Metro Connect USA 2027 Agenda

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08:30
  1. Event tour
    Keynote stage
    30 mins
09:00
  1. Opening Keynote address
    Keynote stage
    30 mins
09:30
  1. Keynote address
    Keynote stage
    30 mins
10:00
  1. Keynote: State of the Market Address
    Keynote stage
    30 mins
10:30
  1. The CEO panel: How are network operators evolving in the AI age?
    Keynote stage
    50 mins
    AI is now the primary driver across digital infrastructure, driving unprecedented demand for connectivity, capacity, and low-latency performance. As AI workloads expand from hyperscale data centers to …
11:20
  1. Keynote Fireside
    Keynote stage
    20 mins
11:40
  1. The Investor Panel: Who Captures the Next $500 Billion of Digital Infrastructure Value?
    Keynote stage
    50 mins
    The digital infrastructure industry stands at a pivotal moment. The convergence of AI, cloud computing, data centers, fiber networks, and power infrastructure, is creating what many investors believe …
12:30
  1. Networking lunch
    Diplomat Florida
    90 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
    The importance of local communities and interests has never been more paramount to the success of digital infrastructure buildouts. As real concerns around water infrastructure and sustainability, lan …
10:30
  1. Panel: Energy lynchpin - Why power is the key to infrastructure investment
    Keynote stage
    50 mins
    Power has become the defining variable in digital infrastructure investment. While demand for data centers, AI compute, and connectivity continues to surge, access to reliable, scalable, and affordabl …
11:20
  1. Panel: The Inference Economy - Who wins in the next phase of AI infrastructure investment?
    Keynote stage
    50 mins
    The AI infrastructure boom has been defined by a race to build the compute, power, and capacity needed to train increasingly sophisticated models. Yet as AI adoption moves from experimentation to larg …
12:10
  1. Panel: The Human Bottleneck - Solving the human capital challenge behind AI infrastructure
    Keynote stage
    35 mins
    The demand for new fiber, new data centers continues to outpace supply, but one aspect represents both the biggest bottleneck and the biggest opportunity. The "digital infrastructure boom" has the pot …
12:30
  1. Networking lunch
    Diplomat Florida
    90 mins
09:30
  1. Bespoke session
    Last Mile Stage
    45 mins
10:15
  1. Panel: Broadband & Network Convergence: Fiber, Wireless or Hybrid?
    Last Mile Stage
    45 mins
    Broadband networks are evolving beyond a single-access technology model. Fiber, Fixed Wireless Access and satellite connectivity are increasingly being deployed together to improve coverage, capacity …
11:00
  1. Panel: Making Towers Sexy Again: Why Investors May Be Missing the Next Infrastructure Opportunity
    Last Mile Stage
    45 mins
    As AI, fibre and power capture investor attention, are towers being overlooked? This session explores why wireless infrastructure may be poised for a comeback, driven by FWA, edge deployments and netw …
11:45
  1. Panel: The Next Tower Deal: M&A Strategies Shaping Wireless Infrastructure Ownership
    Last Mile Stage
    45 mins
    Deal activity across the tower and wireless infrastructure sector is accelerating as operators and investors seek scale, portfolio optimisation, and new avenues for growth. Buyers are evaluating every …
12:30
  1. Networking lunch
    Diplomat Florida
    90 mins

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Network Moneitization and Operations Summit
    Bespoke session
    Last Mile Stage
    Panel discussion: How are FTTH operators scaling their operations?
    Last Mile Stage
    The FTTH market is entering a new phase. After years of rapid network expansion focused on passing as many homes as possible, operators are under pressure to improve penetration, drive profitability, …
    Panel discussion: How can operators and investors ensure a smooth integration post-acquisition
    Last Mile Stage
    In an increasingly active digital infrastructure M&A market, completing a transaction is only the beginning. Whether the objective is expanding fiber footprints, achieving greater scale, entering new …
    Panel discussion: How are operators driving ROI on FTTH networks?
    Last Mile Stage
    For years, success in FTTH was measured by homes passed and network expansion. Today, the focus has shifted to monetizing those investments. As fiber markets mature and investors place greater emphasi …
    Happy hour reception
    Last Mile Stage
Data Center Fiber
    Panel: The AI Backbone - How data center networks must evolve for the next wave of AI demand
    Core Networks Stage
    As AI workloads become larger, more distributed, and increasingly performance-sensitive, the network is emerging as a critical determinant of data center capability and competitiveness. Traditional ar …
    Panel: Picking Partners - How do data centers engage with carrier partners effectively?
    Core Networks Stage
    As connectivity becomes a key differentiator for hyperscale, enterprise, and AI-driven workloads, the relationship between data center operators and carrier partners has never been more important. Cus …
    Panel: Beyond the Meet-Me Room - Building metro data center fabrics
    Core Networks Stage
    As data center deployments expand across metropolitan markets to support cloud, AI, and edge demand, connectivity strategies are evolving beyond the traditional meet-me room. Operators are increasingl …
    Panel: First Things First - Designing connectivity before the data center opens
    Core Networks Stage
    In today's market, connectivity can no longer be treated as an afterthought in data center development. From securing diverse fiber routes and carrier participation to planning cloud on-ramps and inte …
    Happy hour reception
    Core Networks Stage
Community Engagement Summit
    Community Engagement - Solving water infrastructure (invitation only)
    Data Center Stage
    From Consumption to Contribution ' can digital infrastructure be part of the water solution? Water is becoming a defining issue in community acceptance of digital infrastructure projects. Gallup found …
    Community Engagement - Solving energy affordability (invitation only)
    Data Center Stage
    The Cost of Connection ' Balancing energy affordability with expanding digital infrastructure The rapid growth of data centres is increasing pressure on power networks, infrastructure investment and e …
    Panel Discussion: From Consultation to Consent - Winning community trust in the age of NIMBYism
    Data Center Stage
    As opposition to digital infrastructure projects becomes increasingly organised across communities, social media and activist networks traditional consultation routes are no longer enough. This sessio …
    Panel Discussion: Permitting, Policy and Progress ' The regulatory roadmap for digital infrastructure
    Data Center Stage
    Land, power and permitting have emerged as the defining constraints on digital infrastructure growth. From federal land and military sites to state-level permitting reforms and environmental reviews, …
    Happy hour reception
    Data Center Stage
Fiber Investment Summit
    Investment and Finance Summit: How is consolidation evolving in fiber- the rise of JVs and cashless mergers?
    Investment and Finance Stage
    The fiber industry is entering a new phase of transformation. While the last decade was defined by network expansion, FTTH growth, and market consolidation, the next wave of consolidation will be shap …
    Investment & Finance Summit: What Makes a Fiber Asset Investable in the AI Era?
    Investment and Finance Stage
    As AI transforms the digital infrastructure landscape, investors are increasingly focused on the assets that enable the movement of data at unprecedented scale. While much of the market's attention ha …
    Investment and Finance Summit: Is enterprise fiber the new favourite asset class?
    Investment and Finance Stage
    In recent years, fiber investment has been driven by the race to connect homes, supported by historically low-cost capital, aggressive FTTH expansion plans, and expectations of long-term subscriber gr …
    Investment and Finance Summit: What are the most effective capital-raising strategies for fiber operators?
    Investment and Finance Stage
    The fiber industry's growth story is far from over, but the capital environment has changed dramatically. Rising interest rates, increased investor selectivity, and pressure to demonstrate sustainable …
    Happy hour reception
    Investment and Finance Stage
Meetups and Workshops
    FTTH Meetup
    Last Mile Stage
    Data Center Fiber Lunch Meetup
    Core Networks Stage
    Community Engagement Workshop & Lunch (invitation only)
    Data Center Stage
    As political scrutiny and community opposition to digital infrastructure projects grow, stakeholder engagement is becoming a critical challenge. With over 300 US data centre bans or moratoriums enacte …
BEAD Delivery Summit
    Panel discussion: What is needed to support the smooth delivery of BEAD?
    Last Mile Stage
    The BEAD Program represents the largest public investment in broadband infrastructure in U.S. history and a once-in-a-generation opportunity to close the digital divide. Yet as projects move from plan …
    Panel discussion: How can we ensure the long-term economic viability of publicly funded networks?
    Last Mile Stage
    Public broadband funding programs such as BEAD are helping extend connectivity to underserved communities that may not otherwise attract private investment. However, building a network is only the fir …
    State roundtables
    Last Mile Stage
    Join us for a series of state-focused roundtables focusing on key states. ' How are public-private partnerships evolving within the state? ' How can we overcome specific local challenges? ' Where are …
    Workshop: Capitalising on the future of public funding
    Last Mile Stage
    The broadband funding landscape is evolving. While much of the industry's attention has focused on BEAD deployment funding, a growing number of opportunities are emerging around non-deployment funding …
    Happy hour
    Last Mile Stage
Design and Construction Summit
    Panel: The New Economics of Network Construction - Why every build model is being rewritten
    Core Networks Stage
    Rising build costs, labor shortages, evolving funding models, and increasing pressure to accelerate deployment timelines are forcing operators to rethink how networks are planned, financed, and delive …
    Panel: Permits Progress - Navigating the biggest bottleneck facing capital, customers, and contractors
    Core Networks Stage
    The true make-it-or-break it milestone for digital infrastructure projects is now the moment a permit is, or can be, secured. Whether building fiber networks, data centers, power infrastructure, or as …
    Panel: AI-First Networks - How do new AI data centers transform network design?
    Core Networks Stage
    The transition to AI-first and AI-ready infrastructure requires more than just GPUs, memory, and a lot more power. The shift to AI dominance requires a complete rethink of network architecture, from h …
    Panel: AI Factory Construction 101 - How do multi-gigawatt scale campuses get built?
    Core Networks Stage
    This is the era of the AI Factory. Moving beyond mere jargon, the multi-gigawatt AI campus has become the central model for data center design as ever-more sophisticated AI models need to be trained o …
    Happy hour
    Core Networks Stage
Power and Energy Summit
    Panel: Pace of Power - How can the grid expand to meet AI demand in time?
    Data Center Stage
    Grid modernisation is now top of mind, as power requirements for AI exceeds grid capacity. How can the digital infrastructure ecosystem work with grid operators to stay ahead of the steepening demand …
    Panel: Beyond Megawatts - Solving bottlenecks in generation, transmission, and distribution
    Data Center Stage
    The push for power has moved beyond just grid constraints. There are mini bottlenecks across the power value chain that, without consideration, can derail plans considerably. This panel will explore w …
    Bespoke session
    Data Center Stage
    Panel: Behind the Meter Impacts - How do new power dynamics affect data center development?
    Data Center Stage
    To address the various bottlenecks in securing power, as well as to adhere to more regulatory demands, data centers are working to reduce reliance on traditional utility timelines. However, these appr …
    Happy hour
    Data Center Stage
Data Center Investment Summit
    Panel: Build vs Buy - Where Is the Best Risk-Adjusted Return in Data Centers?
    Investment and Finance Stage
    AI-era financing demand both larger and more complex capital commitments, forcing greater use of private credit, construction financing, hybrid debt structures and securitization strategies. Even more …
    Panel: The Data Center Capital Stack - Evolving finance structures to meet increasing complexity head on
    Investment and Finance Stage
    The traditional model of data center financing was focused on fixed tenants and long leases. Customer was credit. Now, the AI-first organizations - neoscalers and neoclouds - are adding a whole new la …
    Panel: Data Center Credit Quality - Who are investors really underwriting?
    Investment and Finance Stage
    The traditional model of data center financing was focused on fixed tenants and long leases. Customer was credit. Now, the AI-first organizations - neoscalers and neoclouds - are adding a whole new la …
    Panel: Taking the Reins - How direct investors are entering the data center funding model
    Investment and Finance Stage
    The scale of capital required for AI infrastructure is now increasing so quickly that instituional investors are becoming active participants in the market, desiring all the visibility into transactio …
    Happy hour
    Core Networks Stage
Meetups and Workshops
    State Broadband Office Lunch Meetup
    Last Mile Stage
    Nuclear for AI Lunch Meetup
    Data Center Stage
Metro Connect Keynotes
    Bespoke session
    Last Mile Stage
    Panel: Broadband & Network Convergence: Fiber, Wireless or Hybrid?
    Last Mile Stage
    Broadband networks are evolving beyond a single-access technology model. Fiber, Fixed Wireless Access and satellite connectivity are increasingly being deployed together to improve coverage, capacity …
    Panel: Making Towers Sexy Again: Why Investors May Be Missing the Next Infrastructure Opportunity
    Last Mile Stage
    As AI, fibre and power capture investor attention, are towers being overlooked? This session explores why wireless infrastructure may be poised for a comeback, driven by FWA, edge deployments and netw …
    Panel: The Next Tower Deal: M&A Strategies Shaping Wireless Infrastructure Ownership
    Last Mile Stage
    Deal activity across the tower and wireless infrastructure sector is accelerating as operators and investors seek scale, portfolio optimisation, and new avenues for growth. Buyers are evaluating every …
Tower and Wireless Summit
    Bespoke session
    Last Mile Stage
    Panel: Broadband & Network Convergence: Fiber, Wireless or Hybrid?
    Last Mile Stage
    Broadband networks are evolving beyond a single-access technology model. Fiber, Fixed Wireless Access and satellite connectivity are increasingly being deployed together to improve coverage, capacity …
    Panel: Making Towers Sexy Again: Why Investors May Be Missing the Next Infrastructure Opportunity
    Last Mile Stage
    As AI, fibre and power capture investor attention, are towers being overlooked? This session explores why wireless infrastructure may be poised for a comeback, driven by FWA, edge deployments and netw …
    Panel: The Next Tower Deal: M&A Strategies Shaping Wireless Infrastructure Ownership
    Last Mile Stage
    Deal activity across the tower and wireless infrastructure sector is accelerating as operators and investors seek scale, portfolio optimisation, and new avenues for growth. Buyers are evaluating every …
    Networking and refreshments
    Last Mile Stage
Latam Summit
    Panel: Exploring investment opportunities across Latin America
    Core Networks Stage
    Panel: Spotlight on Mexico - Building the future of cross-border connectivity
    Core Networks Stage
    Panel: Spotlight on Brazil - A potential global AI hub?
    Core Networks Stage
    Spotlight on Colombia ' Unlocking the Next Phase of Digital Infrastructure Growth
    Core Networks Stage
    Networking and refreshments
    Last Mile Stage
Neocloud Summit
    Panel: Beyond the Big Four - Understanding the new buyers of digital infrastructure
    Data Center Stage
    Panel: New Buyers, More Fiber - How AI-first infrastructure is reshaping network demand
    Data Center Stage
    Panel: The Neocloud Capital Bet - Can traditional finance models support AI-native infrastructure expansion?
    Data Center Stage
    Panel: Consolidation or Competition - How will future neocloud market dynamics play out?
    Data Center Stage
    Networking and refreshments
    Last Mile Stage
Space Investment Summit
    Panel: Space as the next digital infrastructure asset class
    Investment and Finance Stage
    Panel: Asset class in focus - Satellite Connectivity Infrastructure
    Investment and Finance Stage
    Panel: Asset Class in Focus - Space Compute Infrastructure
    Investment and Finance Stage
    Closing Debate: CapEx Rocket - Will space-based digital infrastucture hit escape velocity or crash to Earth?
    Investment and Finance Stage
    Networking and refreshments
    Last Mile Stage