Associate Dean Steve Lommel of NC State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will be among the panelists at an upcoming WRAL TechWire event focused on the evolution of Wilson, a former tobacco town, into North Carolina’s first gigabit Internet ecosystem.

“Growing a Gigabit Ecosystem,” TechWire’s next Executive Exchange event, takes place Nov. 4 at the Edna Boykin Cultural Center in Wilson. It begins with a discussion between city manager Grant Goings and WRAL Tech Wire’s editor Rick Smith on the history of Greenlight, the city’s ultra-high speed fiber network, and how businesses, government agencies, schools and consumers are taking advantage of it.

Broadband expert and former chief of staff at the Federal Communications Commission Blair Levin will then deliver the keynote address, putting in perspective the importance of broadband to today’s economy with an emphasis on how rural communities such as Wilson can build a gigabit ecosystem.

Next on the agenda will be two panel discussions: One will discuss in detail how Wilson is becoming a hub for change in agribusiness, from biotech to drones helping farmers. Panelists will be Lommel, CALS associate dean for research and director of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service.

A second panel will explore how gigabit Internet access is helping transform manufacturing. Panelists include Sean Nugent, life sciences industry consultant and former Pfizer vice president of global operations, and Brad Kalinoski, Exodus FX, VFX producer.

For more information, see WRALTechWire.com’s announcement.

This post was originally published in College of Agriculture and Life Sciences News.