Broadband Communities magazine has announced that Bob Knight, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Armonk Harrison Edwards PR has been named a co-chair of the 2021 Broadband Communities Summit, to be held April 19-22 at the Marriott Marquis in Houston, Texas. Knight, who leads Harrison Edwards”™ broadband practice, will provide strategic direction and help shape programming for the annual industry event that draws upwards of 1,000 attendees and sponsors from around the globe.
“It”™s an honor to participate in this capacity as the stakes have never been higher for the fiber-broadband industry,” said Knight. “The global pandemic has daylighted why broadband connectivity is critical infrastructure. This year alone in the U.S., bandwidth demand has increased by 25% to 30% as millions of Americans are working and learning remotely.”
“This year, the BBC summit will tackle issues, including fiber-enabled economic development, bridging the digital divide, the role of 5G networks, telemedicine, connecting rural America and figuring ways to best provide service in multidwelling units. Importantly, there will be a sharp focus on what the Biden administration could mean in terms of federal policy and funding,” he said. Adding, “According to a recent survey by Common Sense Media, as many as 15 million or 30% of this country”™s 50.7 million public school students lack adequate internet connectivity at home for virtual learning. That”™s a mandate for lawmakers and the fiber-broadband industry as a whole.”
Besides leading Harrison Edwards”™ broadband practice, which serves clients throughout the United States, Canada and Australia, Knight is now serving his sixth term as a commissioner, Economic and Community Development for the town of Ridgefield, Connecticut, and sits on the State of Connecticut Region 5 Business and Jobs Long-Term Recovery Committee.
