Our 2020 Events programme is well underway, with four main themes:
Barrier Busting
The Government’s ambition for rapid deployment of gigabit digital infrastructure focuses even greater attention on delivery. However, the challenges of streetworks management, wayleaves and planning are still seen by many as critical barriers to deployment and progress. Our first event in this series, highlighting issues around streetworks, was a great success with a sell-out audience in London on February 3. Subsequent events looking at the other key aspects of practical network deployment – namely Wayleaves and Planning are scheduled for May in Birmingham and July in Manchester. More details will be released as soon as we have dates and venues confirmed.
Rural Challenge
As the UK Government continues to develop plans for full fibre delivery to all, many rural areas still struggle without superfast or even basic broadband. The Welsh Government has announced a new fund to target remote rural communities and vouchers continue to provide funding possibilities to allow rural communities to participate in the digital world.
Our Rural Challenge events are designed to provide opportunities for suppliers, local authorities and communities throughout the UK to consider the requirements, demand and options in their area to deliver superfast broadband services, and build on our successful 2019 Rural Gigabit Future programme. The current schedule includes five events in all from March through to September covering Wales, Northern England, South West England, the Midlands, and Scotland.
5G
The importance of 5G is only going to grow. The availability of 5G services is expected to have a greater economic impact than the deployment of full fibre broadband! 5G provides the high bandwidth and low latency of fibre networks – and makes it mobile. The technology is important – but as always, it’s what you do with it that really matters.
On April 29, INCA is running "5G Changing the World". Over the coming years and decades, it is expected to impact virtually every aspect of our lives. This event aims to ‘look into the future’ and see some of the emerging applications that will be enabled. Hosted by Huawei in their UK '5G Experience Hall', the event will allow attendees to access global expertise in 5G networks and their capabilities.
On May 20 we're running "Fibre in a 5G World" in partnership with ECI Telecom at their base in Basingstoke. The development of 5G and IoT networks presents a new layer of demand for fibre networks. What is the commercial opportunity, and how can it be delivered? This event is focused at the infrastructure and operational level. It will be focused at operators, investors and the commercial and operational requirements of fibre networks to support 5G networks.
Riding the Second Wave
As the UK Government seeks to invest a further £5 billion in supporting the deployment of full fibre and gigabit digital networks, we see the opportunity for the next wave of independent network operators to develop and flourish.
The Government, Ofcom and investors have key roles to play, alongside the new network operators. This workshop aims to bring the key stakeholders together to help establish the requirements and environment for the sector to grow and meet the needs of a 21st century digital nation. June 1st, Royal Overseas League, London.
Also on the schedule for April, a technically oriented workshop looking at the issues of designing and building full fibre networks: "Designing the Gigabit Nation" will run in Milton Keynes. Date and venue to be confirmed.
And in November we're hosting our highly regarded annual Conference and INCA Golds Awards Dinner. Dates still to be confirmed, but we hope to announce more details very soon and open early bird registrations.
Registration and further details for all of these upcoming events will be released as soon as we have confirmed dates and venues. Subscribe to our mailing list to get early notification when events registrations open.