At DC5G 2018, Diversity is the Key Ingredient to a Successful 5G Wireless Kickoff

Now it might be difficult for those of us entrenched in the telecoms world to believe, but a vast majority of end-users and policy makers still don’t understand how the transition to a new 5G wireless standard will work. That’s why we’re bringing DC5G back to the nation’s capital for a second year -- to break telecommunications industry sectors out of their silos, and unite leaders, policy makers, investors, and end-users to educate the world about the benefits of adding 5G capability to the wireless ecosystem. If you have questions about 5G, then DC5G is the place to find answers.

DC5G 2018 kicks off on Monday, Nov. 12, with a keynote from Samsung Senior Vice President (SVP) of Policy John Godfrey, who will outline what the world’s largest handset manufacturer believes will be the “killer app for 5G.” Godfrey will explore the prevailing use cases for 5G from the initial commercial network uses to some of the more transformative industry applications. Immediately following the keynote will be a fireside chat with Chris Pearson and Small Cell Forum CEO Sue Monahan, moderated by SDx Central Editor-in-Chief Sue Marek, titled “What Makes 5G Different than Previous Generations?” The group will take an in-depth look at the various elements necessary to create a 5G world of the future, including small cells, spectrum resources, and more.

The opening program rolls nicely into our day-one morning session, which addresses a major industry challenge -- deploying 5G infrastructure. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) primary mission over the next few years will be to ensure that the United States wins the race to full 5G deployment, while allowing private industry to ultimately determine how it will be done. The FCC’s biggest challenge is creating a balanced regulatory environment that will keep investment capital flowing, and make it easier for industry to install and deploy infrastructure. Can the U.S. keep pace with its international competitors? Our morning panel session, “Winning the Global Race to 5G,” aims to answer this question. The session features an all-star speaker lineup from a variety of organizations playing widely different roles in the 5G space, including QualComm, Intelsat, the U.S. Navy, Crown Castle, and Commscope.

DC5G 2018 will then welcome its second keynote speaker — entrepreneur, technologist, and Eisenhower Fellow Adam Zuckerman, director of ventures and innovation for Discovery. Adam has directed the implementation of emerging technologies for numerous Fortune 500 companies around the world. His DC5G presentation, “The Disruptive World of 5G-Powered Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality Applications,” will explain how 5G connectivity unlocks incredible VR, AR and mixed reality capabilities for businesses, consumers, and governments.

Next at DC5G 2018 will be a trio of smart city- and rural deployment-themed sessions, starting with a 5G smart structures panel, “Transforming Unique Physical Buildings into Compatible Smart City Network Nodes” featuring speakers from Google, MobileStack, and the Telecommunications Industry Association. Satellite Industry Association (SIA) President Tom Stroup then leads his session, “Are there 5G Deployment Plans for Rural Communities and Mobile, Remote Industries?” Stroup and fellow speakers from SES, Geeks Without Frontiers, and The Rural Broadband Association (NTCA) will answer questions about satellite, cellular backhaul, and wireless opportunities that could be created for operators serving remote and underserved clientele.

Day two of DC5G 2018 begins with a roundtable discussion, “What Can 5G Do For Smart Cities?” with Crown Castle Director of Product Development Mark Reudink, NDP Analytics Managing Director Bonnie Pierce, and Jackie Crotts, the Deputy Director of Technology for the City of Richmond, Va. This opening discussion speaks directly to our many city government attendees who are coming to DC5G 2018 to learn about how 5G connectivity brings value to city managers, creates new efficiencies and opportunities, works alongside and with existing technologies, and empowers citizens.

The next session, “How Local Government and Private Industry Should Invest in 5G,” features Steve Baker, Director of Innovation for American Tower, along with GWTCA President Andy Maxymillian, Mobile Future Executive Director of Mobile Future Margaret McCarthy, and Shulman Rogers Chairman of Telecommunications Alan Tilles. NTCA Assistant General Counsel Jill Canfield and OST Program Manager Asghar Meraj will then explore ideal collaborative industry and government strategies to address 5G security and privacy concerns related to protecting individual data and enterprise operations.

DC5G 2018 concludes with a callback to the theme of our opening keynote — a panel session that “geeks out” over the new applications that 5G enables for connected consumers and businesses. This will be an exciting closing session led by speakers with incredible insight on 5G application development, including National Retail Federation (NRF) Senior Director of Digital Retail Jill Dvorak; Samsung Head of Marketing Derek Johnston, and Nokia North American Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Mike Murphy.

The DC5G 2018 conference program will continue to evolve in the weeks leading up to the event in November. For the latest updates on speakers, please visit our conference program page on our website: www.dc5g.com. VS