April 22-23, Minneapolis, Minnesota
April 29-30, San Antonio, Texas
May 3-4, Atlanta, Georgia
Independent telecom providers continue to battle tough economic times and operate in an environment unsettled by the lack of closure on intercarrier compensation and universal service reform. Now, a new wind is blowing, and our industry inches closer to a sea change in technological orientation. Policymakers are promoting broadband – both technology and services – as a way for a struggling nation to put its financial and economic ills behind it. It is no secret on Wall Street, Main Street, and in every city and town in between that broadband access to the Internet Superhighway is viewed as a central component of America’s recovery roadmap.
But “the show must go on.” While telecom may be in transition, we know the journey to the IP environment will not take place in a vacuum. JSI clients still face the financial and competitive pressures inherent in our service industry and deal day-to-day with federal and state regulators, a growing number of competitors, and an increasingly demanding customer base on whom your revenue streams depend. Even beyond broadband, policymakers are tearing away at traditional cost recovery and support mechanisms. At JSI, we hope that the recent signs of economic recovery will take root in our communities so our customers can begin to enjoy some respite from the distress they have suffered for almost two years now. At the same time, the economic hurdles are compounded by others thrown at us by technology, competition, and new priorities.
Over the years, JSI’s Management Seminar has focused on the impact policy and regulatory developments have on rural access and JSI clients. In 2010, the “selling point” is the network itself … or, better said, the broadband phenomenon, which has pushed beyond the boundaries of service to become synonymous with technology itself. Indeed, one development stands out this year as singularly eventful: The crafting of the National Broadband Plan and the shape of things to come. How do the FCC and Congress plan to move the nation from a communications system defined by providing voice access to all and set the stage for the transition to the IP-based network on which voice is merely one traveler?
The National Broadband Plan will unfold against a backdrop of uncertainty in Washington and the ebb-and-flow of the economy – i.e., reconstruction and growth one day, falling markets and rising unemployment numbers the next. But, as telecom providers, we must come to grips with the emergence of “broadband” not just as a mean to an end … but as an end in itself. It remains to be seen whether "high-speed Internet access is the lifeblood of today's economy," as Commerce Secretary Gary Locke believes, or if it can help stabilize a nation reeling from crisis, but we can see that broadband will define what is expected from telecom going forward.
One outcome of the steamrolling broadband consensus is that your prospects as telecom providers are again in a state of flux. The future of our industry and your business is what’s at stake, and for this reason, JSI believes the 2010 Management Seminar is a timely resource designed to help you make sense of this brave new world. That’s why we’ve targeted the agenda to address both long-term industry change and short-term business factors key to your operations. We’ll take a hard look at what the FCC has come up with in its broadband report to Congress, but we won’t stop there; we’ll also offer the thoughts and analysis you tell us you value most, so you will be better able to make the decisions you face about your company’s future – decisions you might put off otherwise.
Presenters:
• Manny Staurulakis, President
• Steve Meltzer, Senior Vice President
• John Kuykendall, Vice President
• Douglas Meredith, Director – Economics & Policy
Learning Objectives:
• Review all aspects of the FCC’s National Broadband Plan with particular focus on federal universal service, intercarrier compensation, net neutrality and network development issues
• Describe the effects and outcome of the NTIA and RUS economic “stimulus” program on network broadband deployment in rural communities
• Offer an overview and assessment of timely accounting-related and regulatory compliance issues
Program Topics:
National Broadband Plan
• Overview of plan
• Impact on rural ILECs, CLECs, and cable/video providers
• Universal service/intercarrier compensation policy implications
• Net neutrality
• Network transition: the shift to IP
• Set-top box integration
• New compliance requirements
CATV vs. Over-the-Top Video?
• Opportunities to compete with OTT offerings
• Middle-mile issues
Federal Regulatory Compliance
• USAC audits – what’s next?
• Affiliate transactions
• Record retention
The seminar will begin at 1:00 p.m. the first day and includes a reception after the session. The seminar will conclude at noon the following day.
Class size is limited. JSI will send you a confirmation letter after your registration is completed. Online payment (though PayPal) is available, but prepayment is not required. JSI will send out invoices after each seminar has been conducted.
Cancellations must be received at least 72 hours prior to the scheduled start for a full refund; cancellations received after the 72-hour cut-off will be subject to a $100 cancellation fee.
Registration Fees:
$749/first registrant; $695/additional registrants
Includes seminar materials, reception, and refreshment breaks
Who Should Attend:
Owners, General Managers, Supervisory Personnel, Key Regulatory/Financial Staff
Dress:
Dress for all JSI seminars is business casual.
CPE Credit & Sponsorship:
This course provides eight hours of CPE credit. No prerequisites or advance preparation is required.
JSI is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education of the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. All JSI seminars are “group-live” sessions as defined by NASBA. The JSI Management Seminar is considered an “Overview” program through NASBA classification. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit.
Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN 37129-2417 or by visiting the web site: www.nasba.org.
For more information, contact Leah Yoakum, seminar administrator, at lyoakum@jsitel.com or 301-459-7590.
