A virtual symposium and trade fair was held April 28 to help small and underdeveloped businesses enter, compete, and grow in the trillion-dollar communications and tech sectors. Event participants were presented with information, resources, best practices, support, partnerships and business opportunities that encourage adoption of new technology. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment (ACDDE), ACDDE member Internet Association, and the FCC's Media Bureau co-sponsored the event.
USPAACC National President & CEO Susan Au Allen gave the welcome remarks as Co-Lead of the event. Allen and her Co-Lead S. Jenell Trigg, Member, Lerman Senter PLLC and representing the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association, brought the program together.
'The telecommunications industry, with an estimated market size of $1.7 trillion, offers countless opportunities for procurement, employment, and talent development for this community,' Allen said. 'There is no shortage of talent and brainpower in the small and underdeveloped business community. It is simply a matter of keeping the door open for them.'
'Susan Allen played a critical role in pulling together the agenda for this event,' wrote Heather Gate, Director, Digital Inclusion Connected Nation and Vice-Chair, ACDDE. 'She is a giant in these matters.'
The Symposium brought together the country's major players in the telecommunications industry: AT&T, Charter Communications, Comcast, T-Mobile USA, and Verizon.
Digital payments company PayPal, Disabled Veteran-Owned Intelligent Waves LLC, government bureau Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic Development, Government of the District of Columbia, and associations such as the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation, Wireless Infrastructure Association, Hispanic Heritage Foundation, the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, and the Northern Virginia Technology Council also participated in the Symposium.
The event was designed for small and underdeveloped communications businesses, including those focused on legacy communications industries (e.g., radio, television, telecommunications, cable, and satellite), and those engaged in technology-oriented industries seeking business opportunities as vendors, suppliers, or partners with tech and communications companies or government agencies.
Small and underdeveloped communications businesses include small businesses, minority- and ethnic-owned, women-owned, Veteran-owned, LGBTQ-owned, and disabled-owned businesses.
The Symposium presented two substantive panels. The first panel featured a discussion with representatives from federal, state, and local government agencies and a federal contractor on financing and procurement opportunities and trends.
The second panel showcased representatives from the private sector who discussed procurement opportunities and supplier development requirements and standards, as well as Tier II efforts and opportunities.
The final component of the program was a Virtual Fair, which provided one-on-one confidential consultations where small and underdeveloped communications business owners received individualized advice on supplier and vendor strategies and opportunities."
For more information, visit http://www.uspaacc.com and https://www.fcc.gov/news-event...
