Full Speed Ahead for High-Speed PON?

Speakers:
Shane Sexton, Executive Corporate Technical Consultant, Technical Operations, EPB
Shane Sexton is Executive Corporate Technical Consultant for EPB’s Technical Operations group. With more than 30 years of experience in the internet service industry, Shane has worked with access technologies from the dial-up era to modern Passive Optical Network systems.

Shane joined EPB in 2005 and currently leads EPB’s technology steering team that guides EPB’s networks and systems into the future by pursuing cutting edge innovation and facilitating transitions between technologies. He was a member of EPB’s Smart Grid deployment team that created the nation’s most reliable and resilient electric system and launched the nation’s first Gig Speed community-wide internet in 2010. He also played integral roles in the subsequent launches of community-wide 10 Gig and 25 Gig internet service in 2015 and 2022, respectively, as well as EPB Quantum Network in 2022.

Prior to joining EPB, Shane served in leadership roles at several Chattanooga-based internet service start-ups.

Deborah Kish, VP, Research and Workforce Development, Fiber Broadband Association
In her role, Deborah is leading FBA’s research initiatives as well as FBA’s “OpTIC™” (Optical Telecom Installer Certification), FBA’s Fiber Optic Technician certification program. Prior to the FBA, she spent over 20 years as an analyst at Gartner covering broadband, telecom switching, signaling and security topics advising thousands of service provider and vendor clients about product and service strategy.

Harj Ghuman, Precision Optical, VP, Strategic Products     Harj Ghuman has been working in senior positions in the telecommunications industry for over 30 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics with Astrophysics from the University of Leeds and a MS graduate degree in Microwaves and Modern Optics from UCL London. He is currently the Vice President of Strategic Products at Precision Optical Technologies and previously held the role of Principal Strategic Access Architect at Cox Communications for nearly a decade.  He holds over 15 patents and has authored numerous papers and publications, specifically in next gen solutions for access HFC and PON networks.

Alan Breznick, Practice Leader, Cable & Video
Alan covers the cable, fiber, broadband, and IP video markets for Heavy Reading. In particular, he tracks new cable, broadband, and video technologies and standards, such as DOCSIS 4.0, FTTP, DAA, XGS-PON, 10G EPON, streaming video, network virtualization, business services, Wi-Fi 6, and ATSC 3.0.

With a strong background in both business journalism and technology research, Alan has covered the cable, telecom, broadband, media, and consumer electronics markets as an editor and analyst for more than 30 years, including the past 17 years for Light and Heavy Reading. A New York City native, Alan is now based in Ontario, Canada.