BHC had the pleasure to be the corporate sponsor of the KC Downtowners September luncheon featuring Rick Usher, former KCMO Assistant City Manager during the Google Fiber era.

Watch as former assistant city manager, Rick Usher, shares his insights on the relationship with Google Fiber that led to Kansas City assuming a role at the forefront of the smart city era, sparked the rise of the KC entrepreneur ecosystem and highlighted the digital divide as the region’s challenge for digital transformation.

With trillions of dollars of infrastructure investment on the way from the Federal government, learn how Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is uniquely positioned to build on its already proven success.

BHC President, Kevin Honomichl, gives a brief overview of the company and shares how the luncheon topic directly aligns with the work we do everyday at BHC.

“[Our] telecom projects include long haul systems which connect cities, oceanic cable landing projects which connect countries, and FTTx projects which connect homes and businesses. As we’re going to hear about today, I have been an advocate for about a decade about broadband as critical infrastructure like water, sewer and electricity. However, it had always been driven as a discretionary service driven by the private market.”

“The pandemic drove home the necessity of broadband access for all as a matter of work, commerce, education, healthcare, worship and really every facet of life. We also realized having a data connection on your phone just enough – it’s all about broadband connectivity and fiber is how high speed data is moved. The issue is the cost to construct in urban areas, as well as rural areas and for those communities whose residents have access to affordable broadband will succeed and those who don’t.”

You can catch Kevin’s introduction, as well as Rick Usher’s presentation in the video below.