Broadband Action

CBAN's Curtis Dean wakes up long enough to record this episode of Broadband Action with co-founder Jon Will to preview the CBAN/IAMU 2025 Spring Summit in Ames, Iowa on April 22-23, 2025.

On this edition of Broadband Action, CBAN’s Jon Willow chats with Christa Vinson and Joshua Williams with Rural LISC. Rural LISC believes that in a resilient rural community, digital access means affordable, reliable broadband internet, widely available internet-enabled computer technology and digital skill supports that meet user needs. Achieving this goal requires intentional strategies and investments to reduce and eliminate barriers to access and use technology. Jon, Christa, and Joshua chat about the work of the organization, including their Broadband Planning Help Hub.Rural LISChttps://www.lisc.org/Broadband Planning Help Hubwww.broadbandplanninghelphub.org

The Universal Service Fund has played a huge role in getting Americans connected, first with telephone service and later with broadband. But legal challenges to the USF could put the program in jeopardy. In this episode of Broadband Action, we chat with Christopher Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and Sean Stokes with Keller & Heckman LLP.

https://communitynets.org

https://www.khlaw.com

In this episode of Broadband Action, the CBAN podcast welcomes Alan Fitzpatrick, who shares valuable insights from his work with Open Broadband in the Carolinas. The discussion delves into Open Broadband's innovative approach to connecting underserved communities through a technology-agnostic strategy. Fitzpatrick explains how his company evaluates each customer's unique situation to determine the most effective connectivity solution, whether it's fiber optics, fixed wireless, cellular networks, or satellite service.Links:Open Broadband: https://openbb.netPower & Tel, CBAN Broadband Backer and Spring Forum Showcase Sponsor: https://www.ptsupply.com

In our final addition of Broadband Action for 2024, Curtis Dean visits with Brad Randall, editor at Total Telecom, as par of our "Covering the Broadband Beat" series. Randall shares his perspectives as a journalist covering the broadband industry and discusses some of the top broadband stories of the year.

A Broadband Action favorite! Curtis Dean and Jon Willow chat with Doug Dawson of CCG Consulting, whose annual predictions edition of his Pots and Pans blog is a must-read among industry professionals. What do the next 12 months have in store for broadband? The almighty sage soothsayer, omnipotent visionary from the East, Doug Dawson will tell us what to expect!

What will be the impact of the (once and future) Donald Trump administration on broadband policy in the US? CBAN's Curtis Dean and Sean Stokes with Keller and Heckman LLP discuss possible changes to BEAD, the Universal Service Fund, FCC initiatives, and more.

CBAN's Curtis Dean provides an overview of the Broadband Communities Summit West held in San Diego, CA on October 30-31, 2024.

Getting digital devices into the hands of people who need them is a vital need in digital equity work. In this episode, we chat with two nonprofit organizations that are helping close the digital divide through device recycling, refurbishment, and distribution.

The latest edition of Broadband Action, the CBAN podcast, is now available for viewing or listening! CBAN's Jon Willow chats with Ry Marcattilio from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) about a new map of community networks across the U.S. The map, updated with a new engine and user interface, tracks publicly owned broadband networks, including municipal, cooperative, and tribal models. It features various filters for business models, network characteristics, and population sizes, with 400 municipal networks serving over 700 communities. The map aims to help communities find similar networks and solutions for their broadband needs. Future enhancements include exporting raw data and adding technology filters.