WIRELESS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES SYMPOSIUM

Helping Your Community & Core Business with Commercial Wireless Support Services

Sponsored By:

There is a revolution coming in new commercial wireless broadband services and utilities are positioned uniquely to accelerate the benefits of these new technologies for their communities and themselves by offering antenna siting on your structures and content backhaul over your communications networks. Find out how an active engagement in these services will help your core business financially as well as contribute to the economic development of the communities you serve. This symposium will feature the latest utility best practices for commercial wireless support services as well as detailed information on key regulatory issues and new wireless broadband technologies. If you are not yet in the business, find out how to get into it safely. If you are already in the business, learn how to grow it faster.

Sun, May 06
04:30 PM - 06:30 PM	UTC EXPO 2007 Grand Opening Kick off UTC EXPO 2007, the exhibit hall of UTC TELECOM 2007, with other attendees along with UTC's technology partners with food, drinks and networking in the hall. Walk around and meet old and new friends as you get a glimpse of what UTC EXPO 2007 has to offer.
Mon, May 07
08:30 AM - 10:00 AM	Opening General Session Kick off UTC TELECOM 2007 at the Opening General Session on Monday morning where we will introduce all attendees to this year’s theme: Learning. Connecting. Celebrating. The Critical Infrastructure Communications Experience. The General Session will feature reports from UTC’s Chairman of the Board, Joseph Lackey, Telecommunications Supervisor at Southside Electric Cooperative, and UTC’s Division Chairs explaining what UTC is doing to help you with your jobs. Don’t miss UTC TELECOM 2007’s keynote address by Andres Carvallo, the nationally recognized Chief Information Officer at Austin Energy. Hear how this innovative CIO sees the future of critical infrastructure communications and learn how Austin Energy is on the cutting edge many new utility telecom ideas.
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM	Thinking About Wireless Business Opportunities? Get Buy-In With a Business Plan Room: 18D This business planning session presents some overarching issues to consider when deciding on what wireless business opportunities your utility would like to pursue. Specifically, you should know about contract development of both master license and other lease agreements, common utility restrictions seen in the industry, zoning issues to be aware of and any regulatory implications of this line of business. Additionally, this session will address developing a budget to get these opportunities running.
11:15 AM - 11:30 AM	Networking Break
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM	Get Started Selling – Putting the Right People in Place Room: 18D The first and hardest step with wireless business opportunities, like anything else, is getting started. Issues that need to be addressed include what personnel is needed to operate this business, database/file management/billing systems to keep track of your business activities, marketing strategies and leveraging internal service providers. Hear from utilities that have already been down this road and about why they made the choices they did and how these choices are working out for them now.
11:45 AM - 05:30 PM	UTC EXPO 2007 Open
12:30 PM - 02:30 PM	Networking Lunch in UTC EXPO 2007
02:30 PM - 03:30 PM	HOT TOPIC: Disaster Planning and Your Wireless and IT Systems Room: 19AB Businesses, including utilities, are missing the key role of wireless communications and IT networks in their business continuity and disaster recovery plans. Few commercial businesses have a comprehensive BC/DR plan: while some have a sketchy idea of procedures to meet basic requirements, many others don’t even have that. This presentation looks at the benefits of a top-down BC/DR plan, including the critical role of wireless, and you will hear from one utility that has been doing serious thinking about how to change its use of technology to meet new emergencies and possible pandemics.
06:30 PM - 09:30 PM	UTC Gala Room: Buffalo Billiards A little bit country, a little bit rock and roll, a little bit of everything -- Austin is the “Live Music Capital of the World” and UTC certainly can’t send you home without a taste of some great live music! That’s why this year’s UTC Gala will feature country western sounds and a starring lead singer - your chairman - Joe Lackey! Dance the night away or enjoy casual time with food and drinks to catch up with old friends. The UTC Gala will be a night to remember your trip to Austin and UTC TELECOM 2007.
Tue, May 08
08:00 AM - 10:00 AM	Breakfast General Session Featuring: Presentation of the UTC Apex Award & Special Keynote Address on Next Generation Infrastructures The presentation of Third Annual UTC Apex Award, sponsored by Motorola, will be an awards breakfast to remember as we honor the absolute best in utility telecommunications. Join us as we showcase the winners of this distinguished award and the finalists - told through the stories they submitted. This year, we are adding a special address to immediately follow the UTC Apex Award presentation. Bruce Germano, Vice President of Retail Delivery at Long Island Power Authority, and Chairman of EPRI’s IntelliGrid Project, has been invited to give his unique perspective on the critical role of communications in the next generation of utility infrastructure.
10:00 AM - 10:15 AM	Networking Break
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM	Building to Meet Commercial Wireless Needs Room: 18C This session will address the common utility practices of engineering, design, construction and maintenance. Some of the main topics addressed will be the pros and cons of using internal vs. external construction services, and balancing customer design requirements with utility construction and maintenance standards. Speakers also will discuss construction volume management issues in response to business cycles, customer-funded electric system improvements and common outage restrictions associated with the commercial wireless business.
10:30 AM - 03:30 PM	UTC EXPO 2007 Open
11:15 AM - 11:30 AM	Networking Break in UTC EXPO 2007
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM	HOT TOPIC: Retirement – How it Affects You and Your Utility Room: 19AB Sponsored by the UTC Career Center - This session will focus on two aspects of retirement: how it affects you financially when you make the choice to leave, and what impact retirement has on utilities. Experts from a financial services firm offer help on how to prepare yourself for retirement and the many issues associated with transitioning out of the working world – even if you plan to work after your “official” retirement. The second part of the session will include a discussion on how utility companies can cope with an aging workforce and make sure that no critical knowledge is lost in handing off jobs to younger professionals. This session is great for those about to retire and utility HR department curious about what to do next!
	International Utility Telecom Roundtable *NEW* Room: 11A All delegates to UTC TELECOM 2007 are invited to attend this special roundtable discussion about key utility telecom initiatives underway outside the United States. A discussion will be led by UTC’s International Division Co-Chairmen and will feature an update on Smart Grids activities in the European Union and projects of note from South America with a special emphasis on activities in Brazil. In addition, all international delegates present will be invited to report on activities in their countries. Regardless of where you are from, this session will provide unique perspectives on utility telecom around the world.
12:30 PM - 02:30 PM	Networking Lunch in UTC EXPO 2007
03:15 PM - 04:15 PM	Communications Master Planning – the Business and the Regulations Room: 19AB Does your utility, like most, have an evolved communications system including both legacy and modern equipment? If some of your systems are reaching the end of the road, how do you decide where to head next, and where are the barriers? How do you develop a master plan, and the business case to sell it to those who write the checks? This session will look at strategic and master planning for your utility networks, including key success factors, the planning process and the regulatory considerations that must go into your upgrade planning. There may be more choices than you think.
	Being Able to Deliver – The Vendors You Need to Know Room: 18D This session will provide a question and answer segment with different vendors, specifically: coax/connector vendors, shelter vendors, steel & pole vendors and structural vendors. This is the best way to get your questions answered and hear questions from other utilities that may be in a different phase and can prepare you for what's to come.
04:15 PM - 04:30 PM	Networking Break
04:30 PM - 05:30 PM	Case Study: Wireless Business Opportunities In Practice Room: 18D This session will wrap up the symposium with the case studies of two utilities with extensive experience in the wireless infrastructure business. They will share their experiences and answer your questions regarding any aspect of the business.
06:30 PM - 09:30 PM	UTC Awards Dinner Room: Hilton Salon A/B/C The UTC Awards Dinner is the main social event of UTC TELECOM 2007! Join us as we honor the recipients of UTC’s most prestigious awards, the Dondanville, Meehan and Chairman’s Awards after enjoying a formal, sit down dinner. What better way to end out UTC TELECOM 2007 than ending the last full day with a presentation honoring colleagues and friends. Make sure to stay after dinner for a great dessert and an evening spent listening to jazz. *semi-formal attire
Wed, May 09
08:00 AM - 10:00 AM	Capstone - UTC Annual Membership Meeting & Breakfast Room: Ballroom EFG Help us wrap up UTC TELECOM 2007 in style on Wednesday morning as we elect UTC’s new officers for 2007-2008. Join outgoing UTC Chairman Joe Lackey and the senior members of UTC’s leadership as reports are delivered on activities over the past year and plans for 2007-2008. The Annual UTC Membership Meeting is an important aspect of being a member. But, it is also an important opportunity for anyone interested in becoming a UTC member. This is a short but ideal way to learn how you can benefit from greater involvement in UTC. Come and be a part of the annual progress of your trade association!
10:15 AM - 12:00 PM	Grounding Workshop Room: 19AB Grounding systems help telecom systems operate at peak performance. To keep grounding systems functioning at their best, it is essential to understand how the key elements of a grounding system function and how to solve common problems. Attendees of this practical workshop will learn about subjects including grounding electrode systems, single point grounding, isolated ring and halo grounds, as well as tower grounding practices and site bonding.
	Pole Attachment Workshop – Challenges and Opportunities Room: 18AB Pole attachment and joint use issues are heating up! This workshop will identify the legal/regulatory developments, business and operational issues and technical and safety considerations that face the utility industry. It will feature leading experts providing their perspectives and answering your questions about the big policy issues and the routine operational challenges you need to know. These are issues that affect every aspect of the utility business: reliability, safety, asset management, and communications. You can’t afford to miss this session.
12:30 PM - 05:00 PM	Austin Energy/PowerGrid Communications BPL Site Visit Ever wonder what BPL is all about really? Come see it live at the Austin Energy/PowerGrid Communications BPL demo house. After all the UTC TELECOM 2007 workshops are over on Wednesday afternoon, Austin Energy is inviting UTC TELECOM 2007 attendees to see their demo house. There is no set tour and attendees will be welcome to browse through the house at their leisure. PowerGrid Communications will treat attendees that visit the BPL Demo House to a barbeque lunch. Buses will leave the Austin Convention Center at 12:30 p.m. Buses will start coming back to the Austin Convention Center at 4:00 p.m. RSVP to stephanie.colbert@utc.org.