North Dakota Information Technology to Host Broadband Summit

North Dakota Information Technology (NDIT) will be convening BroadbaND 2024!, the State's first Broadband Summit. The Summit will be held on August 29, 2024, at Bismarck State College, Bismarck, ND, and will be open to Broadband Association of North Dakota (BAND) Members, internet service providers, tribal government representatives, local government representatives, nonprofit organizations, and interested members of the public.

BroadbaND 2024! will feature roundtable discussions regarding the State's Capital Project Funds (CPF) broadband projects, activities related to Broadband Equity Access Deployment (BEAD), and the State's plans regarding Digital Equity (DE) Capacity and Competitive grants. The event also will feature industry speakers and technology providers. The keynote will feature Michael Romano, Executive Vice President of NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association.

The Summit aims to connect local broadband stakeholders to the Broadband Office and facilitate partnerships for successful deployment. The event will help inform local broadband stakeholders of North Dakota broadband activities as they relate to the BEAD, DE, and CPF programs. In addition, the Summit plans to create opportunities for discussion of other key broadband topics.

"This Broadband Summit is the first of its kind in North Dakota, and we expect it to be an annual event," NDIT State Broadband Program Director Brian D. Newby said. "Our hope is to raise awareness of the great work underway with our state's carriers, telecommunications co-ops, and internet service providers. Thanks to them, a higher percentage of residents have access to the highest speeds of internet service than nearly any state in the country. We also seek to collaborate on methods to increase digital adoption and use of applications that will help all North Dakotans in our everyday lives."

The event is free, but registration is required, and seating capacity is limited. For more information and to register, visit the BSC registration page.