ISE EXPO’s Advisory Board Members Speak Their Minds

After reading our Advisory Board members’ insights on leadership, network evolution, innovation, soft skills, and embracing uncomfortable truths, I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes from Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from 1993 to 2020: "Fight for the things you care about but do it in a way that will lead others to join you."

These leaders share their perspectives honestly yet in a way that truly resonates. I invite you to not just hear their words but truly listen—you may discover more than you expected.

Topic: Dirty Little Secret

ISE: Share an uncomfortable truth about the fixed and/or mobile networks that our industry must confront in 2025.

Randy Alderton, Bell Canada: 5G and fiber rollouts promise unprecedented speeds and capabilities, yet a significant portion of the global population remains unconnected or underserved. This isn't simply about lacking physical infrastructure; it's also about affordability, digital literacy, and the lack of relevant content and services in certain languages or cultural contexts.

This disparity isn't just a social justice issue; it's a business one. A large segment of potential customers is excluded from participating in the digital economy, limiting market growth and hindering the full realization of the potential of advanced network technologies. Ignoring this will lead to:

• Missed Revenue Opportunities: A large, untapped market remains inaccessible.
• Increased Social Inequality: As the gap between the connected and unconnected widens, it could lead to social unrest and economic instability.
• Security Risks: Unequal access can create vulnerabilities, as unconnected populations are more susceptible to misinformation and exploitation.
• Slower Technological Innovation: A less diverse user base limits feedback and hinders the development of inclusive and truly beneficial technologies.

Failure to confront this uncomfortable truth will ultimately limit the long-term success and societal impact. The focus must shift from simply expanding coverage to ensuring equitable access and meaningful inclusion.

Francis Alueta, altafiber/Hawaiian Telcom: An uncomfortable truth is that revenue and pricing mod­els may not be keeping up with the capital investment needed to deploy and transi­tion existing customers to fiber networks.

John Amundson, TDS Telecom: FTTx OSP that is more complex than needed. Costs for OSP in fiber networks are too high, but not solely because of rising labor and material costs—those have historically always gone up. But it’s because we, the network owner/operators, require, design, and build with more complexity than required. The industry needs to think critically about how we are building and what is really needed to provide the services we want to sell. We need to think about simplifying design, which will, in turn, simplify engineering and construction processes. Radical simplification (my own terminology) thinking will get us the network we need and give contractors the speed and profitability needed to meet the demands of today’s fiber networks in terms of cost and speed of deployment.

David Curran, Frontier: As an industry, we probably spend as much or more time and money dealing with legacy technologies and systems than we do on our current generation. No investor wants to spend limited funds on replacing or removing "perfectly good" hardware and software, but it leads to inefficiencies and unnecessary complexity and cost.

Marc Durocher, Verizon: The uncomfortable truth about fixed wireless access is that churn is higher than traditional wired broadband connections. We need to fix this issue in order to grow the technology.

Sherry Hessenthaler, Brightspeed: The uncomfortable truth is primarily related to the ability to execute quickly in updating and expanding networks and related technology. Most deployments are faced with infrastructure challenges related to facility locating, securing access in public and private right of ways, permitting, etc., that impact deployment intervals and the ability to execute as quickly as desired.

William Kurtz, Norvado: The escalating costs of network construction are increasing at an unsustainable rate. While mobile networks are often considered a complementary solution, they are not universally viable due to environmental and logistical constraints. The industry must confront these financial and deployment challenges to ensure continued broadband expansion.

Kevin Lybrand, PC Telcom: The uncomfortable truth is that security and privacy are becoming increasingly difficult in fixed wireless and mobile networks. Cybercriminal tactics become more advanced as technology advances.

Dennis Pappas, NextLight: In our community, it is the gaps in coverage that all cell providers have.

Michael Wilson, Meta: The uncomfortable truth in fixed/mobile networks is that the overall decline in skilled labor directly results from poor training and management.

Topic: Innovation

ISE: If you could wave a magic wand, what groundbreaking product or solution would you like to see showcased at ISE EXPO 2025?

Alderton: I'd wish for a truly seamless and universally interoperable AV-over-IP ecosystem.

Currently, the AV-over-IP space suffers from fragmentation. Different manufacturers use proprietary protocols and codecs, making integration complex, expensive, and often unreliable. This limits scalability, flexibility, and the potential for innovative applications.

My magic wand solution would be a standardized, open-source protocol and a suite of tools that allow any AV device, regardless of manufacturer, to seamlessly connect and communicate over a standard IP network.

Such a universally interoperable AV-over-IP ecosystem would truly be a game-changer, showcasing the potential of IP technology to transform the AV landscape. It would be the highlight of ISE EXPO 2025, demonstrating the power of collaboration and standardization in driving technological advancement.

Alueta: I would like to see the use of blockchain technol­ogy for secure network transportation and decentralized networks (e.g., data centers) and the implementation of AI that drives resil­iency with self-optimizing networks.

Amundson: I would like to see a universal system used for municipality (local, state, and federal) permitting that ties their GIS records to our GIS plans for a simple, low-cost high-speed way for both parties to be on the same page about construction requests and construction progress. It would require integration on a large scale, but the benefits would be amazing. AI is driving more and more system-to-system knowledge transfer, so this idea seems like an excellent use of that technology.

Curran: Believe it or not, ways to prevent copper theft! With all the talk about fiber, copper theft is still a huge problem and results in not only expensive replacements but also outages for customers and first responders. I'd love to see some solutions that not only make it harder to steal the cable, but also harder to sell and process it.

Durocher: Passive geolocation. A way for the customer to follow an AR roadmap to the passive equipment within their home, like a fiber access port.

Hessenthaler: Showcasing innovative, groundbreaking products or solutions would allow us to quickly and economically transition services from antiquated networks (like copper networks or discontinued networking equipment) to alternative and advance technology solutions.

Kurtz: I would like to see innovations that significantly enhance the efficiency of fiber optic construction. Specifically, solutions that accelerate the deployment process—whether through advancements in plowing technology, automation, or streamlined permitting—would have a transformative impact on the industry. The question remains: How can we make fiber deployment faster without compromising quality or cost-effectiveness?

Lybrand: I would like to see more about AI. How can we integrate this to help with real-time analytics, automated troubleshooting, and predictive maintenance?

Pappas: City wide Wi-Fi so your always connected to our network.

Wilson: If I had a magic wand to wave, I would see more on hollow core/multi core fiber.

Topic: Constant Growth

ISE: What soft skills and leadership strategies are essential for achieving your future career goals in an evolving industry?

Alderton: To succeed in a rapidly changing technological landscape, a professional needs a strong foundation in both technical expertise and crucial soft skills.

Essential Soft Skills:

• Adaptability and Continuous Learning: The pace of technological change is relentless. The ability to quickly learn new technologies, adapt to new workflows, and embrace change is paramount.
• Communication and Collaboration: Collaboration is crucial in team-based projects, requiring strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with diverse individuals.
• Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking: This includes a willingness to question assumptions and explore alternative approaches.
• Creativity and Innovation: Generating new ideas and exploring unconventional solutions is crucial for staying ahead of the curve.
• Resilience and Perseverance: These skills are necessary to maintain motivation and overcome obstacles.
• Emotional Intelligence: Understanding and managing one's own emotions and understanding the emotions of others is crucial.

There are also essential Leadership Strategies that include empowering and mentoring, being agile and adaptable, using data to inform decisions, cultivating knowledge sharing and creating a diverse and inclusive team.

By focusing on these soft skills and leadership strategies, professionals can significantly enhance their ability to navigate the complexities of a rapidly evolving industry and achieve their career goals. These skills are not just beneficial, they are increasingly necessary for success.

Alueta: Leaders need to clearly articulate an organi­zation’s goals and the vision they have for people and the organization to achieve them. Always have open and transparent communica­tions across all levels of the organization.

Amundson: In my view, leaders must be adaptable to change, comfortable with ambiguity, and continuously learning. Think of those three things flowing from one to another—call it the waterfall of managing and adapting to the unknown. The workplace dramatically changed thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, but that change was coming. It was inevitable, given the pace of technology; COVID-19 just sped it up. We are in the remote work environment now and will stay in it. There isn’t a practical way back to the “old days,” nor should there be.

Going forward, adaptation is key to managing, as this type of environment will only lead to more challenges and more ambiguity. Dealing with ambiguity certainly goes hand in hand with adaptation—much like the time-honored chicken and egg quandary. Continuous learning is like the windshield washer fluid that adds clarity to the situation. But don’t relegate continuous learning to only academic pursuits. Instead, broaden the definition to include learning about people, ideas, cultures, and points of view. The workplace is a far more fluid environment than it once was, requiring us to spend more time learning how it all fits together to effectively lead.

Curran: As a technical leader, I'd say "listening." We tend to be as opinionated about technology as we are about cars or sports teams. It's entirely possible, though, that someone on your team or in the industry had a better idea. Fostering open communication and listening is the only way to stay grounded and keep current with fast-paced technology change.

Durocher: Engaging in more valuable networking opportunities with other industry leaders.

Hessenthaler: Soft skills like the ability to listen and learn. Leadership strategies related to facilitating innovation and execution across cross-functional disciplines or business entities are critical as well.

Kurtz: Adaptability and strategic foresight are critical in a rapidly evolving telecommunications landscape. Leaders must be able to pivot strategies in response to regulatory shifts, technological advancements, and economic pressures. Additionally, fostering cross-functional collaboration and maintaining a data-driven decision-making approach will be essential to driving long-term success.

Lybrand: Some soft skills I believe are key for our changing workforce needs are adaptability, emotional intelligence, and communication. As leaders, we have to be visionaries and have agility in decision-making. We also need to invest time in mentoring and coaching if we are going to sustain growth in this rapidly changing industry.

Pappas: You must build a team whose members’ attributes complement each other. You must also have relative experience in community operations to share and teach other team members.

Wilson: I think empathy is the best soft skill, and humility is the best leadership strategy/skill for moving forward. Knowing when to admit you don't know or are wrong is critical to learning and building trust with a team.

Advisory Board Bios