Mark Walker, vice president of technology policy at CableLabs, will speak at Broadband Nation Expo 2026 in New Orleans, taking place November 18–20, 2026. On Thursday, November 19, from 3–3:40 p.m. CT, Mark will join the panel “Cost vs. Value: When Expensive Builds Meet Long-Term Network Reality.”

Moderated by Jeff Freyer, senior vice president at Grain Management, the panel will examine why upfront deployment cost is an incomplete measure of broadband investment decisions and how long-term value differs across fiber, wireless and hybrid networks. Mark will be joined by Warren Woodward of XMission Internet, David Waite of Fifty Elm and Robert Boyle of Planet Networks to discuss how spectrum availability shapes network performance and scalability and where BEAD-era funding assumptions may fall short over time. The discussion reflects the spectrum and broadband policy work of CableLabs’ Technology Policy team, which Mark leads.

Broadband Nation Expo brings together service providers, government officials, infrastructure leaders, investors and technology innovators shaping the future of connectivity. Passes also include access to the co-located Data Center Excellence Summit. Learn more about the session.