News - September 17, 2020
INCOMPAS Show Keynote with Eric Schmidt (Video)
To meet national emergency on 5G, Schmidt says wholesale sharing of Department of Defense spectrum will bring more competition and innovation. He also comments on current national dialogue around tech companies.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 17, 2020) – The 2020 INCOMPAS Show this week featured a keynote from Eric Schmidt, former CEO and chairman of Google, co-founder of Schmidt Futures and host of the Reimagine with Eric Schmidt podcast.
In his remarks, Schmidt complements INCOMPAS and its members for working to connect the world and local communities through competition and innovation. He notes that “we can never have enough bandwidth,” and lays out a clear strategy for getting more spectrum to more people by making Department of Defense spectrum available through sharing and wholesale options. Noting that the competitive threat from China and other nations on 5G is very real, Schmidt points out that getting gigabit speeds to everyone would “change the world.”
In the keynote conversation, INCOMPAS CEO Chip Pickering asked about the current conversation around tech companies, with Schmidt reminding the audience that while there are challenges, tech companies are “national treasures” and the United States faces growing technology competition from other nations around the globe.
“It was a true honor to have Eric Schmidt keynote the 2020 INCOMPAS Show,” said Pickering. “Eric laid out a very clear strategy for our 5G future, a strategy that fosters more competition and invests in innovation to help bring faster, more affordable networks to all Americans. We agree, building a better network is a national priority, and our members stand ready to meet the challenge.”
Watch the Eric Schmidt keynote here:
The 2020 INCOMPAS Show brought together 65 keynotes and panelists representing the best-of-the best in industry, policy and technology to talk about broadband deployment, 5G and the latest developments in D.C., including:
- Michael Dell
- Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss)
- Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC)
- Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA)
- FCC Chairman Ajit Pai
- FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr
- FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks
- Josh Broder, Tilson
- Tom Cullen, DISH
- Ray LaChance, ZenFi Networks
- Hu Meena, C Spire
- Doug Smith, Ligado Networks
- Kurt VanWagenen, FirstLight Fiber
All keynotes and sessions can be viewed on-demand at ConnectIN, the INCOMPAS Show virtual portal. Register to watch here. Please contact Gail Norris with INCOMPAS for press registration questions at gnorris@incompas.org.
About Eric Schmidt:
Eric Schmidt, the longest serving CEO of Google, is an accomplished technologist, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He joined Google in 2001 and helped grow the company from a Silicon Valley startup to a global leader in technology alongside founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page. Eric served as Google’s CEO and chairman from 2001-2011, as well as executive chairman and technical advisor. Under his leadership, Google dramatically scaled its infrastructure and diversified its product offerings while maintaining a strong culture of innovation.
Eric became the Chairman of the Department of Defense’s Innovation Board in 2016 and held the position for four years, in which he was awarded the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service in January of 2017 by Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter. He is currently the Chairman of the U.S. National Security Commission for Artificial Intelligence.
In 2017, he co-founded Schmidt Futures, a philanthropic initiative designed to help exceptional people do more for others by applying science and technology thoughtfully and working together across fields. Eric is also the host of the newly launched podcast, Reimagine with Eric Schmidt, featuring a series of conversations with leaders in government, business, science, and technology to explore how we can solve our current challenges and build a brighter future after a global crisis.