A recent event that didn’t get a lot of attention but managed to bring in a lot of the communication industry’s heavy hitters was SUPERCOMM 2009, held in Chicago during late October.

Speakers presenting on their insights and strategic plans included top-ranking officials from many major communications companies such as Verizon Communications, AT&T Operations, NBC Universal and Cox Communications – just to name a few. Verizon Communications Chairman Ivan Seidenberg delivered a keynote address touching on using networking technology to create a “smarter planet, smarter health care and smarter education.”

Private sector interests were also represented by Hardik Bhatt, Chicago’s chief information officer; Jonathan Adelstein, administrator, Rural Utilities Service; Larry Strickling, assistant secretary for Communications and Information and administrator, National Telecommunications and Information Administration; Blair Levin, executive director, Omnibus Broadband Initiative, Federal Communications Commission; and Aneesh Chopra, U.S. chief technology officer and associate director for technology in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, who delivered a keynote address on how he feels broadband will change the U.S. economy.

The event featured a number of suppliers showcasing the latest in broadband innovation as well as exhibits that demonstrated an industry-wide commitment to “green broadband,” which explores green regulations, recent studies on business opportunities in the low-carbon economy and how applications like intelligent monitoring can help reduce the energy burden of broadband.

Despite “always on” operation, broadband devices typically don’t consume a large amount of energy on their own, according to a U.S Department of Energy report. However, the appreciable indirect energy consumption they cause through extended use of related devices is proving to be significant. Figures presented at SUPERCOMM showed the standby power-draw from routers in 61 million U.S. homes served with broadband represents enough energy to meet the needs of the entire city of Oakland, Calif.

SUPERCOMM 2009’s complimentary programming also focused on broadband solutions. Technology-focused sessions took a forward-looking approach at how certain technologies were deployed in a network or how a service was applied, and how that technology or service will evolve to apply to future needs. Educational sessions covered topics such as the upcoming national broadband plan, digital content, service-oriented networks and social media.

While a number of interesting topics were discussed, it was good to see such a diverse group of key public and private sector thinkers convene to discuss how future innovation benefits everyone. It’s evident that key players in the communications game are placing an emphasis on broadband technology and the kinds of services and applications it can potentially power.