NIA's 2007 Annual Convention Program 

ITFS/EBS The Next Generation(s)

February 19-22, 2007

St. Petersburg Bayfront Hilton Hotel

St. Petersburg, Florida

Welcome!

These are truly exciting times!  We are moving quickly now, after many years of hard work, toward true "Anytime, Anywhere" teaching and learning.  FCC Rules are near completion, systems re being built, and high-speed, mobile wireless is close at hand.

But, we still have work to do!  Each of us who holds an Educational Broadband Service (EBS) license must transition to the new FCC band plan, protect licenses, and most importantly determine how to best use educational broadband spectrum for the good of education and the country.

Some of us continue with valuable educational video broadcast services.  Others are building wireless data networks on their own or in tandem with municipal wireless projects.  Still others re partnering with commercial entities to spread wide-area wireless across the country.

We hope that this week's presentations and exhibits will help you address questions you may have about regulations, technologies, partnerships and applications with knowledge and confidence.

We also hope this opportunity to network with leaders from education and industry and with top attorneys and engineers will aid you and your organization in this year of transition.

On behalf of the NIA Officers and Board of Directors,

Welcome to NIA's 2007 Annual Conference and Meeting!

Patrick J. Gossman, PHD

NIA Board Chairman

Interim Chief Information Officer and Assoc. Vice President

Wayne State University

Subjects covered in the NIA 2007 Annual Convention Sessions

Professional Development Seminar - WiMax 101

What is New to Know About FCC Rules & Regulations?

Blending Education and Community Service in WiMax

Luncheon Session

Report on the Empire High School Program

All About Transition

What are the Values of EBS Spectrum and to Whom?

Wi-Fi and Mesh Networks

Digital to Analog - Getting There from Here

NIA Annual Member/Membership Meeting & Annual Report

Leasing, Leasing, Leasing, the Legal Issues

Operator Presentations

More information about each of the above subjects

 is provided below.

Professional Development Seminar - WiMax 101

It appears that for most ITFS/EBS Licensees, WiMax will become the platform of choice for the creation of wireless broadband systems on their spectrum.

This is an opportunity to become conversant with the basic Wi-Max technology, the emerging technical standards, and the supporting technologies that will create wireless broadband systems that serve both fixed/mobile and true mobile applications on EBS spectrum

What is New to Know About FCC Rules & Regulations?

Update your understanding of the FCC's 2006 reconsideration of the new rules for EBS and the remaining outstanding rule making issues.

And, hear a basic overview of important regulatory topics that includes taking EBS stations off the air (going dark), the EBS approval process, the 2011 substantial performance deadline, and the license renewal issues for un-built or dark stations.

Blending Education and Community Service in Wi-Max

Many EBS licensees with established analog video services look to maximize the use of their licenses for education and community services under the new broadband rules.  Hear from a sampling of those licensees for whom education and public service continue to play the most important future roles for their EBS Spectrum.

Luncheon

Guest Speaker - Calvin Baker

Superintendent, Vail School District - Vail, AZ

A report on the Empire High School program in which laptops and access to online resources have replaced textbooks as the primary instructional resource.

All About Transition

The most current information on the FCC transition to the new band plan, where EBS and the operators are in the transition process, when and what to expect and a discussion of what other licensees need to be aware of as they proceed through transition.

What are the Values of EBS Spectrum and To Whom?

How are the combinations of WiMax and Wi-Fi and an expanding array of supporting technologies, devices and future wireless services affecting the value of EBS spectrum?

Do the present values offered in current EBS lease proposals recognize the real future value of EBS, both to commercial users and to licensees?

Three perspectives on those values will be offered by BIA Financial, an executive of an educational institution holding multiple EBS licenses, and an investment broker.

Wi-Fi and Mesh Networks

Whether or not EBS licensees become partners with a commercial wireless provider in an excess capacity agreement, many of their institutions will have opportunities to participate in the growing number of municipal Wi-Fi networks.

This is an opportunity for EBS Managers to consider how licensed (EBS) and unlicensed (Wi-Fi) spectrum can be used to provide broad wireless coverage separately or together.

Digital to Analog - Getting There from Here

ITFS licensees who will maintain video services after transition are faced with a problem not covered by the FCC Mandate.

While Licensees have invested millions in receive site CCTV systems and analog receivers, those will be unusable without the means to convert the new digital signal back to analog.

There are differing means to accomplish that conversion and this is an opportunity to compare your alternatives, their advantages and disadvantages and the potential costs.

Leasing, Leasing, Leasing, the Legal Issues

An update on FCC requirements for EBS Leasing and the new "secondary markets" leasing regime, as well as view of practitioners on the big issues in considering and negotiating an EBS lease, including issues relating to the reservation and use of capacity for educational purposes.

Operator Presentations

An opportunity to hear from major commercial operators about their service plans, their leasing strategies, their objectives and the time lines for leasing and transition