When Paul Revere rode through Concord, Massachusetts, to warn the Colonists about the Red Coats, horseback was the fastest way to move information. More than 240 years later, the community that was so instrumental to founding of the United States as we know it now sends information via their own fast, affordable, reliable Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) … Continue reading "Citizens Continue to Lead the Charge in Concord, Massachusetts – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 399" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Mar 17, 2020•27 min•Ep. 410
Norman, Oklahoma, is known for the University of Oklahoma and, with 30,000 students enrolled, one expects Internet access to be vibrant and readily available throughout the area. It hasn’t always been that way, but thanks to Oklahoma Electric Cooperative and their OEC Fiber, those who live and work in the areas around the fringes of the … Continue reading "OEC Fiber Delivering the Gigabit Service People Want in Oklahoma – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 398" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Mar 10, 2020•42 min•Ep. 409
This is episode number six of the special podcast project we’re working on with NC Broadband Matters to share North Carolina news, challenges, and innovations about broadband in their state. Christopher went on a trip to in February to attend the Institute for Emerging Issues Forum at North Carolina State University. The event addressed a wide range of topics, … Continue reading "Contending with the Homework Gap – Community Broadband Bits Podcast, Bonus Episode Six" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Mar 05, 2020•35 min•Ep. 408
In February, Christopher was in North Carolina at the Institute for Emerging Issues Forum at North Carolina State University. While he was there, he had the opportunity to conduct several interviews with people engaged in research, working with boots on the ground to expand broadband, or advocating for better policy so more people have access to high-quality Internet access. One of the … Continue reading "Talking Telehealth with Danika Tynes, Ph.D. – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 397" ★ Suppo...
Mar 03, 2020•29 min•Ep. 407
Christopher went to North Carolina earlier this month to attend the Institute for Emerging Issues Forum at North Carolina State. While he was there, he interviewed Dr. Jeff Cox, President of Wilkes Community College, and Zach Barricklow Vice President of Strategy for the college. The conversation was too good not to share as another bonus episode for the … Continue reading "Connecting Community Colleges for Opportunity and Development – Community Broadband Bits North Carolina Bonus Episode!" ★ S...
Feb 27, 2020•20 min•Ep. 406
Rural areas are taking steps to improve their connectivity and are developing high-quality Internet access on par with the best services in urban centers. When smaller communities band together, they increase their chances of developing fast, affordable, reliable community networks that serve a larger swath of people. This week, Christopher speaks with Travis Thies, General … Continue reading "Southwest Minnesota Broadband Services Offering Rural Speed, Reliability – Community Broadband Bits Pod...
Feb 25, 2020•24 min•Ep. 405
In recent months, we’ve been working with nonprofit NC Broadband Matters to shed light on some of the connectivity issues in North Carolina. The group focuses on bringing broadband coverage to local communities for residents and businesses and have asked us to help them develop the series, “Why NC Broadband Matters,” which explores broadband and related issues … Continue reading "Roberto Gallardo on the Complex Digital Divide – Community Broadband Bits North Carolina Bonus Episode!" ★ Support th...
Feb 20, 2020•17 min•Ep. 404
Minnesota’s Border to Border Broadband Development Grant Program provides funding for deployment of broadband networks in rural regions of the state. The program, which started in 2014, has helped extend necessary high-quality Internet access infrastructure to dozens of communities. Without this week’s guest, Matt Schmit, the program would never have become a reality. Matt and Christopher knew … Continue reading "Matt Schmit Leading Broadband from Minnesota to Illinois – Community Broadband Bits...
Feb 18, 2020•50 min•Ep. 403
Auburn Essential Service (AES) is one of those networks that has been serving the community for years with a steady presence and a strong commitment to the community. This week, Christopher talks with AES General Manager Chris Schweitzer about their fiber optic network, how they’re innovating, and their recipe for consistent growth. AES began with fiber … Continue reading "Auburn Essential Services Steady as It Grows – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 394" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Feb 11, 2020•29 min•Ep. 402
This is our fifth episode of the podcast project we’re working on with nonprofit NC Broadband Matters to share broadband news, challenges, and innovations from North Carolina. NC Broadband Matters works to find ways to bring ubiquitous broadband coverage to residents and businesses across the state. Susan Cashion, Vice President, Chief Compliance & Administrative officer from Piedmont … Continue reading "North Carolina Co-ops Partner for Broadband – Community Broadband Bits Podcast, Bonus Ep...
Feb 06, 2020•34 min•Ep. 401
On February 3rd, 2020, the FCC opened the 2.5 GHz Rural Tribal Priority Window, a six month period in which federally recognized Tribes or Alaska Native Villages have the opportunity to apply for licenses to unassigned spectrum over their Tribal lands. This week on the podcast, we have two guests from MuralNet — CEO Mariel Triggs and … Continue reading "Rural Tribal Priority Window Now Open; Advice from MuralNet – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 393" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Feb 04, 2020•47 min•Ep. 400
NextLight, the municipal Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network in Longmont, Colorado, has been serving residents and businesses in the community since 2014 and offers reliable gigabit connectivity at affordable rates. This week, Director of NextLight, Valerie Dodd, is on the show to discuss the past, present, and future of NextLight with Christopher. NextLight has implemented some special … Continue reading "Setting the Bar High in Colorado: Longmont’s NextLight – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 392...
Jan 28, 2020•29 min•Ep. 399
People with an interest in municipal networks usually know about Ponca City, Oklahoma’s free municipal fixed wireless network because it’s been around for years. In the summer of 2019, however, community leaders decided it was time to start offering Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) and created Ponca City Broadband. Dave Williams, Director of Technology Service from Ponca City, comes on the … Continue reading "Ponca City Looks Forward with Fiber – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 391" ★ Support this podc...
Jan 21, 2020•27 min•Ep. 398
Idaho Falls has had publicly owned fiber within the community for years, but until recently, limited its use to dark fiber leases and public power purposes. Now, the community is working with UTOPIA Fiber to expand the network in order to serve all premises with Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH). This week, General Manager of Idaho Falls Power and Fiber Bear Prairie … Continue reading "Collaboration Across the State Line, Idaho Falls and UTOPIA Fiber – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 390" ★ Support this...
Jan 14, 2020•38 min•Ep. 397
When Mayor Gary Fuller of Opelika, Alabama, was on the podcast back in 2013, the community was building their municipal Fiber-to-the-Home network. He’s back this week to talk about all the events that have occurred in his community since then; Opelika has been a whirlwind of activity which has centered around the battle to expand their … Continue reading "Back in Opelika, Alabama, with Mayor Gary Fuller – Community Broadband Bit Podcast 389" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Jan 07, 2020•26 min•Ep. 396
We’re starting off the new year with episode four of the new podcast project we’re working on with nonprofit NC Broadband Matters. The organization focuses on finding ways to bringing ubiquitous broadband coverage to local communities to residents and businesses in North Carolina. The podcast series, titled “Why NC Broadband Matters,” explores broadband and related … Continue reading "North Carolina’s Unique Broadband History and Lessons for Moving Forward – Community Broadband Bits Podcast, Nor...
Jan 02, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 395
It’s the end of the year once again, which means the Community Broadband Networks team takes their places in front of the mic for the predictions show. In addition to offering our expectations for 2020, we review what happened this past year and compare it to the predictions we made at this time last year. … Continue reading "Predictions for 2020, Reviewing 2019 – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 388" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Dec 31, 2019•42 min•Ep. 394
It was about five years ago that we brought consultant Eric Lampland from Lookout Point Communications into the office for episode 80 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. We’ve completed more than 300 other episodes since then, but his insight still rings true on the many indirect cost savings of community broadband networks. As activity … Continue reading "Holiday Bonus Rebroadcast – Eric Lampland on Indirect Cost Savings" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Dec 24, 2019•26 min•Ep. 393
Doug Dawson from CCG Consulting and author of the POTs and PANs: Pretty Advanced New Stuff by CCG blog met up with Christopher back in October in Alexandria, Virginia, and the two recorded this week’s podcast episode. They were attending most recent Broadband Communities event, a place where experts and community leaders gather to talk about latest developments and … Continue reading "Advice for Communities from Industry Guru Doug Dawson – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 387" ★ Support this pod...
Dec 17, 2019•30 min•Ep. 392
The Medina County Fiber Network (MCFN) has already made important strides in north central Ohio. The network, which offers dark fiber and lit services, provides important connectivity for carriers, institutions, and businesses. In this interview, we hear from CEO David Corrado, who explains how it’s time to move to residential services; he introduces us to MCFN’s partner, Lit … Continue reading "Medina County Fiber Network and Lit Communities Reach for Ohio Residents – Community Broadband Bits P...
Dec 10, 2019•37 min•Ep. 391
This week is episode three of the new podcast project we’re working on with the nonprofit NC Broadband Matters, whose focus is on bringing ubiquitous broadband coverage to local communities for residents and businesses in North Carolina. The ten episode podcast series, titled “Why NC Broadband Matters,” explores broadband and related issues in North Carolina. … Continue reading "Mapping Data and Dollars – Community Broadband Bits Podcast, North Carolina Bonus Episode Three" ★ Support this podcas...
Dec 05, 2019•54 min•Ep. 390
For the third year, the Internet Society worked with locals to hold an annual Indigenous Connectivity Summit as a way to teach and share information. In November, participants collaborated to deploy a fixed wireless community broadband network in a small village in Hawai’i and Christopher had the chance to participate. While he was there, he interviewed Matt Rantanen, Director of … Continue reading "Indigenous Community Launches First Community Broadband Network in Hawai’i – Community Broadband ...
Dec 03, 2019•27 min•Ep. 389
Some of the most rural areas in the country are in the American western states of Wyoming, Nebraska, and Colorado. This week’s guest is Matt Larsen, CEO of fixed wireless Internet service provider Vistabeam. His company has made it their mission to deploy affordable, useful Internet access to the people who live in these areas where … Continue reading "Rustling Up Fixed Wireless Internet Access in the Rural West – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 384" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Nov 26, 2019•32 min•Ep. 388
Tri-County Electric Cooperative in north central Pennsylvania has listened to its members’ wishes and is developing a Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network for Internet access. While Christopher was at the October Broadband Communities Economic Development event in Alexandria, Virginia, he met up with Craig Eccher, President and CEO of the co-op, to learn more about the project and … Continue reading "Tri-County Rural Electric Delivering Connectivity, Expanding Partnerships, in Appalachians – Communi...
Nov 19, 2019•24 min•Ep. 387
Whenever Christopher attends a Broadband Communities event, he returns with great stories from cities and towns across the U.S. that have invested in publicly owned Internet infrastructure. This week, we share his interview with Mel Poole, Ocala Fiber Network Director. You may automatically think of Kentucky when you consider horses, but Ocala, Florida, is considered the … Continue reading "Gallops and Gigabits; Ocala Knows the Need for Speed in Florida – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 382" ★ ...
Nov 12, 2019•26 min•Ep. 386
Last week, we unveiled the new podcast project we’re working on with the nonprofit NC Broadband Matters, whose focus is on bringing ubiquitous broadband coverage to local communities for residents and businesses in North Carolina. The ten episode podcast series, titled “Why NC Broadband Matters,” explores broadband and related issues in North Carolina. In episode two, “Fiber Rich Wilson, … Continue reading "Fiber Rich Wilson – Community Broadband Bits Podcast, North Carolina Bonus Episode Two!" ...
Nov 07, 2019•29 min•Ep. 385
In late October 2019, Christopher travelled to the D.C. area to attend a Broadband Communities Economic Development event and while he was there, he sat down with Executive Director Adrianne Furniss and Senior Fellow Jon Sallet from the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. This week, we get to sit in on their conversations about the recent … Continue reading "Envisioning the Future with Jon Sallet from the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 381...
Nov 05, 2019•41 min•Ep. 384
In August 2019, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that they would begin to restructure their data collection techniques forming the basis of national broadband availability maps. The nonprofit Free Press submitted comments, as did the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and other organizations that consider correct mapping data a key element to expanding access to broadband. In this episode … Continue reading "Analyzing FCC Data Collection with Derek Turner from Free Press – Co...
Oct 29, 2019•37 min•Ep. 383
We’re pleased to bring you the first episode from a special bonus series of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast titled “Why NC Broadband Matters.” The series is a collaboration with the nonprofit NC Broadband Matters, whose focus is on facilitating the expansion of ubiquitous broadband coverage to local communities for residents and businesses. We’ll be working with NC … Continue reading "Overbuilding Encourages Competition – Community Broadband Bits Podcast, North Carolina Bonus Episode One!" ...
Oct 25, 2019•29 min•Ep. 382
If you’re a regular reader of MuniNetworks.org, you’ve seen Karl Bode’s name and it’s almost certain you’ve read his work elsewhere. Karl has had his finger on the pulse of telecom, broadband, and related legislative events for a long time. This week, Karl comes on the show to talk about how his career trajectory led … Continue reading "Observations from Tech Writer Karl Bode – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 379" ★ Support this podcast ★...
Oct 22, 2019•31 min•Ep. 381
