Community Broadband Bits

Latest Episodes:

Year in Review 2023 - Episode 582 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast Dec 19, 2023

Show notes

This week on the final podcast of the year, the team reflects on the 2023 broadband landscape, covering topics such as the BEAD rollout, municipal fiber projects, the FCC's new commissioner, and noteworthy broadband "scandals." Tune in for insights and a look back at the accuracy of last year's predictions.

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The Future of LTE - Episode 581 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast Dec 14, 2023

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In this special Connect This! edition of the podcast, co-hosts Christopher Mitchell and Travis Carter, along with guests Doug Dawson, Kim McKinley, and special guest Mike Dano (Light Reading), revisit the future of mobile wireless and LTE networks, exploring their evolution and addressing key topics such as rural mobile wireless, market dynamics, and the 5G hype.

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Catalyzing Connectivity: Triumphs and Trials in Community Broadband Initiatives - Episode 580 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast Dec 05, 2023

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In this special podcast edition, local leaders from East Carroll Parish, Louisiana, share their triumph over expensive and inadequate broadband service despite resistance from a regional monopoly provider. The discussion explores grassroots efforts to overcome obstacles and misleading data, providing insight into successfully enhancing internet access for their community. The episode concludes by revisiting a 2014 Community Broadband Bits podcast, where Christopher and Lisa perform skits highlighting the challenges of customer service with big cable companies.

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Chattanooga Leads with Innovative Services and Pioneering Programs for Low-Income Individuals - Episode 579 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast Nov 28, 2023

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This week on the podcast, Christopher talks with Deb Socia and Geoff Millener from the Enterprise Center in Chattanooga. They discuss the HCS ED Connect program, which provides free home Internet to low-income students, its positive impact on education, and tech initiatives like the Orchard Knob project and Tech Goes Home benefiting underserved communities. Emphasizing the role of partnerships, they stress the need for universal broadband access as a driving force for positive community change

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Building and Expanding a Tribal Network for Northern Idaho and Beyond - Episode 578 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast Nov 21, 2023

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This week, Christopher talks with Valerie Fast Horse, IT director and creator of Red Spectrum, a broadband company serving the Coeur d'Alene Reservation in North Idaho. They delve into Red Spectrum's history, infrastructure upgrades, and challenges in expanding services, highlighting the importance of community involvement, local talent, and overcoming funding obstacles in the pursuit of success.

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Universal Service Fund Reform and Long-Term Affordability Solutions - Episode 577 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast Nov 14, 2023

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This week on the podcast, Christopher is joined by Angela Siefer and Greg Guice to explore the crucial topic of Universal Service Fund (USF) reform in bridging the digital divide. The podcast delves into the challenges of the overcommitted USF, emphasizing the need for modernization and expansion, and the permanence of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) in achieving national equity and inclusion goals.

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Cities Like Syracuse Surge Ahead while the FCC and NTIA Take Baby Steps - Episode 576 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast Nov 07, 2023

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This week on the podcast, Christopher is joined by Sean Gonsalves to talk about a bold new wireless deployment in Syracuse and unpack whether recent federal action will make a difference with looming deadlines on the horizon for both the Affordable Connectivity Program and BEAD.

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Wireless Mesh Brings Durable Change in Rhode Island - Episode 575 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast Oct 31, 2023

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After three years and half a million dollars in capital costs, the nonprofit-run ONE|NB Connects network in Providence, Rhode Island has improved its wireless service to 100Mbps symmetrical speeds, and enabled thousands of unique users per month access reliable connections for as long as they need. CEO Jennifer Hawkins and Christopher talk about the challenges and rewards of transforming a gap network into durable change, from streamlining operational costs, to finding sustainable partnerships, to baking wired infrastructure into new affordable housing construction projects.

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The Burden of Proof - Episode 574 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast Oct 23, 2023

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Mapping is hard. You know it, and so do we. Despite that reality, it looks like the FCC has spent the entirety of this decade avoiding the hard decisions necessary to make sure precious federal dollars are wisely used and the data that drives our policy is easily accessible and faithful to reality. This week on the podcast, Christopher is joined by Tom Reid to talk about what his firm has been doing to help local governments get around this persistent problem.

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West Des Moines, Iowa is a Model for Open Access Conduit Networks - Episode 573 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast Oct 17, 2023

Show notes

A little more than three years ago, the city of West Des Moines, Iowa announced that it would build a citywide open access conduit system to lower the cost of new broadband deployment to facilitate better connections at lower costs for residents. With four providers licensing space and a portfolio of smart-city and governmental uses planned, the city's forward-thinking investment looks to be paying dividends already.

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