In this episode we sit down with representatives of GFiber and KIVO, a dynamic pricing platform for telecom operators from PlektonLabs that won Startup of the Year at Connected America.

Both interviews, captured from Connected America, dive into separate topics, including the nature of dynamic pricing, and how it can help telco operators.

Tony Byrnes, head of new build expansion for GFiber, also uses the chance to dispel a myth about AI and its benefit, or lack thereof, when it comes to speeding up fiber deployments.

Tracy Doaks, the president and CEO of MCNC, says North Carolina has something special with the North Carolina Research and Education Network.

Originally from Virginia, Doaks said the network, which is operated and managed by MCNC, gives tremendous benefits to smaller, mid-sized, and minority institutions in North Carolina.

She said larger institutions can often afford to have their own networks for researchers. However, she added that having a shared network infrastructure has been great to make sure others share in the benefits.

Also, by being a middle-mile operator, she said MCNC is able to provide smaller telecoms in the state with the opportunity to lease fiber for use in rural areas. She said rural medical centers also run on their telehealth network.

"The larger incumbents aren't interested in those areas because the density is so low," she said. "So, that's been a real benefit to North Carolina, to have someone like an MCNC to be able to supply that type of connectivity."

Now, she says MCNC is positioning themselves to handle the ongoing data center boom. Hear that and details about MCNC's new partnership with an electric co-op by listening to the full episode.

Smart security systems that protect residential communities are features that should be accessible to residents of all income brackets, according to Sandy Jack, Assa Abloy's VP of strategic relations.

Jack made the comments during her recent spot on Beyond the Cable with Brad Randall, a Broadband Communities podcast.

"I think that the people that are most underserved, which would be the working force, workforce housing, student housing, those are the folks that really need it more," she said.

Nowadays, peace of mind like that offered by Vingcard, an electronic lock and safety security system solution offered under Assa Abloy's umbrella, is essential to ensure happy and safe living environments in hotels and multifamily properties, Jack says.

"When you think about the night nurse that comes home at 3 in the morning, can we make sure that she is safe and secure?" Jack asked. "The police officer that has to go out to our neighborhoods but leave their family alone, how are they safe and secure?"

Beyond the Cable takes a sneak peek at the agenda for Connected America 2026, which opens next month with a packed two-day program in Texas.

Sessions on both days, which reviewed in full on Connected America's website, will highlight a number of topics, including the practical barriers facing deployments: supply chain and labor constraints, regulatory compliance, and the challenge of turning infrastructure into adoption. 

Maz Khan, the president of Vitalis Smart Communities, says the term smart community is thrown around too loosely nowadays.

"Somebody puts up a Nest thermostat and some sort of smart lock and all of a sudden it's a smart community," he said, while appearing on Beyond the Cable as a recent guest. "Well, that's not it."

Khan said he believes connectivity is the foundation of any smart community.

"You can put all the gadgets you want," he said, "but if you don't have a network that can support it, all you've done is just frustrate the residents and the tenants who are living in that building or community."

Khan said a truly smart community is one where systems and solutions work together in full integration to make the lives of residents easier.

Similarly, he said AI offers lots of potential to enhance the smart community model. He argued, however, that without the foundation of solid connectivity communities will miss out on the benefits of AI.

"I want to look at connectivity as a basis and then build the layers on top," he said.

Connectivity is a key part of decision making when renters are considering where to live, according to Elizabeth Parks, the president and CMO of Parks Associates.

Parks joined Ilan Eframian, a VP from Xfinity Communities, on Beyond the Cable to discuss some of the insights revealed in recent research by Parks Associates, which closely studies the broadband and multifamily markets.

Requirements asking providers to submit written statements pledging not to take additional subsidies to complete and operate BEAD projects have had a chilling effect, according to Bree Maki, the director of Minnesota's office of broadband development.

Maki made the comments in her recent appearance on Beyond the Cable, a Broadband Communities podcast.

She said providers using subsidies from the Universal Service Fund have been most hesitant to participate in the government's $42.45 billion broadband spend, known as the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.

"There's just a level of uncertainty," she said, referencing the announcement from Arielle Roth last November directing states to obtain the written statements.

Ezee Fiber has grown rapidly in recent years, with aggressive expansion efforts in markets like Houston, New Mexico, and the Pacific Northwest.

The fiber internet provider's CEO, Matt Marino, recently joined Beyond the Cable—a Broadband Communities podcast—to discuss the company's quickly expanding footprint and talked strategy.

Marino said a sense of urgency is incredibly important. 

"This is a highly competitive business, it is a highly complicated business," he said, adding that there are lots of moving parts that need to be tracked and managed.

Jon Carlson, a senior vice president of business development at Ibex, explains why everyone wins with a healthy ISP ecosystem, not just the corporations. "Yes, success for those tier two and tier three (ISPs) is super important for those organizations, for those companies," he said, appearing on a recent episode of Beyond the Cable. "But it's really super important for the populations that their servicing, who just have not had the access that they deserve."In this interview, Carlson shares some of his takes about how smaller ISPs can meet the challenge of growth. As he says, "it's the mechanics of the day to day that actually allows growth to happen." Find out what he means here, in Part 1 of his appearance on Beyond the Cable, a Broadband Communities Summit podcast.Learn more about Broadband Communities Summit at bbcmag.com/summit.

Christopher Sikora, the CRO of Great Plains Communications (GPC), shares how GPC strategically positioned themselves to lean into a data center-driven marketplace.

According to Sikora, factors that have propelled GPC to answer the call of changing connectivity demands include a variety of factors. Listen to the full episode to find out why Sikora says competency, a willingness to think differently, financial stability, and company culture play big into GPC's ability to answer the call.