I've got my travel coffee-making set already packed for the long trip from London to Austin, Texas: Here's a whole host of reasons why I should see you there.

May 20, 2016

2 Min Read
Why I'm Heading to Austin for BCE

I'm jumping on a plane Saturday morning to head to Austin, Texas (my first ever visit to the Lone Star State). For sure I'm looking forward to the renowned hospitality, the live music, the Texas barbecues... but the main reason I'll be there is the Big Communications Event (BCE) on May 24 and 25 and it's shaping up to be a doozy.

That's because it's a chance to rub shoulders with the key decision-makers who are building the next-generation networks and IT systems that will create a blueprint for the communications services sector. But it's not just about the technology -- the services, operations and business plans are also under scrutiny at BCE.

Among the network and data center operators sharing their thoughts and challenging the industry at the Austin Convention Center are:

  • AT&T

  • CenturyLink

  • China Mobile

  • Colt

  • Comcast

  • Cox Communications

  • Deutsche Telekom

  • EdgeConnex

  • Equinix

  • Facebook

  • Global Capacity

  • Google

  • Level 3

  • Masergy

  • Telus

  • Verizon

  • Vodafone

  • Windstream

  • Zayo

That's a real A-to-Z of big hitters. (See BCE 2016: Vodafone to Make Waves With Its 'Ocean' Virtualization Strategy.)

And they're sharing their knowledge and experience about a broad but interconnected range of topics -- the Composable Telco (don't miss that session!), Cloud Architectures, Data Center Interconnect, Gigabit Broadband, the Internet of Things (IoT), Network Security, Mobile Core Evolution, NFV Infrastructure, Programmable Optical Networks, Small Cells, Video Service Management and of the course the full range of virtualization topics.

And then there's the live NFV interoperability demonstration, set up and run by The New IP Agency and the independent European Advanced Networking Test Center AG (EANTC) , that's going to benefit every network operator that visits it to find out exactly what works in today's virtualized world. (See BCE 2016: Live NFV Interop Demo Takes Center Stage.)

Add to all of that the various Summits and Workshops, including the Women in Comms conference and job fair on Monday May 23, the ATIS 5G Symposium (also May 23) and multiple workshops organized by the OCP, ONF, SDN Essentials, Accenture, Upskill University and more… that's a lot to fit into a few days.

BCE is going to provide Light Reading with a wealth of information to share with the global comms industry but there's nothing like being there and meeting the folks that are changing this industry week by week. I hope to see you there.

— Ray Le Maistre, Circle me on Google+ Follow me on TwitterVisit my LinkedIn profile, Editor-in-Chief, Light Reading

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