What are you watching? It's a question that tends to pop up among family, friends and coworkers. The water cooler may be a corporate relic, but thanks to the rise and popularity of free and paid streaming services, the video landscape is certainly rife with water cooler-worthy TV shows, series and movies. Perhaps too many. A startup called Glidr Inc. wants to help consumers cut through the clutter and zero in on content that their social media circles enjoy and recommend. It's trying to tackle t...
Sep 01, 2022•32 min
With a fresh cash flow of $262 million, DriveNets plans to expand sales to service provider customers and grow its employee base by 30% to 450 employees. Hillel Kobrinsky, chief strategy officer and co-founder of DriveNets, joined the podcast with an update on how the networking company plans to invest its new Series C round of funding , and how the company's focus on virtualization software is impacting innovation and sales cycles with its service provider customers. In addition, Kobrinsky expl...
Sep 01, 2022•21 min
T-Mobile and SpaceX have teamed up on a plan to connect mobile phones to SpaceX's new Starlink satellites. According to the two companies, this could eliminate all cellular dead zones around the US. However, the new satellites won't be launched until next year. In the meantime, Verizon and AT&T are working on their own satellite plans. "Verizon plans to use Amazon's planned Project Kuiper satellites to connect its rural cell towers to the Internet, and AT&T is planning a similar setup wi...
Aug 30, 2022•11 min
Manoj Leelanivas, COO of Juniper, joins the podcast with an update on Juniper's Cloud Metro platform. Leelanivas explains how a number of factors are contributing to driving network traffic through the metro network and how Juniper is taking on new approaches to managing cloud infrastructure. He also shares why increasing automation in the management of cloud infrastructure is beneficial to service provider and enterprise customers. "The AI and cloud-delivered automation actually simplifies this...
Aug 29, 2022•22 min
This episode features David Broecker, chief innovation officer at Purdue Research Foundation (PRF), and Özer Dondurmacıoğlu, vice president of strategic accounts at enterprise networking company Celona . We discuss the digital divide in the state of Indiana where Purdue Research Foundation (part of Purdue University) is based, why PRF worked with Celona to deploy a private 5G network on CBRS spectrum at PRF's Discovery Park District, and how private wireless technology can help organizations and...
Aug 24, 2022•21 min
There's no shortage of topics in the world of broadband these days. Fiber network M&A activity and upgrades have not slowed down. Billions of dollars are flowing into rural broadband. Cable operators are considering multiple paths forward on their access network upgrades amid flagging broadband subscriber growth. Meanwhile, fixed wireless access (FWA) seems to be all the rage. To cover that ground and help analyze those various-but-related-topics, two cable industry vets, David Strauss and J...
Aug 22, 2022•35 min
Infinera CEO David Heard is optimistic about what the CHIPS and Sciences Act can do for US optical networking vendors, especially those endeavoring to be less dependent on foreign suppliers. You can download an unedited transcript of the podcast here . Here are just a few things covered in this podcast episode: What the CHIPS and Sciences Act does for companies like Infinera (01:38) How it benefits the optical networking industry overall (06:33) Infinera's reorganization and market acceptance (0...
Aug 17, 2022•18 min
The utility grid is undergoing a massive change, transforming in a similar way to the cable network 30 years ago, according to Dr. Robert Cruickshank, managing member of Power Networks. "Now with distributed solar, and storage, you know, battery storage in people's homes, we actually have content creation and storage at the edge," said Cruickshank on the podcast. The "unprecedented change" to the grid isn't without growing pains, explained Cruickshank. Extreme weather conditions, increased elect...
Aug 17, 2022•19 min
With the range, scope and variety of damaging botnet attacks on the rise, businesses large and small need to prioritize cybersecurity and ensure they are taking proactive and iterative measures to protect against potentially devastating attacks. "Cyber[security], like many things in life, is a journey. It's not a destination," said Ivan Shefrin, executive director for managed security services at Comcast Business, who joined the Light Reading Podcast to discuss the rising threat of botnets. "Eve...
Aug 16, 2022•26 min
There's a new collaboration on the horizon for the streaming video world. Earlier this month, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) announced that HBO Max and Discovery+ will be combined next year. "One of the big things that kind of came out of the call, the recent earnings call, is a plan to launch HBO Max and Discovery+ as a single service and kind of a global brand, initially in the US next summer, and then a bunch of international markets in the following couple of years," said Light Reading's Jeff ...
Aug 15, 2022•13 min
Lou Borrelli, CEO of the National Content & Technology Cooperative (NCTC), joins the Light Reading Podcast to reflect on the recently concluded The Independent Show in Florida, and reactions to the new name of the organization , which kept the NCTC designation but dropped the "cable" and "television" labels. Borrelli, who joined the podcast from his boat moored in Martha's Vineyard, also provided a few updates on the organization's major, new initiatives , including a "Connectivity Exchange"...
Aug 12, 2022•35 min
DENVER – MEF Annual Members Event – Orange Business Services VP Franck Morales returns to the podcast to share how the service provider is utilizing MEF's Lifecycle Service Orchestration (LSO) APIs . In addition to working to further automate transactions with other service providers and enterprise customers via the APIs, Morales said his role as a member of MEF's board provides him with the opportunity to help develop SD-WAN and SASE standards. You can download an unedited transcript of the pod...
Aug 11, 2022•21 min
On this episode, we're joined by Jonathan Chambers, a partner with Conexon ; and Herschel Arant, senior vice president of energy supply and external services at Central Georgia EMC , a rural electric cooperative serving parts of 14 counties in central Georgia. We discuss their partnership to build out a fiber broadband network to an unserved region of the state and how their collaboration led to the creation of Conexon's ISP arm, Connect . We also get into why electric cooperatives are especiall...
Aug 11, 2022•25 min
In this podcast, Verizon's Mark Paff described in detail the service provider's role in emergency response scenarios and explained that Verizon's efforts are "all done in close coordination with the local responders that are setting up that incident command center after the event." Sign up today for the Light Reading newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Aug 10, 2022•10 min
Many industries are feeling the squeeze of supply chain challenges, and the open RAN and semiconductor businesses are no exception. Despite the flexibility that open RAN promises from an equipment and technology standpoint, supply chain speed bumps plus geopolitical factors are presenting new challenges to that market, Light Reading's Iain Morris explained on the podcast. "Open RAN for people who aren't that familiar with it is really just a set of interfaces that allow you to mix and match comp...
Aug 09, 2022•12 min
DENVER – MEF Annual Members Event – Lumen's sights are set on developing a customer experience where connectivity service orders are placed through a portal or API for a more digital, automated experience, Andrew Dugan, CTO of Lumen Technologies, told Light Reading. Accomplishing that goal requires automation of Lumen's infrastructure via the use of APIs, said Dugan. He added that the service provider is currently partnering with an enterprise customer on testing and deploying MEF's Lifecycle Se...
Aug 04, 2022•13 min
In this episode, we're joined by David Zumwalt, president and CEO of the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA), a trade organization that represents the fixed wireless industry. Zumwalt assumed his role roughly two months ago, in June 2022, after former CEO Claude Aiken stepped down from his post at the organization in April. We discuss what he learned about the digital divide from his prior role at an ISP in the US Virgin Islands, and his vision for WISPA as the federal govern...
Aug 04, 2022•23 min
There's no shortage of change and disruption being meted out by the streaming market. Netflix, which benefits from a sizable chunk of TV viewing time, is pursuing an ad-supported option to help restoke customer growth. Meanwhile, sports rights are rapidly gravitating to deep-pocketed streaming platforms and the world of Big Tech. Even the NFL is getting into that act with a new "NFL+" premium streaming service for superfans as the league negotiates a new deal for its coveted Sunday Ticket packag...
Aug 03, 2022•36 min
DENVER – MEF Annual Members Event – Service providers have long been working toward automated networks. One way service providers are reducing manual processes is by adopting MEF's Lifecycle Service Orchestration (LSO) Sonata APIs. Currently, 22 service providers are in production with the APIs, which automate inter-carrier transactions of connectivity services such as Carrier Ethernet. Stan Hubbard, principal analyst for MEF, said an additional 90 service providers are now tracked in the LSO So...
Aug 02, 2022•15 min
John Roese, the global CTO at Dell Technologies, said the influx of federal funding to help alleviate the digital divide should be used to solve broadband coverage gaps as efficiently as possible. He said that those efforts could be hampered if federal and state agencies let legacy networking requirements limit the number of potential technology suppliers. For new broadband builds, Roese said, a new 5G standalone network is a great solution and could be provided by a wide range of companies: Del...
Jul 28, 2022•26 min
The concept of "digital equity" has been a hot topic as the FCC and private entities attempt to resolve the issue of accurate broadband mapping and uncover where resources need to be applied to get people connected in underserved and unserved rural areas. That work also extends into cities, where broadband might be available but factors like affordability or access to devices and digital training can limit the rate of adoption. Broderick Johnson , who joined Comcast just over a year ago, has a h...
Jul 27, 2022•16 min
Light Reading's Mike Dano joins the podcast to discuss Cox Communications' new mobile service. He explains why it was a long time coming, why T-Mobile tried to slow Cox's deployment with a lawsuit, which service provider Cox ultimately chose to partner with on the mobile service, and more. Sign up today for the Light Reading newsletter. Related stories and links: Cox to enter US wireless industry this fall New ruling reopens door for Cox's mobile launch Here's how Cox blew its mobile launch Cox ...
Jul 22, 2022•15 min
Phil Harvey joins the podcast to discuss Light Reading's Leading Lights Awards and how to enter a submission. In addition, we share advice for how to craft a solid entry, tell you when the deadline to enter is, how much it costs and more. Here are just a few things covered in this podcast: Background on the Leading Lights Awards (01:10) How the award winners will be announced (03:50) How the judging process works (06:20) Advice for how to craft a solid entry and tips on what to avoid (09:15) Wha...
Jul 21, 2022•25 min
This week we're resharing an episode of the Light Reading Podcast featuring Nick Feamster, director of research for the Data Science Institute at the University of Chicago. He joined Light Reading's Phil Harvey and Kelsey Ziser last month to discuss his team's research based on the Internet Equity Initiative data portal , which uses Ookla Speedtest data to map out Internet inequities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jul 21, 2022•40 min
Light Reading's Iain Morris joins the podcast with insight into why Ericsson's stock price took a hit despite a solid second quarter. "I was a bit surprised to see the share price, they opened at about 11% down, which is a big drop ... and normally that's the kind of thing that happens when they have a bad news item like the investigation for some of their activities in Iraq where there were various wrongdoings going on," said Morris. Morris provides background on Ericsson's missteps in Iraq, bu...
Jul 18, 2022•14 min
With the pace of broadband subscriber growth showing signs of slowing after big surges during the early days of the pandemic, some service providers are expanding their influence into the management and security of IoT devices that are proliferating on the home network. While not all of those strategies have aligned perfectly among ISPs, an analysis of the data on the home Wi-Fi network can provide lots of insight about which brands and device types consumers are gravitating to. Plume, a data an...
Jul 18, 2022•31 min
Light Reading's Jeff Baumgartner joins the podcast to provide an update on some of the major players in the streaming video market. He also delivers insight into a recent report on the pay-TV market and why both traditional providers and OTT-TV players are struggling to keep their subscribers . We wrap up with our predictions on which shows win Emmys this year. Sign up today for the Light Reading newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jul 14, 2022•18 min
Ji Soo Song, broadband advisor at the US Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology (OET) , joins the show to discuss the impact of the digital divide on students and the role his department plays in expanding access and affordability. We also discuss what he's learned through the Department of Education's Digital Equity Education Roundtables (DEER) initiative and how states and schools can use infrastructure funding and the Digital Equity Act to help close the digital divide for...
Jul 14, 2022•15 min
In this episode, Light Reading's Mike Dano discusses growth predictions for the wireless industry in 2022 and why Verizon's forecast might be a little bleaker than those of AT&T and T-Mobile. He also explains the battle between WCO Spectrum and T-Mobile over the purchase of 2.5GHz spectrum licenses from academic institutions. Here are just a few things covered in this podcast: Update on wireless industry and growth predictions for 2022 (01:10) Why postpaid customers are more valuable to wire...
Jul 11, 2022•18 min
This episode features Matt Larsen, CEO of Vistabeam , a fixed wireless provider covering underserved areas of Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming. He joins the podcast to discuss the important role of fixed wireless and unlicensed spectrum in reaching underserved and unserved US populations. We also get into the role of federal funding in closing the digital divide, and why Larsen thinks more funding could negatively impact broadband expansion in the US. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mor...
Jul 07, 2022•25 min
