Carri Bennet to Speak on FCC Rip & Replace Program at Connect (X)

Womble Bond Dickinson Partner Carri Bennet will speak at Connect (X)—a major telecom infrastructure industry conference taking place May 23-26 in Denver.

Bennet, who also serves as General Counsel of the Rural Wireless Association, will moderate a panel discussion titled “Update on the FCC’s Rip and Replace Reimbursement Program.” 

The FCC deadline for submitting estimates to replace Huawei and ZTE network equipment has passed. Join this panel of rural wireless carriers who are in the midst of their network migration to learn how they are progressing through the FCC’s daunting Reimbursement Program.  Is there enough funding? Are they able to meet their one year timelines? Is Open RAN or 5G being deployed? Which vendors were selected? Can they survive or are they folding up shop? This panel will discuss the opportunities and pitfalls of the program and how most rural carriers are taking their Chinese lemons and turning them into lemonade.   

Bennet will be joined in the discussion by United Wireless Operations Manager Mike Laskowsky; Panhandle Telephone Cooperative, Inc. Director of Plant Operations Brian Hough; and SI Wireless, LLC President Leslie Williams.

Connect (X) showcases the leaders in 5G infrastructure: innovative technology, supporting professional services, and a partner ecosystem that enables ubiquitous communications between people, devices, machines and tools that support 21st century communications.