Image Gallery: Broadband World Forum

By Susan Fourtané

BROADBAND WORLD FORUM 2017 — More than 4,200 industry leaders representing 1,500 companies from 79 countries gathered last week in Berlin at the Broadband World Forum Telecoms Conference & Industry Event (BBWF) to find solutions to their biggest challenges, and to keep pace with the latest technology trends and innovations. The one-of-its-kind global event focuses holistically on the networks.

The BBWF was held in London the past two years. In 2017, the BBWF was held for the first time in the German capital. This coincides with an exciting time of broadband investment in Germany. The German Federal Ministries will invest 20 billion euros to roll-out Gigabit connectivity in Germany, backed by 80 million euros from private investment. This year’s BBWF official operator partner was Deutsche Telekom (DT).

Why Berlin? Berlin is the center of the creative economy in Germany. Here, the digital economy intersects with the telecommunications industry. Berlin has the largest fiber-optic network in Europe. With 6 million residents from about 190 nations, the high-quality of life and a comparatively low-cost of living, Berlin has emerged as a lively high-technology oriented startup hub. After the announcement of Brexit in 2016, entrepreneurs and investors have found in Berlin a quick and “unbureaucratic” support during relocation.

Berlin Smart City strategy has positioned the city as one of the leading smart cities in Europe. With smart infrastructure, the “micro smart grid” is an example of the interaction of different energy producers and consumers with a high proportion of renewable energy.

More than 100 exhibitors shared the exhibition floor, which was bubbling with exciting features including the Innovation Showcase, OCP Experience Area, InterOp Pavilion, the UBB2020 and Gigabit Innovation Zone Free Content Theaters, and Chill and Charge zones.

The vendor community showcased more than 200 innovations in the latest technology and solutions, with live demos and product launches. The latest network technology and top content were matched with an A-list of 300 speakers giving life to the most important event for the global broadband industry.

Some of the hottest topics included next-generation networks; virtualization and the cloud; monetizing consumer and business services; and of course, the Internet of Everything (IoE).

The Broadband Awards held in an iconic venue offered several surprises, well-deserved recognition to the work done, as well as a healthy quota of motivation for next year, when we all will head to the German capital once again in the knowledge that we will be taking part in shaping the future of broadband connectivity.

Click through our gallery below to see highlights and to read a recap from this important event.

Photo credits: Susan Fourtané and BBWF