This episode features John Putnam, director of UniCity – the smart city division at Cincinnati Bell, now known as Altafiber . We discuss UniCity's 3,000 public Wi-Fi hotspots and how the division engages partners on providing connectivity and digital training services across its service areas in Northern Kentucky, and Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio. Sign up today for the Light Reading newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
May 05, 2022•20 min
Light Reading's Jeff Baumgartner joins the podcast with a recap of the NAB show in Las Vegas. During the show, Jeff says there were discussions around the ATSC 3.0 standard for broadcast TV, latency concerns for live TV and streaming services, and he was able to attend an 8K video demo. Sign up today for the Light Reading newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
May 05, 2022•12 min
Yellowstone Fiber , a nonprofit open access fiber network, broke ground in March to deliver fiber throughout the city of Bozeman, Montana. Formerly known as Bozeman Fiber, Yellowstone Fiber is now operating in partnership with Utopia Fiber , an open access network based in Utah. Greg Metzger, CEO of Yellowstone Fiber, and Kim McKinley, CMO and deputy director of Utopia Fiber, join the podcast to discuss their partnership in Bozeman, and where the open access model works best in the US. Sign up t...
Apr 27, 2022•16 min
Light Reading's Iain Morris joins the podcast to discuss Elon Musk's offer to buy Twitter for $43 billion . Morris explains Musk's potential motives behind purchasing Twitter, what it might look like if he goes through with taking ownership of the social media outlet, and what impact that could have on Twitter's future revenues and profits. Sign up today for the Light Reading newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 21, 2022•12 min
In this episode, we hear from Sam Pratt, CEO of Render Networks , a provider of geospatial network construction technology. Founded in Australia, Render is primarily focused on building networks in the US and is currently active across 12 states. We discuss Render's recent announcement that its network construction technology has helped connect over 1 million premises to fiber – and what that milestone says about the industry's evolution on using digital tools in the field. We also get into fund...
Apr 21, 2022•13 min
Light Reading's Mike Dano joins the podcast to discuss his trip to the Competitive Carriers Association (CCA) show , why T-Mobile had a presence at a show typically attended by Tier 2 operators and why smaller carriers are investing in 5G. He also explains what these smaller service providers have planned for funding from the federal government's infrastructure deal, and why they're showing a growing interest in utilizing public clouds. Related posts: Small US carriers march toward 5G Telecom's ...
Apr 19, 2022•15 min
Basil Alwan, CEO of Tarana Wireless , joins the podcast to discuss Tarana's approach to fixed wireless access (FWA) and why its technology is unique. Alwan, a startup veteran who most recently ran Nokia's IP/Optical business, also weighs in on how Tarana's gear can help lessen the digital divide and why some of the company's customers are having WTF moments about FWA. In our conversation, we cover how and why Alwan became CEO at Tarana, a company that has been around since 2009, but only really ...
Apr 15, 2022•31 min
Juniper Networks CEO Rami Rahim catches up with Light Reading just a couple of months following Juniper's acquisition of WiteSand, a pioneer of cloud-native, zero-trust network access control solutions. In the podcast, we discuss what that string of buzzwords means and why the acquisition fits in nicely with Mist Systems, which brought a wireless LAN to Juniper, along with the ability to use AI to make network operations easier. Here are a few things covered in this podcast episode: Juniper's ac...
Apr 13, 2022•27 min
In this episode, we hear from Matt Polka, CEO of ACA Connects , a trade association representing small and midsize independent service providers since 1993. We discuss broadband access in the service areas represented by ACA Connects, as well as a recent letter Polka sent to the NTIA's Alan Davidson regarding the final rules for the NTIA's $42.45 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (or BEAD) grant program. Sign up today for the Light Reading newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/...
Apr 13, 2022•18 min
This week, we hear from Rhode Island State Representative Deborah Ruggiero. Rep. Ruggiero made some news when Cox Communications announced that it would invest $120 million to build fiber and expand its network in the state – prompting the representative and her colleagues to release a statement about the incumbent's years of underinvestment. She joins the podcast to discuss the state of broadband access in the state of Rhode Island, what's holding up progress and why she is fighting to pass a b...
Apr 07, 2022•17 min
Robert Blumofe, EVP and CTO at Akamai, said his company's recent acquisition of Linode, combined with Akamai's content delivery and security capabilities, "creates a full spectrum of compute capabilities that modern applications really depend on." That full spectrum includes an array of services "from edge computing, to core cloud computing and everything in between, because it's not a one size fits all," he said. Akamai's mission is to move computing to where the data is, not the other way arou...
Apr 06, 2022•23 min
Globalstar's Vice President of IoT, David Haight, discusses Globalstar's ambitions for IoT growth and more productive partnerships with telecom service providers around the world. Haight talks about why partnerships with carriers makes sense – there is a lot of overlap in the customers each industry is chasing – and the timing for new two-way IoT modules that can allow for customers to get more data and feedback about their assets in the field, especially in areas with poor cellular coverage or ...
Apr 02, 2022•15 min
In January, the island state Tonga's Internet connection went dark for five weeks. The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai undersea volcano cut Tonga's only international cable, its main domestic inter-island link. Brian Lavallée, senior director of submarine network solutions for Ciena, joins the podcast to explain why this particular severing of an undersea cable had such an impact on Tonga's network, how satellite connectivity provided a temporary backup for the island state and advance...
Mar 31, 2022•26 min
Before it was torn down and transformed into yet another Starbucks, an Alcatel-Lucent lab in midtown Raleigh, North Carolina, was where Nokia's David Eckard and his team worked on the initial iterations of broadband, PON and fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) technologies. Eckard's team was relegated to the loading dock while peers in the main building focused on DSL. But as is the case in the telecom and tech industries, quite a few great ideas have grown out of garages. Eckard, Nokia's VP of strategy an...
Mar 31, 2022•21 min
Cheri Beranek, CEO of Clearfield – a provider of optical fiber management and connectivity platforms for ISPs – returns to the show to discuss the state of the fiber industry and the supply chain's impact on broadband deployments. We also discuss why Clearfield supports heterogeneous networks, forthcoming federal funding and the company's efforts in workforce training. Sign up today for the Light Reading newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 30, 2022•19 min
Igino Cafiero, CEO of Bear Flag Robotics, which John Deere acquired in 2021, joins the podcast to discuss how the companies have come together to develop and deploy autonomous tractor technologies. Bear Flag Robotics got its start operating autonomous tractors as-a-service to farmers by installing their cameras, sensors and on-board computers on John Deere tractors. "That connectivity part is super crucial to understand not only what’s going on real-time on that tractor, but offline afterwards a...
Mar 28, 2022•22 min
This sponsored episode of the Executive Spotlight Q&A features Keith Habberfield, executive VP of sales and marketing at Precision Optical Transceivers (OT). In this interview, he talks about Precision OT as a company and how it continues to consistently develop new technologies in integrated photonics, electronics and software. Sign up today for the Light Reading newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 25, 2022•14 min
Juliet Fink Yates, digital inclusion manager at the Office of Innovation and Technology for the city of Philadelphia , joins the show to discuss what's causing the digital divide in Philadelphia and which programs are making the biggest differences. We also discuss the city's new Digital Equity Plan and what Philly needs from public and private partners to achieve its goals. Sign up today for the Light Reading newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 16, 2022•26 min
Light Reading's Mike Dano joins the podcast to explain what the " splinternet " is, the upsides and downsides to a splinternet, the geopolitical implications and what it means for the broader industry. Related stories: Preparing for the splinternet Sign up today for the Light Reading newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 15, 2022•9 min
ICYMI – OFC 2022 As OFC 2022 wraps up, Heavy Reading's Sterling Perrin weighs in on IP-over-DWDM and why it's really working this time. We also discuss market components upstart EFFECT Photonics and its noteworthy deal with Viasat. This interview was recorded on March 9 in San Diego at OFC 2022. Sign up today for the Light Reading newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 15, 2022•13 min
ICYMI from OFC 2022 Omdia analysts Julie Kunstler and Jaimie Lenderman discuss the growth of fiber access, new operator concerns about power consumption and the glut of fiber funding that's just around the corner. Sign up today for the Light Reading newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 15, 20220
ICYMI from OFC 2022: Andrew Schmitt, founder and directing analyst at Cignal AI, discusses how advanced computing requirements from machine learning and AI are driving the need for co-packaged optics. He also talks about the possibility that the 400ZR market is suddenly becoming fragmented and why there was not a singularly huge, market-moving announcement at OFC this year. This interview was recorded on March 9 at OFC 2022 in San Diego. Sign up today for the Light Reading newsletter. Hosted on ...
Mar 15, 2022•10 min
Rob Shore, Infinera's SVP of marketing, discusses three announcements covering Infinera's most recent technology and market moves in optical transport, pluggable optics and a partnership that will unlock private networking and edge computing deployments for a major US service provider. Sign up today for the Light Reading newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 11, 2022•12 min
Anthony Yu, VP of computing and wired infrastructure at GlobalFoundries (GF), joins the Light Reading podcast on the show floor at OFC to discuss his company's GF Fotonix announcement, the partners involved and the timing of the markets it is addressing with silicon photonics. Sign up today for the Light Reading newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 11, 2022•9 min
Light Reading's Jeff Baumgartner joins the podcast to discuss why some streaming services are now offering ad-supported versions, what the future of DOCSIS looks like and what cable operators think about growth in the fixed wireless access market. For more from Baumgartner on these topics, check out his in-depth analysis here: Disney sizing up ad-supported version of Disney+ – report Cable One makes its case for DOCSIS 4.0 upgrades Fixed wireless an 'inferior product,' Comcast CEO says Sign up t...
Mar 10, 2022•14 min
This episode features John Badal, founder and CEO of Sacred Wind Communications (SWC) : a privately owned telecommunications company focused on bridging the digital divide for tribal lands in rural New Mexico. Founded in 2006, Sacred Wind has brought high-speed wireless and fiber broadband access to Navajo lands that previously lacked basic phone services. Sign up today for the Light Reading newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 10, 2022•17 min
Light Reading's Iain Morris joins the podcast to share highlights from last week's Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona . He discusses how attendance compared to pre-COVID-19 times, themes that emerged such as the metaverse, his thoughts on the slowest 5G-powered barman on Earth, whether robot dogs can be trusted and more. Morris also provides updates on drama that unfolded outside the walls of the Fira as telecom companies halted business in Russia, and Ericsson had to answer why the compan...
Mar 09, 2022•11 min
Light Reading's Mike Dano joins the podcast to share his experience touring a Dish 5G cell tower in Las Vegas. He recounts making a successful call on the new cloud-native network and discusses why that's more significant than it seems. Dano also explains what he learned about Dish's network and when it will be commercially launched. Sign up today for the Light Reading newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 03, 2022•14 min
Virginia Lam Abrams, co-founder and SVP of government affairs and strategic advancement at Starry , returns to the podcast with an update on the fixed wireless provider's Starry Connect program – which provides low-cost broadband to affordable and public housing developments – and how federal subsidies are helping some Starry customers get broadband at no cost. Sign up today for the Light Reading newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 02, 2022•18 min
Alan Breznick, cable/video practice leader for Light Reading, joins the podcast to discuss the upcoming Cable Next-Gen Technologies & Strategies conference , a free digital event on Tuesday, March 15 and Wednesday, March 16. This is the event's 15th consecutive year, and its third year in an all-digital format. Cable Next-Gen will focus on a range of cable tech topics, including 10G, DOCSIS 4.0, XGS-PON, Distributed Access Architecture, 5G, network virtualization, Wi-Fi 6, smart homes, edge ...
Feb 16, 2022•8 min
