WISPAPALOOZA 2016 - Day 2 Show Daily

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4 WISPAPALOOZA 2016 • OCTOBER 11-13, 2016
DAY2
As WISPAPALOOZA Day 2 gets underway,
carefully curated session tracks and a
smart exhibit hall are ready to welcome
attendees.
“I’m very proud of the exhibit hall,”saidTrina
Coffey, director of operations atWISPA and co-
chair of the Agenda Committee for the show.“The
traditional configuration of straight, up-and-down
rows means that people are weaving back and
forth all day, and it’s not conducive tomingling. We
have an angled exhibit hall that’s muchmore open.
And there’s a reason for that: Lunches are in the
exhibit hall, and there are tables where people can
sit and talk. This gives them a chance to socialize in
a more casual atmosphere. It’s not all about being
sold to or trying to buy—the hall is designed for
building relationships and networking too.”
The agenda meanwhile is packed full of
information across multiple discipline areas,
geared to address everything that aWISP
could need in order to effectively run and grow
its business.
“We have a volunteer committee that includes
operators and vendors alike, and they help us
gear our educational tracks towards all facets of
the business,”Coffey said. “There are tracks for
the technical side, plenty of regulatory material
to keep abreast of what they can and cannot do
when running their business, as well as marketing,
HR and finance.”
The agenda also has designated segments
for beginners, and more advanced sessions for
industry veterans.
“We don’t want the newWISP to come in and
feel intimidated or like the speaker is talking above
them, so we’ve earmarked some sessions for those
just starting out,”Coffey said.“Conversely, the guys
that have been at it for 20 years have opportunities
to gomore in depth on the topics.”
The Vendor Spotlight track has expanded the
content focus as well.
“Our vendors are traditionally told that
when they sit on a panel they’re not allowed to
pitch themselves,”Coffey noted. “But this track
gives them an hour to do with as they please,
integrated into the agenda.”
Coffey also noted that WISPAPALOOZA offers
a great opportunity for members and attendees
to learn more about the staff and to get more
involved inWISPA as an organization.
“I encourage everyone
to stop and say hello to the
staff,” she said. “I could not do
what I do without the support
frommy staff and the board.
Our new salesperson is here,
Gary Helmers, who is new
to the association since July.
Also, most members have
spoken to Arielle Coffey on
the phone—they can see her
here at registration, along with David Zybert, our
marketing guru.”
Attendees can learnmore about theWISPA staff
at
“I’d also like to encourage members to
get more involved in whatever area they feel
passionate about,”Coffey added. “All of the
committees are volunteer-based, so if members
find something they care about, they can simply
contact the committee chair and get involved in
the association.”
Committee chair contact information can
be found at
Committees. o
WISPAPALOOZA Showcases Innovation in Exhibit Hall, Agenda
Wispmon Software (Booth 507) has
become the first WISP-centric billing/
management/OSS software to
allow providers to seamlessly comply with
CPNI requirements as required by law for
telecommunications carriers.
The FCC has made it clear that VoIP
providers must meet requirements that
include annual filings as described in
Enforcement Advisory No. 2015-02. While
there is some debate about whether or not
WISPs that provide data-only service fall into
this category, Wispmon now makes it easy
to comply by limiting viewable proprietary
information only after security checks have
been passed.
WISP customers can manage and update their
security information through a new customer
portal, which also ensures that the customer’s
information is secure.
Since 2007, Wispmon has become the
first to fully integrate billing, monitoring,
mapping and sales qualification through LOS
profiling, trouble ticketing and work orders
into a single platform. Last year with the
release of version 4.0, Wispmon became the
first fully responsive interface incorporating
full inventory and IP management, all
working on any device with a Web browser
and an Internet connection. o
Wispmon Offers CPNI Compliance
By Tara Seals
Trina Coffey
Director of Operations,
WISPA
WISP PAC, the political action committee formed to support WISPs
and the fixed wireless industry, invites you to attend its fall
fundraiser at WISPAPALOOZA. Join Vegas showgirls, good food and
an open bar to show your support for our industry and to learn more about
the PAC’s activities.
WISP PAC is a non-partisan group created to support candidates that
stand up for the industry in D.C.
In 2016, it has become increasingly more effective and robust of an
organization. For instance, the group weighed in on Connect America
parameters, which at the outset excluded unlicensed spectrum strategies
and relegatedWISPs to the sidelines when it comes to applying for funds
to build out broadband to the underserved. The scheme was tilted towards
funding FTTH, regardless of whether that plan would be cost-effective for
tax payers. The FCC went on to amend its stance, adoptingWISPA’s proposal,
so that fixed wireless players now have access to $200 million in federal
subsidies over the next 10 years.
WISP PAC’s goal is to level the playing field, and enable small business
owners and entrepreneurs compete with cable and telcos. Funding can
Don’t miss theWISP PAC Fall Fundraiser!
By Tara Seals
See DON’T MISS, page 6