In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, recorded at Mountain Connect 2025 in Denver, host Brad Hine sits down with Robin Olds, Senior Business Development Manager at Cisco Systems. Together, they explore Cisco’s pivotal role in shaping the future of broadband—from reimagining network architecture with routed optical networking to advancing AI-driven connectivity and capacity management.

Robin shares insights into Cisco’s broadband initiatives, including support for rural and tribal providers, engagement with federal funding programs like BEAD and ReConnect, and the company’s long-standing legacy in internet innovation. They also discuss how service providers can prepare for the growing demands of AI, streaming, and bandwidth-intensive applications by moving compute closer to the network edge.