On September 29, 2025, more than 350 leaders, policymakers, and students came together at the Times Center in New York City for the New York State Wireless Association’s (NYSWA) Educational forum. At a moment when a potential federal shutdown loomed, the event felt both timely and urgent. It wasn’t just an informative event, it was a pulse check on how spectrum, infrastructure, AI, and people are shaping the future of wireless in New York and beyond.
Energy from the Start: Speed Networking That Actually Worked
The afternoon opened with the Women’s Wireless Leadership Forum (WWLF) Executive Speed Networking event, and the room practically buzzed. Nearly 50 tables, five-minute conversations, and an unmistakable sense of momentum. Moderators Lee Morreale and Talisha Germain kept things moving, but the magic was in the vibe: less about polished pitches, more about authentic exchanges. Executives met with five to seven participants apiece, and the result was a dynamic, fun, and surprisingly real kickoff.
That energy mattered. It set the tone for an evening where collaboration and honest conversation took center stage.
Building the Wireless Future
After welcoming remarks from NYSWA President Paul Fettuccia, Cathy Piche, COO – Towers at Crown Castle, delivered the first keynote. She underscored what’s often easy to forget amid the buzzwords: the wireless future is built on hard infrastructure. Her message was simple but clear, long-term partnerships and smart deployment strategies are the foundation of progress.
Policy, Permitting, and the People in the Middle
The first panel, moderated by Eli Elbaum of Crown Castle, brought together a mix of local, federal, and industry voices including Chris Koetzle of the Association of Towns, Edyael Casaperalta from the FCC, Anisa Green of AT&T, Karen Rohrkemper of Crown Castle, and Marissa Mitrovich of the Fiber Broadband Association.
The conversation zeroed in on the rocky rollout of the BEAD program. Delays in federal funding and uneven state-level disbursements are leaving communities in limbo. Koetzle emphasized how local governments are often tasked with approvals but excluded from planning, a mismatch that risks slowing everything down. Casaperalta offered insight into FCC priorities, while others highlighted the urgent need for streamlined permitting and workforce development.
This was the first glimpse of a recurring theme: big programs and big policies only work if they translate on the ground, with real coordination and real people in the loop.
Investing in the Next Generation
The forum also highlighted NYSWA’s commitment to empowering and inspiring the next generation of telecom leaders. Through its Elevate platform, the association provides an engagement model that connects emerging students with workforce development opportunities in the telecom sector. Among its initiatives are a Broadband Technician Certification program in partnership with Queensboro Community College, as well as two scholarship programs, one with the SUNY Impact Foundation and the newest addition with Pace University. NYSWA board members acknowledged the most recent scholarship recipients — Andrea Barba Sánchez (Pace Law ’27) and Chris James Demetrio (Pace Lubin ’27). Their presence was more than symbolic as panelists and speakers also provided advice to the audience. One student reflected:
“It was fantastic connecting with so many professionals in the industry, especially with Elisabeth Haub alumni. The energy throughout the evening was inspiring. One piece of advice from Patrick O’Hare stood out: the reminder ‘to be of service and to be available.’ That message, echoed by other panelists, really resonated.”
The testimonial captured the heart of NYSWA’s commitment to cultivating the next generation of leaders, not just by handing out scholarships, but by creating space at the table.
Policy Meets Economic Development
The fireside chat with Hope Knight, President, CEO, and Commissioner of Empire State Development, tied wireless infrastructure directly to New York’s economic strategy. Knight stressed that broadband isn’t just a utility, it’s a driver of equity and growth. Her remarks highlighted the need for public-private partnerships that don’t just accelerate deployment, but also ensure access is inclusive and equitable.
Deployment Realities and the AI Surge
Moderating the second panel gave me a front-row seat to one of the most candid conversations of the night. The group including Bernard Borghei, Patrick O’Hare, Jake Rasweiler, Fran Finnegan, and Maria Koller, tackled the gritty realities of rolling out 5G, fixed wireless, and fiber across New York’s very different markets: dense city blocks, sprawling suburbs, and underserved rural areas.
Patrick O’Hare’s mantra “be of service and be available” struck a chord with the audience. It was a reminder that in this business, progress isn’t just about technology; it’s about relationships with municipalities, landlords, and enterprise clients.
AI and data centers were another throughline. Rasweiler explained how AI workloads and cloud demand are fundamentally reshaping networks, making low-latency, high-capacity connectivity a non-negotiable. Data centers, once considered edge facilities, are now core enablers of the digital economy. Finnegan and Koller added that enterprises, especially in finance, healthcare, and media, are demanding seamless connectivity that ties offices, data centers, and wireless endpoints together.
The big takeaway: we’re not just talking about towers and radios anymore. We’re talking about a converged ecosystem, towers, fiber, small cells, edge, and AI-powered data centers, all working in sync.
Looking Ahead
The NYSWA forum was a reminder that wireless is no longer just about faster phones or denser networks, it’s about building the foundation of the digital economy. Towers, fiber, small cells, and data centers are converging into one integrated ecosystem, and the rise of AI is only accelerating that shift.
Yes, the challenges are real: permitting bottlenecks, uneven funding, and rapidly evolving enterprise demands. But the optimism in the room was just as real. Leaders weren’t focused on obstacles alone; they were sharing solutions, strategies, and a vision for what’s next.
If one theme echoed throughout the day, it was this: progress depends on partnerships. Not just between carriers and municipalities, but across the entire ecosystem, data center operators, cloud providers, enterprises, and communities alike. The future of connectivity will be defined not by silos, but by collaboration, service, and a shared commitment to being present and available.
The forum highlighted the reality of an industry moving quickly, reshaping itself to meet the needs of people, businesses, and society. And judging by the conversations in the room, the road ahead, though challenging, is full of possibility.