Episode #19 - Beyond Connectivity: CRRBC Takes on "The Infinite Build"

In this episode, I reconnect with Amedeo Bernardi, founder of the Canadian Rural and Remote Broadband Community Conference and Expo (CRRBC), to preview the 2026 conference season and explore this year's theme: "the infinite build."Born from a coffee conversation in 2019, CRRBC has evolved from a regional North Bay gathering into Canada's premier platform for addressing digital equity in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities, attracting over 400 conference attendees in 2025.Amedeo traces the conference's journey through pandemic-era supply chain challenges, the critical focus on Indigenous reconciliation in 2023, and last year's exploration of what comes after initial connectivity.The 2026 theme, "the infinite build," addresses a crucial reality: building and maintaining rural infrastructure isn't a one-and-done project—it's an ongoing commitment that requires sustainable business models, continuous investment, and evolving technology solutions.Amedeo shares exciting updates, including enhanced sponsorship packages with dedicated meeting spaces, new breakout session opportunities for vendors, expanded year-round webinar series opportunities, and the return of the third annual golf tournament at Hawk Ridge.Plus, lessons learned from 2025: the conference now starts on Tuesday, so Casino Rama's restaurants are actually open on arrival night!Registration is now open for CRRBC 2026 East (June 9-111, Casino Rama, ON). Watch for CRRBC West (November 1-3, Saskatoon, SK).https://crrbc.ca/eastern-canada-2026 for more information