South Bend, Indiana, is a mid-sized city of around 100,000 people where they are making practical use of their dark fiber network and technology. In episode 378 of the podcast, Christopher talks with Denise Linn Riedl, Chief Innovation Officer. Denise describes many of the “non-sexy” ways the community and her department are using technology to … Continue reading "South Bend, Indiana, Integrates Technology and Innovation with a Practical Approach – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 378" ★ Support...
Oct 15, 2019•30 min•Ep. 380
Hey, Community Broadband Bits fans, it’s time for Crazy Talk again! This time, our Communications Specialist Jess Del Fiacco joins Christopher and I to address recent insanity attacking municipal networks. “What IS Crazy Talk,” you say? Every once in awhile, anti-municipal network initiatives get wind of particular projects in local communities and make extra efforts … Continue reading "Crazy Talk Rears Its Head Again – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 377" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Oct 08, 2019•38 min•Ep. 379
The history of the Internet Society (ISOC) reaches back to the early 1990s when a group of early Internet pioneers, realizing the power of connectivity, developed an organization aimed at bringing safe and secure Internet access to everyone. Since then, ISOC has worked in policy, deployment, and the difficult task of creating collaborations. This week, we have … Continue reading "The Internet Society Leads Charge to Connect, Collaborate for Decades – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 376" ★ Suppo...
Sep 30, 2019•33 min•Ep. 378
The Connect America Fund (CAF) from the federal government has been both praised and criticized as a mechanism to expand rural broadband deployment. In this episode of the podcast, Principal of Mattey Consulting Carol Mattey talks in depth with Christopher about the program. Carol was a Deputy Bureau Chief in the Wireline Competition Bureau at the FCC to help develop … Continue reading "Inside the Connect America Fund with Carol Mattey – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 375" ★ Support this podca...
Sep 24, 2019•35 min•Ep. 377
Even though the state of Tennessee adopted legislation long ago to discourage municipal networks, local communities in the state are finding ways to deliver high-quality Internet access via public utilities. This week, Chief Broadband Officer from BrightRidge Stacy Evans visits with Christopher. They talk about the power utility and their expansive broadband project in eastern Tennessee. BrightRidge … Continue reading "Exploring Eastern Tennessee’s BrightRidge Network – Community Broadband Bits ...
Sep 17, 2019•26 min•Ep. 376
This week, we have a returning guest from Tennessee to tell us about the many positive changes occurring in Clarksville, home of CDE Lightband. Christy Batts, Broadband Division Director at the network joins Christopher; her last appearance on the podcast was in 2013. This time, Christy describes how the community network has been innovating for better services and finding … Continue reading "Innovating for Community Benefits in Clarksville, Tennessee – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 373" ★ Su...
Sep 10, 2019•25 min•Ep. 375
For community leaders, advocates, and researchers who follow broadband policy, trying to stay up-to-date on the many variations of state policy across the U.S. is a daunting task. As approaches change, the work becomes more complicated. Now, the Pew Charitable Trusts has launched a new tool that helps keep all that information sorted and accessible … Continue reading "Pew Puts State Broadband Policy in One Place – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 372" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Sep 03, 2019•28 min•Ep. 374
When we released our Pocket Guide to 5G Hype, we expected to see some reactions from others on the unrealistic expectations about 5G. When this week’s guest contacted us because he disagreed with some of the Pocket Guide content, however, we knew we should bring him on the show. Sascha Segan, PCMag.com’s lead mobile analyst has seen generations of mobile … Continue reading "Deep Dive Into 5G with PCMag Mobile Expert – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 371" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Aug 27, 2019•32 min•Ep. 373
Multiple studies in recent years indicate that properties with fast, reliable Internet access sell faster, bring in a higher price, and are in demand by potential buyers. Properties with slow or no Internet access languish. In Colorado, where the market is competitive and broadband is available in a good portion of the state, organizations like … Continue reading "Realtors a Voice for Property Owners as Colorado Advances Broadband – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 370" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Aug 20, 2019•25 min•Ep. 372
When rural Internet access providers work together to reach common goals, they improve their chances of succeeding. Groups such as the South Dakota Telecommunications Association (SDTA) help members get organized and pursue common needs together. The SDTA also provides a way for entities to connect with each other, research common challenges, and discover solutions. This week, … Continue reading "South Dakota Fiber All About the Local – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 369" ★ Support this podcas...
Aug 13, 2019•26 min•Ep. 371
An increasing number of local communities are investigating ways to improve connectivity through municipal networks. Some of these communities must find a way to overcome state laws that preclude them from investing in broadband infrastructure, or have established requirements that make doing so prohibitive. Recently, we’ve seen reports on state laws that inflate the number of … Continue reading "The State of State Preemption, Nineteen is the Number – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 368" ★ Supp...
Aug 06, 2019•33 min•Ep. 370
John Lester, General Manager of Clarksville Connected Utilities in Arkansas, was on our show several years ago to talk about his work in Chanute, Kansas. Since then, he’s moved on to Clarksville to bring the community’s infrastructure up-to-date with fiber. In this interview, John brings along Brian Eisele, President and CEO of the Clarksville – Johnson County Chamber of Commerce, … Continue reading "Clarksville, Arkansas, Building Millennial Mecca with Fiber – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 3...
Jul 30, 2019•25 min•Ep. 369
The Sprint / T-Mobile merger has been in process for about a year now, with a series of odd, dramatic twists and turns. Recently, a group of state attorneys general sued to stop the transaction. This week, Christopher talks with telecom policy experts Gigi Sohn and Blair Levin to get their takes on the whole … Continue reading "Top Experts Sound Off on Sprint and T-Mobile Merger – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 366" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Jul 23, 2019•50 min•Ep. 368
Rio Blanco County in western Colorado is more than 3,200 square miles with a population of only about 6,400 people in the entire county. Due to the low population density and rural nature of much of the county, large corporate Internet access providers have not felt motivated to invest in broadband access. Thanks to public … Continue reading "Rio Blanco Exceeds Expectations in Colorado – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 365" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Jul 16, 2019•26 min•Ep. 367
This week, we’re bringing another podcast interview that Christopher conducted while at Mountain Connect in Colorado. David Young, former Fiber Infrastructure and Right-of-Way Manager for the city of Lincoln, Nebraska, sat down to reminisce about the city’s network that began as conduit and has evolved into citywide Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH). David has moved on to Kansas City in … Continue reading "David Young Shares the Story of Lincoln – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 364" ★ Support this podc...
Jul 09, 2019•30 min•Ep. 366
Summer is the time for the Mountain Connect Broadband Development Conference, one of the events that Christopher is sure to attend every year. This year, it was held in Dillon, Colorado, and while he was enjoying the scenery, he collected a series of interviews. This week we hear from Brian Worthen, CEO of Mammoth Networks. With … Continue reading "Mammoth Networks Big on Connecting the West – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 363" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Jul 02, 2019•32 min•Ep. 365
Matt Rantanen, director of technology at the Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association and director of the Tribal Digital Village Network, has been working for years to get tribal communities connected to broadband. In his conversation with Christopher, he talks about his experience with creative wireless solutions, the potential of the Educational Broadband Service (EBS) to get folks connected, … Continue reading "Building a New Path Toward Tribal Connectivity – Community Broadband Bits...
Jun 25, 2019•34 min•Ep. 364
This week, Communications Specialist Jess Del Fiacco interviews Christopher about some of the many events that we’ve been following lately. Jess and Christopher start off the show with a healthy dose of outrage as they comment on an advert from Verizon that takes the 5G hype just a little too far. Next they discuss a … Continue reading "5G Absurdity, Ammon Affordability, Speed Realities, and USF Caps – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 361" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Jun 18, 2019•36 min•Ep. 363
This spring, SiFi Networks and Fullerton, California, announced that they will be working together to deploy an open access Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network across the city of 140,000 people. SiFi will fund and build the network and has already signed up two providers to offer Internet access service to the public. This week, Christopher speaks with … Continue reading "SiFi Speaks on Fullerton Open Access Project – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 360" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Jun 11, 2019•25 min•Ep. 362
We regularly share stories about new fiber optic networks from local communities, cooperatives, and even local independent Internet access companies. Once in a while, we like to get an idea of what practical matters affect deployment and this week, we brought Travis Carter on the show to share his experiences. Travis, CEO of US Internet, … Continue reading "An Inside Perspective on Urban Fiber Deployment: US Internet’s Travis Carter – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 359" ★ Support this podcast ...
Jun 04, 2019•33 min•Ep. 361
The Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (CVEC) announced in January 2018 that they had solidified plans to deploy fiber across 14 counties for smart grid operations and to bring Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) to the region. The project, dubbed Firefly Fiber Broadband, is underway, and we’ve got President and CEO Gary Wood along with Communications and Member Services Manager Melissa Gay on the … Continue reading "Firefly Fiber All the Buzz in Central Virginia – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 358" ...
May 28, 2019•40 min•Ep. 360
In early April while Christopher was at the 2019 Broadband Communities Summit in Austin, he recorded a series of interviews for the podcast. We’ve been sharing them over the past two months. This week we’re presenting his conversation with Director of Market Development and Government Affairs Monica Webb and Vice President for Networks Adam Eisner … Continue reading "Nimble Customer-centric Approach Sets Ting Apart – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 357" ★ Support this podcast ★...
May 21, 2019•28 min•Ep. 359
It’s mid-May and while some states’ legislatures are still in session, other’s have already debated new legislation, voted, and adopted new laws. This week, we talk with one Senator from Arkansas who, along with her colleagues, are interested in bringing better broadband to rural areas of her state, Breanne Davis. During the 2019 session, she … Continue reading "Legislative Intent in Arkansas: A Talk With Senator Davis – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 356" ★ Support this podcast ★...
May 14, 2019•21 min•Ep. 358
The Austin, Texas, 2019 Broadband Communities Summit was about a month ago, but we’re still enjoying the experience by sharing Christopher’s onsite podcast interviews. This week, he and University of Virginia Assistant Professor Christopher Ali have an insightful conversation about rural broadband, media, and the Internet — and we get to listen in. Dr. Ali works in … Continue reading "Talking Rural Broadband, the Internet, and Media with Dr. Christopher Ali – Broadband Bits Podcast 355" ★ Suppor...
May 07, 2019•28 min•Ep. 357
As part of our series of interviews conducted during the 2019 Broadband Communities Summit in Austin, Texas, earlier in April, we’re sharing Christopher’s interview with Angela Imming. Angela is the Director of Technology and Innovation for the city of Highland, Illinois, home to Highland Communication Services (HCS). HCS has been serving the community for almost 10 years … Continue reading "Highland, Illinois, Always Working for A Better Community Network Experience – Community Broadband Bits P...
Apr 30, 2019•24 min•Ep. 356
Doug Dawson, President of CCG Consulting and author of the POTS and PANS blog, was willing to sit down with Christopher for episode 353 of the podcast this week. Christopher interviewed Doug in Austin, Texas, at the 2019 Broadband Communities Summit. They discussed all sorts of happenings in the telecommunications and municipal network space. In addition to 5G … Continue reading "Doug Dawson Shares Surprises and Safe Bets – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 353" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Apr 23, 2019•32 min•Ep. 355
This week, we have another interview that Christopher recorded while he was at the 2019 Broadband Communities Summit in Austin, Texas. Dr. Robert Wack from Westminster, Maryland, where the town is partnering with Ting Internet, sat down for a conversation on telemedicine. As the United States’ healthcare system continues to degrade, hospitals, doctors, and other caregivers are … Continue reading "Telemedicine Today: More Than Sending X-rays – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 352" ★ Support this ...
Apr 16, 2019•36 min•Ep. 354
There are recognizable and obvious benefits that occur when a fiber is deployed in a community. New access to high-quality connectivity, educational opportunities for students in schools, better reliability, jobs from new employers, and possible ISP competition. Spillover effects also occur, but they may not be as obvious. This week’s guest, entrepreneur Isfandiyar Shaheen, has … Continue reading "Spillover and Sharing for Better Connectivity – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 351" ★ Support thi...
Apr 10, 2019•33 min•Ep. 353
Interest in community broadband and broadband service from cooperatives has grown significantly within the past few years. This legislative session, lawmakers in states such as Vermont, North Carolina, and Arkansas, have decided that they’d like to start contributing to new ways to bring better Internet access to their constituents. This week, Christopher and Jess Del … Continue reading "Those Bewitching Broadband Bills; States Making Moves – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 350" ★ Support this ...
Apr 02, 2019•32 min•Ep. 352
Over the past few years, Partner Jonathan Chambers of Conexon has become our “go-to guy” for FCC conversations. This week, he joins us to talk about a recent issue that revolves around the Connect America Fund Phase II auction and one of the grant recipients, Viasat. With former experience working at the FCC in the Office of … Continue reading "FCC Considers Retroactive Rule Change for Viasat – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 349" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Mar 26, 2019•39 min•Ep. 351
