ISE Magazine

08/19/2026

ISE Magazine proudly announces the award-winning honorees of the 2026 ISE Network Innovators’ Awards program.

Congratulations to: AFL: We connect., SOLiD, PPC Broadband, Jameson, Corning Incorporated, CommScope, Clearfield, C&D Technologies, CyberPower USA & Canada, VETRO FiberMap, and HFCL Limited

Read on. https://isemag.com/55398328

ISE Magazine proudly announces the award-winning honorees of the 2026 ISE Network Innovators’ Awards program.

08/18/2026

Utility anchoring crews face constant pressure to work faster without compromising safety. Discover how modern earth drills eliminate dangerous torque, reduce injuries, and dramatically improve installation efficiency. Read on. https://isemag.com/55398018

Little Beaver, Inc.

Utility anchoring crews face constant pressure to work faster without compromising safety. Discover how modern earth drills eliminate dangerous torque, reduce injuries, and dramatically...

08/17/2026

Tomorrow, ISE EXPO 2026 opens at Music City Center in Nashville! If you're joining us, we look forward to seeing you in the morning. Registration opens at 8:00 AM.

Here's what's ahead:

Tuesday, August 18
Learning Labs · Conference Sessions · Taste of Tennessee Opening Reception ·

Wednesday, August 19
Women in Telecom Breakfast & Panel · Opening Keynote · Exhibit Hall · Convergence Central Theater · Conference Sessions · Networking Happy Hour · Topgolf

Thursday, August 20
Closing Keynote · Exhibit Hall · Conference Sessions · Attendee Vacation Giveaway

Walk-in registration is available on-site. Exhibit Hall passes are also available at the door. https://www.iseexpo.com/2026/pricing?ref=SMREG

📍 Music City Center · Nashville, TN
📅 August 18–20, 2026

See you tomorrow!

08/17/2026

Ahead of ISE EXPO 2026, we asked our esteemed opening and closing keynote panelists to share their perspectives on some of the most pressing issues facing the industry: What is the industry getting right? Can BEAD still deliver? How can we solve the workforce shortage? And what does success look like?

Their insights are featured in the Summer 2026 issue of ISE Magazine—and are available here. We invite you to read what these industry leaders have to say and join the conversation during this week’s show. https://isemag.com/55383719

Panelists:
· Darren Farnan, General Manager, United Fiber
· Kristina Harrison, EVP of Operations, Brightspeed
· David Stehlin, CEO, TIA
· Ashley Church, General Manager, West Region, GFiber
· Moderated by Randall René, MBA — Waypoint 33 LLC

· Shirley Bloomfield, President, Shirley Connected LLC
· Bo Gresham, Chief Revenue Officer, Dycom Industries, Inc.
· Michael Hamilton, Director of Operations, Fiber Business Unit, C Spire
· Moderated by Steve Harris, VP, Sales/Marketing, UCL Swift

08/14/2026

ISE EXPO 2026 is four days away. If you're still on the fence, here's what's waiting for you in Nashville.

✔ Opening Keynote: AI, Automation & Industry Outlook for 2030—David Stehlin (TIA), Kristina Harrison (Brightspeed), Darren Farnan (United Fiber), Ashley Church (GFiber)

✔ Closing Keynote: Network Convergence Creates Technology-Neutral Realities—Shirley Bloomfield (ShirleyConnected), Bo Gresham (Dycom), Michael Hamilton (C Spire), Steve Harris (UCL Swift)

✔ Three education tracks built around your role—deployment strategy, AI and OpEx reduction, industry outlook

✔ Convergence Central Theater—live sessions on the exhibit floor, open to all attendees

✔ 140+ exhibitors on the show floor including CommScope, Corning, Graybar, Clearfield, Belden, and more

✔ Taste of Tennessee opening reception—Tuesday, Aug 18 · 5:00–6:30 PM

✔ Networking Happy Hour—Wednesday, Aug 19 · 3:45–5:30 PM

✔ Women in Telecom Breakfast & Panel—Wednesday, Aug 19 · 8:00 AM

Walk-in registration is available on-site. Exhibit Hall passes are also available.

Nashville, August 18–20 · Music City Center
👉 https://www.iseexpo.com/2026/pricing?ref=SMREG

08/13/2026

Make-ready work remains one of the most unpredictable drivers of aerial broadband deployment costs and delays. Ernie Gallo of NEBScore and Michelle Harry of Finley Engineering examine how one-touch make-ready can streamline broadband deployment while reshaping how utilities and attachers manage risks. Read on. https://isemag.com/55382354

One-touch make-ready can reduce coordination delays in ariel broadband builds, but pole replacement, safety, liability and state-level regulatory differences can still create ...

08/12/2026

What does network convergence actually mean for how you operate, not just how you compete?

That's the question at the center of the ISE EXPO 2026 Closing Keynote, and the panelists on stage have the operational experience to answer it directly.

· Shirley Bloomfield, President — Shirley Connected LLC
· Bo Gresham, Chief Revenue Officer — Dycom Industries, Inc
· Michael Hamilton, Director of Operations, Fiber Business Unit — C Spire
· Steve Harris, VP Sales/Marketing — UCL Swift

Together they'll tackle what it takes to operate in a truly technology-neutral world, where to win across ownership vs. orchestration in fiber, wireless, cloud, and edge, and why deployment speed and field ex*****on are becoming defining competitive advantages.

With perspectives spanning rural connectivity, policy, and large-scale network ex*****on—this panel delivers practical insight, not theory.

Live audience Q&A is built in. Bring your questions.

Thursday, August 20 · 9:00 AM · Davidson Ballroom, Music City Center

One week away. Register now: https://www.iseexpo.com/2026/pricing?ref=SMREG

08/12/2026

AI is reshaping networking, security and organizational strategy at once. In this article, Mark Fishburn explores the challenges ahead—from Zero Trust and agentic AI to ransomware defense, governance and the human strengths that still matter most. Read on. https://isemag.com/55384211

AI is transforming networking, cybersecurity and organizational strategy. Mark Fishburn examines agentic AI, Zero Trust, ransomware defense and human-AI collaboration.

08/11/2026

Open RAN is entering a new phase, with Open Fronthaul gaining momentum while Cloud RAN and multi-vendor RAN adoption follow increasingly distinct paths. Read on. https://isemag.com/55397191

Open RAN is entering a new phase as Open Fronthaul gains momentum, while Cloud RAN and multi-vendor deployments face different technology and economic realities.

08/11/2026

AI-assisted development and automation are accelerating software delivery, but traditional secure software development lifecycle practices may not be keeping pace.

Learn how organizations can modernize application security with an intelligent, risk-aligned approach. https://isemag.com/55397160

AI-assisted development and automation are accelerating software delivery, but traditional secure software development lifecycle practices may not be keeping pace. Learn how organizatio...