This week on the podcast, Christopher talks with Belle Ryder, Orono, Maine Assistant Manager, and President of the nonprofit OTO Fiber Corporation. The towns of Orono and nearby Old Town began their search for better broadband more than 10 years ago, and have overcome an array of challenges in bringing a pilot project to justify future … Continue reading "Resiliency in a Decade-Long Fight to Get Better Broadband – Episode 453 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast"

This week on the podcast, Christopher speaks with Julie Bushell, President of Paige Wireless and Co-chair of Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) Precision Ag Connectivity Task Force. Christopher and Julie talk about the importance of reliable, symmetrical wireless data connections so farmers can deploy devices on farms which communicate across Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) protocols to bring … Continue reading "Chirping Soil and Autonomous Tractors: Connecting Agriculture in Nebraska – Episode 452 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast"

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This week on the podcast, Christopher talks with Travis Carter (CEO, US Internet), Deb Socia (President/CEO, The Enterprise Center), and Brian Worthen (President, Visionary Communications and CEO, Mammoth Networks) to talk about overbuilding.  The group discusses the importance of reclaiming the term as what it really is: plain old competition. They discuss the economics of building … Continue reading "Overbuilding and the Value of Real Competition – Episode 451 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast"

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This week on the podcast we’re joined by Berin Szoka, President of TechFreedom, to talk about the pressing broadband issues of today and tomorrow. Christopher and Berin share what they see as the biggest barriers to universal, high-quality Internet access today, including the jurisdictional issues facing communities large and small, as well as the regulatory solutions which … Continue reading "From Broadband Barriers to Section 230 – Episode 450 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast"

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We don’t often get to spend a whole episode diving into the earliest work that communities do to set the foundation for progress in expanding high-quality broadband access down the road, but that’s what we’re talking about today. This week on the podcast Christopher is joined by Pierrette Renée Dagg, Director of Marketing and Communications … Continue reading "Building a Network to Build a Network in Southwest Michigan – Episode 449 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast"

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For the twelfth episode of our bonus series, “Why NC Broadband Matters,” we’re joined by North Carolina League of Municipalities Chief Legislative Council Erin Wynia to talk about Internet access in the state a full year into the COVID 19 pandemic, and the access gaps experienced in towns across the eastern part of the state. Erin shares … Continue reading "North Carolina’s Broadband Preemption Law Means Leaving Money on the Table – Bonus Episode 12 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast"

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The conclusion of the RDOF auction was met with a good deal of drama and uncertainty, leaving many of us working after the fact to understand the policy and practical impacts of its outcomes. This week on the podcast Christopher talks with Jonathan Chambers, a partner at Conexon, a network solutions provider for electric cooperatives … Continue reading "“This Isn’t a Game:” The RDOF Auction, Unforced Errors, and Getting Infrastructure Funding Right – Episode 448 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast"

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This week on the podcast Christopher talks with Anza Electric Cooperative General Manager Kevin Short, and Network Administrator Sean Trento. Anza Electric stretches across 550 square miles in Southern California between San Diego and Palm Springs, sandwiched between the Salton Sea and the San Jacinto Mountains. About 6 years ago they initiated a vote to see whether … Continue reading "“Fiber from the Sea to the Mountaintop” with Anza Electric Cooperative – Community Broadband Bits Episode 447"

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This week on the podcast we’re catching up with what’s been happening in Le Sueur County (pop. 28,000) in southern Minnesota, and path they’re on to turn the region from one of the least connected in the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes to one on track to becoming among the most connected in the next couple of … Continue reading "Partnerships Bring Better Broadband to Le Sueur County, Minnesota – Episode 446 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast"

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2020 was a year of explosive growth for what is now UTOPIA Fiber’s 15-city footprint, fueled by unprecedented demand. The network buried 1.7 million feet of conduit and 1.4 million feet of fiber cabling, driven by 10,000 new residential installations and over 500 new business connections. This week on the podcast Christopher is joined by CEO and … Continue reading "Wrapping Up a Landmark Year for the UTOPIA Fiber Network – Episode 445 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast"

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