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The New Technology Driven Solution Engineered for Meeting the Rural Broadband Network Competitive Challenge.

With a growing subscriber base hungry for Broadband Internet, IPTV, and triple play services, rural local telecommunications providers are facing increasing customer demands and growing competition from multiple competitors including national service providers and broadband wireless companies.  To successfully compete, rural telecommunication providers must rise to the competitive challenge by building FTTP networks that are robust, require minimal maintenance, are quick to restore, and drive network deployment costs down.

Join Larry Thompson, CEO, and Todd Sapp, Director of OSP Operations, of Vantage Point Solutions, one of America’s leading telecom engineering and consulting companies as they explain the driving forces behind the “Ribbon-based Network Design,” that helps to ensure the long-term viability and competitiveness of today’s independent rural  FTTP network. 

Question and Answer Panel will follow and include Vantage Point Solutions and representatives of Sumitomo Electric Lightwave.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Larry D. Thompson, Chief Executive Officer, Vantage Point Solution

Larry is a registered professional engineerand CEO ofVantagePoint Solutions.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physics from William Jewell College and both a Bachelor and Master of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Kansas.  Larry has been working in the telecommunications industry for over 20 years.  He focuses on serving the needs of rural telephone companies.  He has designed many voice, data, and video networks, including state and regional networks.

Larry has participated in Senate and FCC panels and has participated on various NECA Task Forces.  He is a frequent speaker at state and national conferences as well as FCC and US Senate events.  He lives in Mitchell, South Dakota with his wife and two daughters.

Todd Sapp, Director of Outside Plant Operations, Vantage Point Solutions

He lives in Alexandria, South Dakota with his wife and four sons.

Vantage Point Solutions, Inc.

Vantage Point Solutions is a telecommunications engineering and consulting company providing a full range of services including Professional Engineering, Outside Plant Engineering, strategic planning, technology evaluations, network architecture design, regulatory expertise, and feasibility studies.  Vantage Point Solutions is the premier telecommunications engineering and consulting firm that specializes in the unique business challenges faced by Independent Local Exchange Carriers (ILECs).

Our key staff is well known and respected in the telecommunications industry.  Vantage Point Solutions management has over 150 years of combined experience, along with a seasoned staff of telecommunications professionals.

Question and Answer Panel:

Larry Thompson, CEO Vantage Point Solutions
Todd Sapp, Director of OSP Operations, Vantage Point Solutions
Tony Squires, Product Manager, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave

Tony Squires, Product Manager, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave

Tony Squires serves as product manager for the Fiber Optic Cable division of Sumitomo Electric Lightwave, where he leads the product development and management of the company’s complete product line, including FTTP/FTTH solutions for communication networks.  Prior to this appointment, Tony served as product manager for the fusion splicer and equipment division and held various plant engineering positions.    He has accumulated over 20 years of experience in cable manufacturing and technology at Sumitomo Electric Lightwave, augmented by his undergraduate business degree from North Carolina Wesleyan College and an MBA from Elon College, North Carolina. 

Sumitomo Electric Lightwave, located in Research Triangle Park, NC, is a leader in the manufacturing of ribbon and loose-tube fiber optic cable, FTTx solutions, and fusion splicing equipment and accessories.  As the first to develop and introduce peelable ribbon and mass fusion splicing to North America, the reliability and quality of Sumitomo’s ribbon cable and fusion technology is renowned throughout the industry.  Sumitomo Electric Industries is cited in the 2007 Cables Industry Analyst report as the world’s largest cable manufacturer, measured in sales.