UScellular Leaders Share Insights at CCA’s 2024 Mobile Carriers Show
The annual Competitive Carriers Association’s (CCA) Mobile Carriers Show brings together leaders in the wireless industry for discussion of the most important topics facing the industry in the coming years. It specifically focuses on topics impacting the regional carriers that support Americans who live in the most rural parts of the country.
UScellular leaders brought a unique perspective to several panel discussions, and members of its leadership team spent the week sharing their knowledge, expertise and points of view on a variety of topics:
For a discussion titled, “Let’s Get to the Core of 5G Core,” the panelists discussed the benefits for both carriers and customers of investing in and building a 5G Stand-Alone Core (5G SA Core), while advising that clear business goals and organizational readiness are key to making it a success. Mike Dienhart, UScellular’s vice president of engineering and network operations, explained how the company is currently using its 5G SA Core for fixed wireless applications, while keeping an eye on future innovation opportunities.
Rebecca Murphy Thompson, UScellular’s vice president of government affairs, and her fellow panelists focused on “Looking (Back) to the Future: The Universal Service Fund,” and discussed the importance of USF and how best to leverage related connectivity programs like NTIA’s Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program to stretch precious government dollars to help connect all of America with both home and mobile broadband. Rebecca stressed how USF has helped UScellular connect the unconnected, and that while reform is needed, the program is key to ensuring that mobile connectivity remains accessible and affordable for people in rural areas for years to come.
David Allen, UScellular’s director of emerging technology and business, joined the “Private Networks: When it’s Technically Right to Do Your Own Thing,” panel to share his insights on the value public wireless carriers bring to businesses looking to enhance their operations with a private network environment. His advice to businesses is to view public cellular carriers as having the ability to enhance the resiliency, reliability and security of their private wireless networks. In most cases, these networks are complimentary to existing Wi-Fi technology and help pave the way for success.
Several UScellular leaders will also be speaking at the Wireless Infrastructure Association’s upcoming Connect(X) in May to share their insights on the spectrum pipeline in the United States, streamlining energy costs in tower building and the future of 5G use cases.
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