2026-SOTN

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☎️ Your Telecom Crowd Is Heading to State of the Net 📡

Telecom On Tap At #SOTN2026

We’re bringing together some of the most influential voices in telecom policy at this year’s State of the Net. Speakers like David Don, Blair Levin, Nicol Turner-Lee, Chris Lewis, Evan Swarztrauber, Lyndsay Moyer will lead conversations on broadband competition, BEAD, and what’s next for telecom, alongside remarks from FCC and NTIA leadership.

Our two telecom-focused panels are: “30 for 30: 30 Years of Broadband Competition, 30 Years of What’s Next,” and “Making BEAD a Success to Connect All Americans.” See speakers below

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30 for 30: 30 Years of Broadband Competition, 30 Years of What’s Next

david don

David Don
Senior Vice President of Public Policy
Comcast NBCUniversal

blair levin

Blair Levin
Policy Analyst
New Street Research

chris lewis

Chris Lewis
President and CEO
Public Knowledge

evan s

Evan Swarztrauber
Senior Fellow
Foundation for American Innovation

Making BEAD a Success to Connect All Americans

nicol turner lee

Nicol Turner Lee
Center for Technology Innovation
The Brookings Institution

paul g

Paul Garnett
Founder and CEO
Vernonburg Group

lyndsay

Lyndsay Moyer
Vice President of State Government Affairs
Comcast

joey wender

Joseph Wender
Executive Director
Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition

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Announcing SOTN ’26 Keynotes: Scott Wiener & Keith Sonderling

We’re excited to announce that California State Senator Scott Wiener and Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith E. Sonderling will headline State of the Net on February 9. Join policymakers, industry leaders, and advocates from across the tech policy community. Register now to be a part of the conversation. 

More keynote speakers and program updates will be announced soon.

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Senator Scott Wiener
Senator
California State Senate

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The Honorable Keith E. Sonderling
Deputy Secretary
 Department of Labor

We look forward to hearing Senator Wiener’s perspective on state-level AI policy, as well as Deputy Secretary Sonderling’s insights on AI’s impact on the workforce.

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⚡ You’re going to want to hear these lightning talks

More Lightning Talks at SOTN ’26 — and this round tackles some of the most urgent questions in tech policy right now.

Are Public Utility Commissions becoming the quiet regulators of AI infrastructure? How should AI “memory” be governed? Why should safety tools be open-sourced? What new cybersecurity risks come from AI agents that act on our behalf? And before any of that — what definition of “AI” should policymakers even be using?

We’re thrilled to announce our second round of Lightning Talk speakers, selected from over 100 proposals. Take a look at who’s presenting below.

State of the Net is on Monday, February 9th. Register now!

Round 2: SOTN 2026 Lightning Talk Lineup

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Open Sourcing Safety: Why The Internet Needs Shared Tools, Not Silos

Naren Koneru
Vice President of Engineering, Trust & Safety
Roblox

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AI Memory as a Governance Surface: Prioritizing User Privacy and Control

Ruchika Joshi
AI Governance Fellow
Center for Democracy and Technology

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Cybersecurity for AI that Acts: Agents and vulnerability management

Heather West
Fellow
Center for Cybersecurity Policy and Law

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The Hidden Regulators: Public Utility Commissions and AI Governance

Scott Babwah Brennen
Director
NYU Center on Technology Policy

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Defining Technologies: Which Definition of AI Should Policymakers Use?

Nick Garcia
Editor
Defining Technologies of Our Time

Senior Policy Council
Public Knowledge

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🔥 Anna Gomez & Arielle Roth Keynote SOTN ’26

We’re excited to announce that FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez and NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth will headline State of the Net on February 9. 

The whole technology policy community will be there and you should be too. Register now while early-bird discounts are in effect. 

We’ll have many more keynote announcements in the coming weeks. 

Gomez

The Honorable Anna M. Gomez

Commissioner
 Federal Communications Commission

Roth

The Honorable Arielle Roth

Administrator
National Telecommunications and Information Administration

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⚡ Look Who’s Talking! 1st Wave of Lightning Talk Speakers Announced

We’re excited to announce the first round of Lightning Talk speakers at SOTN ’26. These expert talks were chosen from over 100 proposals. Check out who is presenting below, and stay tuned for more Lightning Talk speaker announcements. 

State of the Net is on Monday, February 9th. Register now!

Round 1: SOTN 2026 Lightning Talk Lineup

Irving Headshot

AI Divide/AI Inequality: It’s real, and it’s getting worse.

Larry Irving
Principal
Irving Group

Screen Shot 2025-12-16 at 11.18.14 AM

The State of the Open Web

Lila Bailey
Senior Policy Counsel
Internet Archive

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Stan Adams
Lead Public Policy Specialist
Wikimedia

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What 6G Should Be: Ubiquitous and Seamless Connectivity, Not Just Another ‘G’

Michael Calabrese
Director, Wireless Future
New America

Pickles Headshot

Time to prove we’re human

Nick Pickles
Chief Policy Officer
Tools for Humanity

Thakker headshot

Why 7 GHz Spectrum Matters for the Future of Wi-Fi

Rikin Thakker
Chief Technology Officer & Senior Vice President
NCTA – The Internet & Television Association 

Trask headshot

The Missing Network Layer: Why AI Needs Its Own ARPANET Moment

Andrew Trask
Executive Director
OpenMined

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🔥 Early Bird Pricing Is Live – Register Before Prices Increase

State of the Net is coming — and Early Bird tickets are live until December 19. If you know you’re joining us on February 9, 2026, now is the time to secure your spot before prices increase.

This year’s theme, More Than Meets the AI, reflects the rapidly evolving landscape of technology policy. SOTN will highlight the voices and issues shaping 2026 and beyond.

Why register now?

  • Early Bird pricing is still very low (until Dec. 19 — then it jumps)

  • Complimentary tickets for government staff, press, sponsors & selected students

  • Free livestream access for remote attendees

  • The most diverse, cross-perspective policy audience in Washington

Sponsorship opportunities will heighten your profile and your engagement at the conference. Contact Pamela Strother at [email protected] or 202-486-5990 for more details. 

REGISTER IN PERSON
REGISTER LIVESTREAM
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⚡Call for Lightning Talk Proposals at SOTN26

Present Your Lightning Talk

call for proposals

State of the Net will again feature “lightning talks” when it returns February 9, 2026.  Since their introduction in 2024, lightning talks have become one of the most popular features of the conference — short, dynamic presentations that showcase fresh perspectives in tech policy.

Last year’s talks were fascinating. 

If you have a compelling idea, research insight, or policy takeaway to share, we invite you to submit a Lightning Talk proposal. These five-minute presentations bring new voices into the conversation and spotlight innovative thinking across the Internet policy landscape.

Successful proposals will inform and inspire policymakers working on technology issues in Congress, state legislatures, and international governance fora.

Submit your proposal by Monday, December 1, 2025 COB.

For inspiration, look to the lightning talks from the 2025 conference. 

Use the submission form below to send in your proposal.

Submit Your Proposal
View 2025 Lightning Talks
Questions? Contact the State of the Net team at [email protected].
 
Conference registration is now open. Register here.
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📅 Registration Open! Save Your Spot. More Than Meets The AI 🎟️

Registration is now open for State of the Net! Join us on February 9, 2026, because technology policy today is More Than Meets the AI. As the nation’s premier tech policy conference, State of the Net convenes the most influential voices from Congress, the administration, industry, and civil society to map the policy landscape for the year ahead. Save the date, plan your travel, and budget accordingly — this is the event that will set the tone for 2026.

REGISTER IN PERSON
REGISTER LIVESTREAM

In its 22nd year, SOTN will be the place to hear from the top policymakers in technology and engage with the key players from industry, government, media, and NGOs.

Registration is now open! Register today to secure your place at the nation’s premier Internet policy conference, and don’t miss your chance to be at the center of the conversation shaping the future of the Internet.

Sponsorship opportunities will heighten your profile and your engagement at the conference. Contact Pamela Strother at [email protected] or 202-486-5990 for more details. 

Our conference crew is getting started building the agenda and responding to speaker requests.

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✨ Save the Date. SOTN Returns. More Than Meets The AI 👁️

MORE THAN MEETS THE AI - 1

State of the Net is back on February 9, 2026 — and this year, it’s More Than Meets the AI. As the nation’s premier tech policy conference, State of the Net convenes the most influential voices from Congress, the administration, industry, and civil society to map the policy landscape for the year ahead. Save the date, plan your travel, and budget accordingly — this is the event that will set the tone for 2026.

In its 22nd year, SOTN will be the place to hear from the top policymakers in technology and engage with the key players from industry, government, media, and NGOs.

Registration will open in early fall. In the meantime you can join our pre-registration list to get updates as the program comes together.

Sponsorship opportunities will heighten your profile and your engagement at the conference. Contact Pamela Strother at [email protected] or 202-486-5990 for more details.

Our conference crew is getting started building the agenda and responding to speaker requests.

Where: Convene, 601 14th Street NW, Washington, District of Columbia
When: Monday, February 09, 2026, 8:00 am – 7:00 pm

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