Broadband World Forum 2017 in Pics

BERLIN -- Broadband World Forum -- Previously held in London, Broadband World Forum (BBWF) relocated to Berlin this year for the first time. The new location brought 4,200 attendees from 79 countries, 1,500 companies and 300 speakers, in addition to a new partnership with Deutsche Telekom.

 

The German service provider hosted an Oktoberfest bar on the exhibition floor to the delight of many, including those who enjoyed the event's daily happy hour. Coffee enthusiasts -- including Light Reading's own java connoisseur Ray Le Maistre -- consumed 12,000 cups of coffee at BBWF. (Ray isn't telling how many cups he, alone, drank.)

The BBWF experience was so intense it well could be described in one sentence: Too many announcements and innovations, too little time to see everything. This is perhaps a sign the industry is not only moving forward, but it's advancing at an ultra-fast speed.

Indeed, attendees had the opportunity to visit 100-plus exhibitors and learn about over 200 innovations when they were not participating in workshops or learning from top industry leaders at the UBB2020 theater, the Gigabit Innovations theater or the keynotes theater. Topics addressed included next-generation networks, virtualization and cloud, monetizing consumer and business services and Internet of Things.

Next year, the BBWF will return to the German capital on Oct. 23 to 25. In 2018, the Open Telco Summit (pre-registration now open) will be part of BBWF, sharing its focus on the potential of open source software and hardware as drivers of innovation and advancement within broadband and communications.

Here is a taste of the sights of BBWF Berlin 2017: