Kicking off Metro Connect USA 2012 today, Hunter Newby, CEO of Allied Fiber, moderated the Keynote Panel this morning. Top panelists included Bjarni Thorvardarson, CEO of Hibernia Atlantic, Mike Sicoli, CEO of Sidera Networks, Timothy Horan, Managing Director, Communications Services at Oppenheimer & Co., and Paul Hobby, Managing Principal of Genesis Park, LP. The panel focused on financial and strategic predictions for the M&A landscape in 2012.
Hunter began by asking Bjarni what is driving recent M&A activity? Bjarni stated that he's seeing it move from metro to long-haul activity. Now with recent consolidation, Hibernia is seeing carriers wanting to build their own global networks.
Paul added that it's a riddle why we keep consolidating and yet the Metro Connect event keeps growing (notably with a growing number of financial investors).
Hunter then asked that even with the hangover from the telecom bubble, is there a fiber glut? So taking a poll of the audience, he asked who is building fiber. Half the room raised their hands. Hunter stated that clearly there is no glut as we are necessarily building. Hunter concluded that the one thing he would like to change about our industry is awareness.
Here are some key slides that were also shared:
