ISE EXPO 2026 in Review
Power, AI, workforce and network convergence shaped the conference program in Nashville.
ISE EXPO 2026 brought the broadband and telecom infrastructure community to Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee, August 18-20, for three days of conference programming, hands-on learning and time on the exhibit floor. Networking continued outside the conference rooms with the Taste of Tennessee opening reception and a Topgolf outing.
Panels and sessions throughout the week examined key industry priorities like power delivery, AI, network convergence and outside plant engineering. Power-focused programming addressed electrical protection and reliability for Class 4 fault-managed power systems, as well as rising electricity demand from AI data centers. Other sessions considered campus Power over Ethernet applications and the relationship between fiber density and power demand at edge data centers.
AI programming ranged from the groundwork required before autonomous networks to practical deployment challenges. Sessions covered AI-driven RAN operations and next-generation fiber network readiness. The program also addressed automated digital twins and moving AI projects beyond the pilot stage. Site-selection programming connected AI infrastructure development with power availability and fiber density.
Workforce remained a recurring concern across the program. Sessions examined cross-training between engineering and construction teams and inconsistent field methods that can affect cable installation productivity. Operators also shared a decade of fiber broadband learning through a session covering workforce models and truck roll reduction. The Women in Telecom breakfast and panel returned with participants from Arriva, BBT, Brightspeed and Clark Growth Partners.
Elsewhere, the conference program covered hybrid network planning and supply chain coordination, along with Zero Trust security and the long-term sustainability of BEAD-funded networks. Additional sessions addressed convergence at the executive level and 5G economics. Technology-neutral outside plant engineering, ribbon splicing, leadership and organizational change also appeared on the program.
For coverage of the opening and closing keynotes, turn to this issue’s cover story.
From the exhibit floor to after-hours conversations, ISE EXPO 2026 brought the industry’s current engineering and operational questions into one program, with power, AI, workforce and convergence running through much of the week.
