Community Broadband Bits

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 ★

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, North Carolina Bonus Episode Four" ★ Support this podcast ★

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 ★

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 ★

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 podcast ★

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 Podcast 386" ★ Support this podcast ★

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 podcast ★

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 Bits Podcast 385" ★ Support this podcast ★

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 ★

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 – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 383" ★ Support this podcast ★

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" ★ Support this podcast ★

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!" ★ Support this podcast ★

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" ★ Support this podcast ★

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 – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 380" ★ Support this podcast ★

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!" ★ Support this podcast ★

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 ★

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 this podcast ★

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 ★

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" ★ Support this podcast ★

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 podcast ★