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Broadband Pulse
By Endeavor Business MediaTechnology
Broadband Pulse episodes
- Brightspeed and Ezee Fiber further their broadband presence in NC and Chicago
In this week's Broadband Pulse broadband roundup, we’re tracking new broadband deployments from a host of providers, including:
- Brightspeed
- Ezee Fiber
- Fidium
- Glo Fiber
- GoNetspeed
- IdeaTek
- RightFiber
- Surf Internet
These providers are all expanding broadband in various communities through a mix of venture capital and state funding sources.
About the Podcast
In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com.9 min - ACA Connects and NCTC leaders weigh in on emerging cable broadband trends
In this episode, we talked with two key cable industry veterans about emerging trends--Lou Borrelli, CEO of NCTC and Grant Spellmeyer, president and CEO of ACA Connects.
Key Moments in This Episode
Opening
0:06 Introduction of guests
Lightwave Editor in Chief Sean Buckley introduces Broadband Pulse’s latest guests--Lou Borelli, CEO of NCTC and Grant Spellmeyer, ACA Connects president and CEO.The state of the independent cable operator market.
1:02 Lou Borrelli shares his perspective2:15 Grant Spellmeyer gives his perspective3:47 Highlights of the recent 2025 Independent Show.
4:13 Lou Borrelli discusses opportunities its members can use to expand and grow.5:34 Grant Spellmeyer addresses the value of member-to-member interaction.7:15 The influence of the Brendan Carr-led FCC.
7:37 Grant Spellmeyer talks about how the new FCC removes private sector investment uncertainty.8:32 Lou Borrelli sees the opportunity to reduce regulatory burdens.9:32 Fiber broadband trends
10:06 Lou Borrelli notes how NCTC’s members are aggressively rolling out fiber broadband.11:45 Grant Spellmeyer says ACA Connect’s members are delivering competition to others.12:10 The Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program situation.12:35 Grant Spellmeyer addresses changes to the BEAD program requirements.14:24 Lou Borrelli expresses support for ACA Connect’s policy efforts in Washington, DC.14:58 AI technology15:25 Lou Borrelli discusses its new AI Center of Excellence.17:22 Grant Spellmeyer looks at AI regulations.18:22 Streaming and convergence
18:48 Lou Borrelli talks about how the video industry is evolving.20:44 Grant Spellmeyer addresses how providers are adapting.21:35 Final thoughts
21:22 Grant Spellmeyer gives his roundup.22:06 Lou Borrelli touts the power of independent telcos and cable operators.22:34 Wrap/Outro
Meet our guests:
Lou Borelli, CEO of NCTC
A 40-plus-year cable television industry veteran, Lou Borrelli was named NCTC’s CEO in 2021. Before joining NCTC, Borrelli served as the CEO of Home and Entertainment for Digicel Group, which provides mobile phone, cable, and broadband services to 27 countries in the Caribbean, Central, and South America. He was responsible for cable and broadband strategy, policy, operations, content strategy and distribution rights for Digicel's sports and entertainment networks.Having owned and operated cable systems in second and third-tier markets, Borrelli has plenty of experience in the independent cable industry segment with an extensive understanding of the challenges facing operators of all sizes in today's competitive landscape. A founding partner of Marcus Cable, Borrelli and his colleagues were recognized as Cable Operator of the Year in 1998, and he was inducted into the Cable Pioneers in 2002.Grant Spellmeyer, ACA Connects president and CEO
Grant Spellmeyer oversees the daily operations and affairs of America's Communications Association (ACA Connects). Grant joined ACAC in 2022. Before coming to ACAC, he was VP of government affairs for US Cellular, where his primary duties included directing the federal and state legislative and regulatory efforts across the company’s 21-state operating territory on all policy matters. He joined U.S. Cellular in 2006 from ACA Connects Member company TDS Telecommunications. As part of the TDS enterprise, Grant served in a variety of wireless and wireline legal and regulatory roles for more than 20 years. Before that, Grant was an attorney in private practice in Madison, Wisconsin. Spellmeyer is a 1988 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition, he holds an M.A. in public policy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School. He also has an MBA from Northwestern University.About the Podcast
In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com.25 min - Building Broadband: BCE completes acquisition of Ziply Fiber, accelerating its fiber growth strategy; Brightspeed lights up fiber broadband in five new rural Ohio counties
In this latest issue of Building Broadband, we’re tracking new broadband deployments from several regional and national broadband players, including:
- Brightspeed lights up fiber broadband in five new rural Ohio counties
- Comcast connects over 1,200 Montgomery County, Indiana locations
- Dobson Fiber expands fiber internet to Kingston, Oklahoma
- Greenlight Networks continues expansion across New York’s Orange County
- Home Telecom brings 5 Gbps fiber internet to South Carolina’s Nexton community
- IdeaTek lights gigabit fiber internet to Leoti and Tribune, Kansas
- KKR wraps acquisition of Metronet through joint venture
We’re also sizing up various broadband M&A deals that took place this week, including:
- BCE’s Ziply Fiber acquisition accelerates its fiber growth strategy
- Uniti wraps its Windstream merger, accelerating residential and business fiber strategy
- FBR Solutions ramps rural capabilities with Johnson Communications acquisition
- Amphenol deepens data center presence with $10.5 billion deal for CommScope’s CCS business
About the Podcast
In the Lightwave+BTR Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.12 min - Ezee Fiber’s CEO leads with a team sport philosophy
If you ask Ezee Fiber’s CEO Matt Marino about his leadership style, he likens it to the nature of a football team: “I'm a big believer that the residential fiber business is the ultimate team sport.”
As a 15-plus cable industry veteran, Marino brings plenty of customer service and network knowledge to the table. Before coming to Ezee Fiber in 2023, he held various positions at some of the top cable providers, including Altice USA, Charter Communications, Time Warner Cable, and Insight Communications.
During this podcast we talked to Marino about Ezee Fiber’s customer centric approach and how it is enhancing its network through a series of targeted builds and acquisitions of other regional fiber providers that fit its growth model.
Key Moments in This Episode
Opening0:45 CEO role strategy
Marino shares his philosophy that the residential fiber business is the ultimate team sport.3:28 Ezee Fiber’s 2025 prioritiesHow Ezee Fiber is executing on a multi-state build and customer growth plan.5:16 Fiber acquisition strategyEzee Fiber’s recent Tachus Fiber deal was a match in terms of fiber and approach.7:18 Conterra PurchaseHow Conterra was a network backbone purchase.8:30 Future M&A plansEzee Fiber will utilize a combination of M&A and organic growth strategies to achieve its goal of becoming one of the largest independent fiber providers.10:07 Ezee’s market expansion strategyOutside of its Texas home base, Ezee is expanding into Washington State and New Mexico.
12:29 State of competitionEzee Fiber mainly competes against cable operators.13:49 Business services plansThe service provider creates packages for small to medium-sized businesses and enterprises.15:11 Final thoughtsMatt Marino shares how Ezee is continuing to advance its fiber broadband vision in Houston, New Mexico and Washington.About the PodcastIn the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com.18 min - TeleGeography makes call for new submarine cable repair ship investments
A new TeleGeography report reveals that $3 billion worth of investment in submarine cable repair ships will be required to sustain current service levels and reduce repair delays for the undersea cables that carry global internet traffic. While there’s a surge in submarine cable infrastructure investment, maintenance and repair capabilities have lagged.
In “The Future of Submarine Cable Maintenance,” a joint report by TeleGeography and Infra-Analytics, the research firms forecast a 48% net increase in total cable kilometers to be deployed in the world's oceans by 2040, driven by rising bandwidth demands and the need for network redundancy and resilience. However, by the same year, approximately two-thirds of cable maintenance ships will have reached the end of their service life, with about half of the global cable ship fleet also approaching this milestone.
During this episode of the Broadband Pulse, we caught up with Alan Mauldin, Research Director at TeleGeography, one of the of the authors of the new submarine cable report. Mauldin said the the “study illuminates the increasingly urgent need for investment in the global connectivity critical infrastructure—both submarine cables and maintenance vessels.”
Meet our guest
Alan Mauldin is a Research Director at TeleGeography. He manages the company’s infrastructure research group, focusing primarily on submarine cables, terrestrial networks, international Internet infrastructure, and bandwidth demand modeling. He also advises clients on due diligence analysis, feasibility studies, and business plan development for projects worldwide. Alan speaks frequently about the global network industry at a wide range of conferences, including PTC, Submarine Networks World, and SubOptic. Alan began his career as an analyst at The Trade Partnership in 1998.Key Moments in This Episode
Opening0:05 Introduction0:24 State of the submarine cable market
How hyperscalers and traditional providers are investing in new cables2:19 New submarine cable repair ships
A new TeleGeography report estimates $3B in submarine cable repair ships will be required.3:56 Advocacy for new repair shipsWhile there’s a desire to invest in repair ships, capital expenditure (Capex) costs are challenging.5:44 Cost issuesThe expense of building new vessels.7:13 Cable decommissioning
Cables deployed during the telecom boom of the 1990s and early 2000s are now at or beyond the 25-year mark.9:09 Regional market needsBy 2035, replacement vessels will be required across most regions, including Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Middle East10:50 Final Thoughts
About the Podcast
In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com.15 min - 1Finity’s Francois Moore addresses the optical and wireless landscape
1Finity, which houses Fujitsu’s optical and wireless operations, recently began operating under its new name and brand identity. As Fujitsu announced in April, 1Finity consolidates Fujitsu’s global network-related organizations under one entity, enabling what the company said will be greater autonomy and flexibility.
1Finity, which will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu, will continue to deliver a complete portfolio of optical and wireless hardware, software and services.
We recently caught up with François Moore, Optical Architect and Advisor for 1Finity, to discuss new optical and wireless opportunities and how the new brand is resonating with customers.
Key Moments in This Episode
Opening0:05 IntroductionBroadband Pulse host Sean Buckley introduces Francois Moore, Optical Architect & Advisor for 1Finity.Fujitsu’s launch of the 1Finity brand 0:29
Launching the 1Finity brand, which consolidates Fujitsu's global network of related organizations under one entity.A simplified look 2:17
How 1Finity simplifies customer interactions.Customer response to 1Finity 2:49How the new brand is resonating with customers.The optical networking market 4:11
How 1Finity is evolving in response to changes in the optical networking market.Data center interconnection 5:48How big of a market does 1Finity see for data center interconnection (DCI)?1Finity’s role in wireless 9:23
Fixed wireless in rural markets 13:021Finity is supplying radios to enable WISPs to provide wireless Internet access.Rural market dynamics 13:50
Applying 1Finity’s solutions to rural providers' needs.The Middle mile opportunity 15:13
1Finity is providing traditional optical gear, like its metro regional product offering.800G opportunities 17:20
1Finity’s recent trial with Orange and its work to develop 800GZR+ coherent pluggables.Final thoughts/closing 21:31
Broadband Pulse host Sean Buckley asks Francois Moore, Optical Architect & Advisor for 1Finity, to provide final thoughts.About the Podcast
In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com.27 min - How Harmonic is advancing the fiber broadband opportunity
Harmonic is well known in the cable industry as a key supplier of DOCSIS equipment. However, as the cable and telecom industry continues to expand its fiber reach, Harmonic has been taking a more active role in developing fiber-based broadband products.
With many of its cable operator customers being in a transition phase, Harmonic is offering products that enable a DOCSIS-to-PON migration. One example of this move is the SeaStar Optical Node, which allows broadband connectivity for lower-density multi-dwelling units (MDUs). The node converts existing in-building coax cabling into a high-speed broadband conduit.
We recently caught up with Hy Huynh, vice president of fiber products at Harmonic, to talk about the evolving fiber broadband landscape.
Key Moments in This Episode
Opening0:05 IntroductionBroadband Pulse host Sean Buckley introduces Hy Huynh, vice president of fiber products at Harmonic.0:37 Fiber broadbandHow Harmonic is positioning itself within the fiber broadband space.4:00 Open Optical Network Terminals (ONTs)
Harmonic is integrating its platforms with third-party ONTs and expanding use cases.7:40 Cable's FTTH migrationHow Harmonic can help cable MSOs gracefully migrate from HFC to all fiber.12:19 Harmonic’s SeaStar Optical NodeHarmonic's SeaStar allows service providers to provide fiber-like broadband speeds in lower-density multi-dwelling units (MDUs).16:49 PON technology coexistenceService providers can advance to 25G and above while accommodating 1 and 10G PON.19:12 Final thoughtsHy Huynh shares final thoughts about fiber broadband trends.Meet Our Guest
Hy Huynh is the Vice President, Fiber Products at Harmonic. He has 15 years of customer-facing experience spanning sales, product management, program management, product support/operations, as well as some development. Hy describes himself on his LinkedIn page as a nerd with an engineering degree and an affinity for understanding and engaging with customers. He says he is passionate about technology and is a staunch advocate for the customer and the end user experience.About the PodcastIn the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com.22 min - Building Broadband: Brightspeed connects 8,000 homes and businesses in Western OH; Intrepid Fiber Networks raises $425 million to accelerate fiber broadband expansion
In this latest issue of Building Broadband, we’re tracking new broadband deployments from several regional and national broadband players, including:
- Brightspeed connects 8,000 homes and businesses in Western Ohio
- Conterra Networks furthers XGS-PON path with Ciena's Open PON platform
- Fidium expands fiber to Gouldsboro, Winter Harbor, and Wiscasset
- Gateway Fiber is expanding its network into Cottage Grove, Minnesota
- Intrepid Fiber Networks raises $425 million to accelerate fiber broadband expansion
- SBA Communications to enable 10G fiber broadband for Wyld Oaks development
- STELLAR Broadband brings 10G fiber internet to Farmington and Farmington Hills
About the Podcast
In the Lightwave+BTR Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.8 min - IQ Fiber gives small businesses a new fiber service option
In the latest episode of the Broadband Pulse podcast, we talked to Ted Schremp, president and CEO of IQ Fiber.
Ted was an early pioneer in developing services like telephony for the cable industry during his time at Charter Communications. He’s now carrying on that innovative spirit to drive fiber broadband growth at IQ Fiber.
In May, IQ Fiber launched Businesses in Jacksonville, Gainesville, Florida, and Savannah, Georgia, that can take advantage of the competitive carrier’s fiber-based services. Let’s start by talking about how that has gone so far.
About the Podcast
In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com.16 min - Vernonburg Group encourages communities to look at all broadband options
In this latest Broadband Pulse podcast, we talked to Paul Garnett, the founder and CEO of the Vernonburg group.
Vernonburg recently issued a new white paper showing that broadband funding achieves more than twice the impact when invested in adoption-focused programs rather than network overbuilds in already-served areas.
The new report, Avoiding the Overbuild Trap: Adoption, Not Overbuilding, Drives Connectivity and Digital Opportunity, challenges the practice of using public funds to subsidize new broadband networks in areas where high-speed service is already available. The three authors of the report—Paul Garnett, Breese McIlvaine, and Alexander Jeffery—urged policymakers to develop and implement comprehensive digital opportunity programs that address what they argue are the real drivers of the digital divide.
Leveraging Vernonburg Group’s Digital Opportunity Map and other sources, the report discusses publicly available data on broadband availability and adoption -- with specific community examples -- and details principles that should guide broadband funding programs.
Here’s a timeline of the interview:
Opening | 0.00
Host introduces the guest | 0:06
Vernonburg’s new broadband white paper | 0:39
Public vs. privately funded broadband networks | 4:10
Public/Private (P3s) broadband partnerships | 6:07
Technology choice | 7:48
Driving broadband adoption | 11:07
The role of digital navigators | 14:48
Final thoughts | 16:37
Outro | 19:00
About the PodcastIn the Lightwave+BTR Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com.20 min
About Broadband Pulse
From the publisher's feed
In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we will address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights on these topics from industry leaders.