2007 Presentations

The FierceMarkets Backhaul Executive Summit featured the industry’s most powerful players: some who have been through the transition to alternative backhaul solutions, and others who are experts in specific technologies. Below are the presentations provided by our keynote speakers.

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Craig Easley, Vice President and Director, Metro Ethernet Forum and Associate Vice President, Actelis Networks
Craig Easley has 17 years of experience in the information technology and telecommunications industries. As the Associate Vice President of Marketing at Actelis Networks, he manages the development and execution of the strategic marketing plan to support the company's business with telecommunication service providers. As visible evidence of his leadership in the service provider market, Mr. Easley has served for three years as a member of the Metro Ethernet Forum's Board of Directors. He is also contributing to the development of standards for Metro Ethernet in the IEEE 802.1 Task Force. Prior to joining Actelis Networks, Mr. Easley has held executive positions with some of the industry's most successful companies including Extreme Networks, Nortel Networks, Bay Networks, and Network General Corporation. This experience has given him expertise in both the technical and business aspects of the data networking and information technology industries. Click here to view Craig Easley's presentation, "Mobile Backhaul with Carrier Ethernet."

Tony Kent, Senior Vice President, Engineering and Network Operations, Cellular South
Tony Kent has been with Cellular South for over 12 years, with responsibilities including engineering, building and operating the wireless network, switches and cell sites. He led the implementation and upgrade of the Company's next generation CDMA 1X network, as well as the installment of an advanced network management system that provides real time data to improve network call quality and operating efficiency. In addition, he led the restoration of Cellular South's network to 100% capacity in record time following Hurricane Katrina. Prior to joining Cellular South, Kent was with BellSouth for 14 years. He retired from the U.S. Army/Mississippi National Guard in 1994 at the rank of Major after 23 years of service. Mr. Kent holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Mississippi. Click here to view Tony Kent's presentation, "Disaster Recovery: How Backhaul Can Make or Break Your Network During a Disaster."

Mel Yarbrough, Vice President of Sales, Towerstream
As VP of Sales for Towerstream, Mel Yarbrough is responsible for expanding the company’s reach in existing and future markets. Mr. Yarbrough spearheads the overall Sales strategy in an effort to further grow Towerstream's sales force. In addition, he is charged with all customer acquisition, channel and revenue growth initiatives. Mr. Yarbrough comes to Towerstream from Hoovers (D&B; Dun and Bradstreet), where he served as VP of Business Development and VP of Subscription Sales. Prior to joining D&B, Mr. Yarbrough spent nearly a decade in several executive sales positions, including roles at StarCite and Handango. During this time, he spearheaded efforts to achieve new sales and revenue growth as well as foster business development activities. Mr. Yarbrough holds a BA in Economics and Business from Southern Methodist University and a Juris Doctorate from Vanderbilt University School of Law. Click here to view Mel Yarbrough's presentation, "Solving the Muni-Wifi Dilemma."