Bowing to the inevitable, Light Reading is working to turn this year's Cable Next-Gen Technologies & Strategies conference into a free, virtual event later this summer.

Originally slated for mid-March and then pushed back to late August because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cable Next-Gen is going virtual for the same public health reasons that have caused other tech conferences to make similar moves. With COVID-19 still rampaging through the US, no other course is possible. Our fervent hope is that we will be able to return to a live, in-person format in spring 2021.

But, in the meantime, we don't intend to miss a beat. So, taking place August 26 and 27, the virtual version of Cable Next-Gen will deliver all the keynotes, fireside chats, market research presentations and panel discussions that we initially planned. Only now the event will be presented totally online over the course of two full days, making it free and accessible to all, no matter where you may be located.

Like our live, in-person events, the digital edition of Cable Next-Gen will also offer exhibition space and networking opportunities, just in a virtual way. In addition, it will still feature a happy hour for attendees, except now you'll just have to bring your own drink.

Fortunately, we expect most, if not all, of our prime speakers from the in-person lineup to participate in the virtual event. So far, that all-star roster includes such luminaries as: Balan Nair, President & CEO of Liberty Latin America; Guy McCormick, SVP of Engineering at Cox Communications; Shane Portfolio, SVP of Engineering at Comcast; Bill Warga, VP of Strategy & Technology at Liberty Global; Jennifer Andreoli-Fang, Distinguished Technologist at CableLabs; Dave Wright, President of CBRS Alliance; Claudio Righetti, Chief Scientist at Telecom Argentina; Robin Lavoie, Senior Director, Network Evolution Strategies at Cogeco; Jeff Finkelstein, Executive Director of Advanced Technologies at Cox Communications; and Doug Jones, Principal Architect at CableLabs. Other returnees should be confirmed shortly.

Plus, several senior cable tech execs and analysts who were not on the original speaking roster back in March will participate as well. That list includes Matt Tooley, VP of Broadband Technology at NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, and Jeff Heynen, Senior Research Director, Broadband Access and Home Networking, at Dell'Oro Group, as well as Warga and Portfolio. More speakers should be confirmed shortly.

For those who already registered for the in-person conference, we will automatically transfer your registration to the virtual event. For those who already paid to register for the live version, refunds will be forthcoming.

COVID-19 won't stop us. So join us online at summer's end for our 13th annual cable tech gathering. Please click here to register for Cable Next-Gen Technologies & Strategies.

See you then.

— Alan Breznick, Cable/Video Practice Leader, Light Reading