0817_Keynote_1402x672
0817_Keynote_1402x672
0817_Keynote_1402x672
0817_Keynote_1402x672
0817_Keynote_1402x672

ISE EXPO 2017 Opening Keynote

Aug. 1, 2017
Dan McCarthy, President and CEO, Frontier Communications: You may have missed the first time we ran this interview in early 2017. And on the eve of ISE EXPO 2017, we […]

Dan McCarthy, President and CEO, Frontier Communications:

You may have missed the first time we ran this interview in early 2017. And on the eve of ISE EXPO 2017, we had to be sure you learned a little something about our keynote presenter before you see him on-site.

Below are some excerpts from the originally published interview with Dan in the January 2017 issue. Hear his insights about ICT Transformation at ISE EXPO 2017, September 12-14, 2017, in Orlando, Florida. (Find all the details at www.iseexpo.com.)

Leadership
ISE: What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned as a leader? What do you wish you knew early on in your career that you know now?
D. McCarthy: There is no substitute for hard won knowledge. All leaders want, and to a certain extent, demand respect. I have found that respect is not something you should ever expect or demand, but is something that you will earn over time. The surest way to accelerate that time is to bring your A-game to the table every day and always be open to expanding your knowledge in every interaction with another team member. I learn something new every day and my employees are my greatest instructors.

ISE: What would you recommend to professionals who want to succeed in the ICT Industry?
D. McCarthy: I would suggest the biggest mistake people make in their careers is risk aversion. Gone are the days when there is a clear-cut career path. Many people think in a linear progression manner not seeing the opportunities that exist by moving in different directions in an organization. Each time you do that you gain insights and perspectives and make yourself more valuable as a team member.

Overlooked Issues
ISE: What should all of us be talking about that we are not? What is the network side of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry missing?
D. McCarthy: New technologies like augmented and virtual reality will become game changers for network providers. Today, consumers "consume" data and rarely publish. In the very near future, consumers will become "publishers" of large amounts of video data that will have a drastic impact on the overall network usage.

Wireless and Backhaul
The global mobile and wireless backhaul market is estimated to reach $42.24 billion by 2022 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.57% during 2016-2022. (This relates to small cells.)

ISE: Share your thoughts about the impact of this across the network to providers and manufacturers.
D. McCarthy: The need for site specific fiber laterals will be challenging for many providers. The company that is best positioned to extend these spurs at a reasonable cost will be the most successful.

Investment decisions on multi-tenant locations which were previously common on the large towers will not be as prevalent in the small cell world. The carrier that can provide the fiber laterals and a strategic location to facilitate front haul’s need for low latency will ultimately be the most successful participant in this space.

BIG Video
According to a recent Ovum report (www.ovum.com), big video (including OTT, mobile, video-calling, surveillance, video conferencing) not only puts pressure on providers’ networks, but is also expected to generate almost significant revenue while reducing churn. More capacity in current networks will mean that higher resolutions of content will be offered. Several operators are now discussing 8k video delivery in fixed broadband and 4k in mobile.

ISE: How is Frontier addressing this from both a business and technology level?
D. McCarthy: 4k video content production has not taken off as quickly as some have predicted due to large investments in older MPEG2/MPEG4 production equipment. When new sources of high quality (4k/8k) content come available, we have the capability to distribute given the recent acquisitions and investments in our distribution facilities and network. In addition, we can leverage the more efficient software-based encoders so we can quickly adapt to different bit rates and constant changing demands like MPEG4 to HEVC.

InspirationISE: Share a quote from someone who inspires you.D. McCarthy: Teddy Roosevelt shared the words below. They resonate with me.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is in the arena,
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;
who strives valiantly;
who errs and comes short again and again;
who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions;
who spends himself in a worthy cause;
who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement,
and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly
so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Save

Save

Save

Save

About the Author

Sharon Vollman | Editor-in-Chief, ISE Magazine

Sharon Vollman is Editor-in-Chief of ISE Magazine. She oversees the strategic direction and content for ISE Magazine. She also leads the educational content development for ISE EXPO. Vollman has created educational partnerships with the major communications and entertainment providers including AT&T, Verizon, CenturyLink, Frontier Communications and Cincinnati Bell. She has covered the telecom industry since 1996. Prior to that, she worked in advertising with Ogilvy & Mather and CME. Vollman has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism/Advertising from the University of Iowa.