Scott McBride
    Scott McBride, Partner - Northampton Capital Partners
    Speaker image for Marc McGrady
    Marc McGrady, CEO - ark data centers
14:45
  1. Panel: How can we ensure the long-term economic viability of publicly funded networks?
    Last Mile Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Elizabeth Bowles
    Elizabeth Bowles, CEO - Aristotle Unified Communications Inc.
  2. Panel: Permits Progress - Navigating the biggest bottleneck facing capital, customers, and contractors
    Core Networks Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Brian Riley
    Brian Riley, CEO - HEXATRONIC
    Speaker image for Kevin Coyne
    Kevin Coyne, President & COO - HyperLink Infrastructure, LLC
    Speaker image for Bo Gresham
    Bo Gresham, CRO - Dycom Industries, Inc
  3. Panel: Beyond Megawatts - Solving bottlenecks in generation, transmission, and distribution
    Data Center Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for John Chesser
    John Chesser, CEO - QUANTICA INFRASTRUCTURE, LLC
  4. Panel: The Data Center Capital Stack - Evolving finance structures to meet increasing complexity head on
    Investment and Finance Stage
    45 mins
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Sean McDevitt
    Sean McDevitt, Partner - Arthur D. Little LLC
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Pim Rothweiler
    Pim Rothweiler, Head of Telecoms & Tech - Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking
    Speaker image for Raghav Nayar
    Raghav Nayar, Managing Director - Grain Management, LLC
    Speaker image for Jesse Burros
    Jesse Burros, Chief Investment Officer - SWITCH, LTD.
15:30
  1. Networking break
    Last Mile Stage
    30 mins
  2. Networking Break
    Core Networks Stage
    30 mins
  3. Networking Break
    Data Center Stage
    30 mins
  4. Networking Break
    Investment and Finance Stage
    30 mins
16:00
  1. State roundtables
    Last Mile Stage
    45 mins
  2. Panel: AI-First Networks - How do new AI data centers transform network design?
    Core Networks Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Timothy Parker
    Timothy Parker, Chief Growth Officer - Assured Communications
  3. Bespoke session
    Data Center Stage
    45 mins
  4. Panel: Data Center Credit Quality - Who are investors really underwriting?
    Investment and Finance Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Wes Altman
    Wes Altman, Managing Director - BlackRock
16:45
  1. Workshop: Capitalising on the future of public funding
    Last Mile Stage
    45 mins
  2. Panel: AI Factory Construction 101 - How do multi-gigawatt scale campuses get built?
    Core Networks Stage
    45 mins
  3. Panel: Behind the Meter Impacts - How do new power dynamics affect data center development?
    Data Center Stage
    45 mins
  4. Panel: Taking the Reins - How direct investors are entering the data center funding model
    Investment and Finance Stage
    45 mins
17:30
  1. BEAD Delivery Summit drinks reception
    Last Mile Stage
    45 mins
  2. Design and Construction Summit drinks reception
    Core Networks Stage
    45 mins
  3. Power and Energy Summit drinks reception
    Data Center Stage
    45 mins
  4. Data Center Investment Summit drinks reception
    Core Networks Stage
    45 mins
18:00
  1. Evening drinks reception
    Diplomat Florida
    90 mins
    Sponsored by:
    Image


    Image
08:30
  1. Neocloud Meetup
    Data Center Stage
    60 mins
09:30
  1. Tower and Wireless Summit
    Panel: Broadband & Network Convergence: Fiber, Wireless or Hybrid?
    Last Mile Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Sanyogita Shamsunder
    Sanyogita Shamsunder, CTO - GEOLINKS

  2.  Latam Summit

    Panel: Exploring investment opportunities across Latin America
    Core Networks Stage
    45 mins
  3. Neocloud Summit
    Panel: Beyond the Big Four - Understanding the new buyers of digital infrastructure
    Data Center Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Andy Long
    Andy Long, Enterprise Sales Director - Verda
  4. Space Investment Summit
    Panel: Space as the next digital infrastructure asset class
    Investment and Finance Stage
    45 mins
10:15
  1. Bespoke session
    Last Mile Stage
    45 mins
  2. Panel: Spotlight on Mexico - Building the future of cross-border connectivity
    Core Networks Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Francisco Correa
    Francisco Correa, Chief Financial Officer - MXT Holdings
  3. Panel: New Buyers, More Fiber - How AI-first infrastructure is reshaping network demand
    Data Center Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Gabe Gomez
    Gabe Gomez, VP Wholesale Product Segment - LUMEN TECHNOLOGIES
  4. Panel: Asset class in focus - Satellite Connectivity Infrastructure
    Investment and Finance Stage
    45 mins
11:00
  1. Panel: Making Towers Sexy Again: Why Investors May Be Missing the Next Infrastructure Opportunity
    Last Mile Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Ron Bizick
    Ron Bizick, President & Chief Executive Officer - Vertical Bridge
    Speaker image for Yannis Macheras
    Yannis Macheras, CEO - Harmoni Towers
    Speaker image for Bernard Borghei
    Bernard Borghei, Founder, President and CEO - CONNECTED INFRA GROUP
  2. Panel: Spotlight on Brazil - A potential global AI hub?
    Core Networks Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Jeff Ferry
    Jeff Ferry, Partner, Investments and Head of Digital Infrastructure - Safanad capital
  3. Panel: The Neocloud Capital Bet - Can traditional finance models support AI-native infrastructure expansion?
    Data Center Stage
    45 mins
  4. Panel: Asset Class in Focus - Space Compute Infrastructure
    Investment and Finance Stage
    45 mins
11:45
  1. Panel: The Next Tower Deal: M&A Strategies Shaping Wireless Infrastructure Ownership
    Last Mile Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Peter Appel
    Peter Appel, SVP International Mergers & Acquisitions - Phoenix Tower International
    Speaker image for Sean Yajnik
    Sean Yajnik, MD, Head of Digital Infrastructure Advisory - Americas - Macquarie Capital (USA) Inc.
    Speaker image for Ed Farscht
    Ed Farscht, Chief Executive Officer - Diamond Communications
    Speaker image for Jorge Centeno
    Jorge Centeno, Managing Director - InfraRed Capital Partners
  2. Spotlight on Colombia ' Unlocking the Next Phase of Digital Infrastructure Growth
    Core Networks Stage
    45 mins
  3. Panel: Consolidation or Competition - How will future neocloud market dynamics play out?
    Data Center Stage
    45 mins
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Jeffery Potvin
    Jeffery Potvin, CEO - Arc Compute
  4. Closing Debate: CapEx Rocket - Will space-based digital infrastucture hit escape velocity or crash to Earth?
    Investment and Finance Stage
    45 mins
12:30
  1. Networking and refreshments
    Last Mile Stage
    90 mins
  2. Networking and refreshments
    Core Networks Stage
    90 mins
  3. Networking and refreshments
    Data Center Stage
    90 mins
  4. Networking and refreshments
    Investment and Finance Stage
    90 mins
12:35
  1. Networking lunch
    Diplomat Florida
    85 mins