The Summit also featured a discussion of the progress of international broadband deployment. Panel members included representatives from Canada, Africa, Australia and the Netherlands.

The Summit is the industry’s definitive conference on the status of broadband and where it’s going in the future. The Summit acts as a neutral forum for all stakeholders to discuss the current status of broadband deployment, its importance to the economy and how to accelerate broadband deployment and access.

“The Summit emphasized the unending possibilities that broadband holds for the future,” said Bob Rowe, Chairman of the Montana Public Service Commission and one of the conference’s organizers. “A recurring theme was the movement from traditional regulation to approaches that facilitate deployment and access.”

“It is clear that with many broadband applications coming into the marketplace every day  we must work to ensure that this technology is available and affordable for everyone, particularly those living in rural areas. It is also important that elected officials, regulators and the broadband industry work together to ensure that the wants and needs of consumers are an important part of the deployment equation.”

“There is evidence that rural customers have been slower to embrace this technology than those elsewhere,” said NECA President and Chairman Bill Hegmann. “If demand remains the same the broadband industry needs to work to spur consumer demand and acceptance.”

Summit participants heard an optimistic view of the future of broadband. New broadband platforms and technologies promise to revolutionize the telecommunications industry.

Presenters urged a careful regulatory attitude toward broadband applications to allow the technologies to flourish. Panelists also discussed the important role government can play to ensure that all Americans, no matter where they live, have access to advanced telecommunications services.