In this episode, Jessica Dine, Policy Analyst at New America’s Open Technology Institute and Wireless Future Project, joins Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, to unpack New America’s recent report, Exploring Paths to a U.S. Digital Skills Framework. With billions being invested in broadband deployment and adoption, the lack of a national standard for defining and measuring digital skills poses a major risk to impact. Jessica outlines two strategic options: adapting proven international or institutional models or developing a data-driven framework tailored to the U.S. landscape. Tune in to explore why this work is urgent and how it could advance digital inclusion and policy effectiveness nationwide.

With Special Guest:

Jessica Dine, Policy Analyst at New America’s Open Technology Institute and Wireless Future Project

In this week’s episode, we explore Recon Analytics’ compelling insight: fiber broadband isn’t just another access layer – it’s the backbone of the AI economy. Their latest survey shows that fiber users engage with AI far more frequently and intensely than users on other networks, revealing a powerful feedback loop: better connectivity drives deeper AI adoption, and that engagement further justifies fiber investments. For telecom providers, this isn’t just a usage trend – it’s a strategic signal. Listen this week as Roger Entner, Analyst and Founder of Recon Analytics chats with Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association about what this means for CAPEX allocation, customer segmentation, positioning fiber as the “AI experience,” and rethinking the value proposition in an AI-driven future.

With Special Guest:

Roger Entner, Analyst and Founder of Recon Analytics

This conversation with Brightspeed CEO Michel Combes explores his first six months at the helm of one of the nation’s fastest-growing fiber internet providers. In this discussion with Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, Michel reflects on the company’s transformation journey, progress in expanding high-speed connectivity across its 20-state footprint, and the cultural and operational shifts driving momentum. From accelerating fiber deployment and enhancing customer experience to strengthening community partnerships and fostering an innovative workplace committed to putting the customer first, the session offers a candid look at the challenges, milestones and lessons learned during his initial months of leadership. Attendees will gain insight into Brightspeed’s strategic direction, leadership philosophy and the path forward as the company continues its mission to deliver reliable, next-generation connectivity to more than 5 million locations in the communities it serves. 

With Special Guest:

Michel Combes, CEO, Brightspeed

As the broadband industry’s focus shifts from deployment to adoption, ensuring rural residents have the tools and confidence to fully engage in the digital economy is critical. True inclusion goes beyond connectivity—it requires affordable devices, hands-on digital skills training (including AI literacy), and ongoing community support. When these elements come together, rural communities can transform connectivity into opportunity—fueling new jobs, entrepreneurship, and long-term local prosperity.

In this week’s episode, Adam Dewbury, Ph.D., Researcher and Shaniqua Corley-Moore, Head of Tech Talent Development, join Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, to share evidence-based strategies and best practices for advancing digital inclusion. They’ll explore how tailored interventions can empower key groups—low-income households, women, students, older adults, veterans, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with language barriers, and people with disabilities—to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

With Special Guest:

Adam Dewbury, Ph.D., Researcher and Shaniqua Corley-Moore, Head of Tech Talent Development

Kansas is proving that the buck doesn’t stop with BEAD. Across the state, new broadband initiatives are laying the groundwork for a digital renaissance – connecting communities, revitalizing local economies, and creating opportunities that keep Kansans rooted where they are or even draw them back home. From ground-breaking last-mile projects bringing high-speed fiber to rural areas, to the launch of the state’s first Internet Exchange (IXP) in Wichita – a milestone that strengthens resilience, redundancy, and cybersecurity – Kansas is building a stronger, more connected future.

Tune into our next episode as Joseph Le, Deputy Director of Broadband Development at Kansas Commerce talks with Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association to discuss how state leaders and innovators are lighting up the heartland with fiber and redefining what’s possible for Kansas communities.

With Special Guest:

Joseph Le, Deputy Director of Broadband Development at Kansas Commerce

As we look ahead to the next chapter of connectivity, it’s worth pausing to consider how far we’ve come. In this week’s Fiber for Breakfast, Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, sits down with Mike Render, CEO of RVA LLC, to explore two decades of industry evolution — how internet performance, user expectations, and daily life have been transformed. Drawing on original FBA/RVA data, they uncover the trends in the 2025 Consumer Study that shaped today’s connected world and highlight the critical role fiber has played in driving progress.

With Special Guest:

Mike Render, CEO of RVA LLC

Today, many technologies can advertise 100/20 “broadband,” but few providers deliver those speeds consistently. Consumers are sold “up to” speeds – yet speed test data shows that while fiber consistently delivers as promised, other technologies fall short most of the time. On today’s Fiber for Breakfast, Jonathan Chambers, co-CEO, Conexon talks with Gary Bolton, FBA’s President & CEO about how the industry must move beyond theoretical definitions to accountability based on actual, verifiable performance. The question is simple: are customers really getting what they paid for?

With Special Guest:

Jonathan Chambers, co-CEO, Conexon

The broadband industry is at a turning point. Dell’Oro Group’s newly released 5-Year Forecast projects that the global Broadband Access Equipment market will climb steadily through 2029, with revenues peaking in 2028. Behind the numbers are powerful forces reshaping the industry: fiber expansion, DOCSIS 4.0 upgrades, and the rapid adoption of Wi-Fi 7 and fixed wireless.

This week on Fiber for Breakfast, Jeff Heynen, Vice President of Broadband Access and Home Networking at Dell’Oro Group, joins Gary Bolton, FBA President & CEO, for a must-hear discussion on what’s coming next. They dig into the technologies and strategies including:

The next wave of PON and DOCSIS investment and its competitive implications.

How Fixed Wireless and Wi-Fi 7 are set to transform home connectivity.

Why providers must pivot from “homes passed” to customized services, automation, and AI-driven platforms.

This isn’t just a forecast—it’s a roadmap for where broadband is headed. Whether you’re a network operator, vendor, or investor, this conversation will help you understand how to future-proof your strategy, and what customers will demand next.

With Special Guest:

Jeff Heynen, Vice President of Broadband Access and Home Networking at Dell’Oro Group

Data demand isn’t slowing down—and networks can only stretch so far. As service providers race to keep up, the challenge is no longer just building connections, but ensuring they can stand the test of time.

This week on Fiber for Breakfast, Bryan Darr, Vice President of Government Affairs at Ookla, joins Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, to explore how state broadband offices can stay ahead of the curve.

While fiber remains the backbone of new deployments, the updated BEAD program suggests a bigger role for alternative technologies than many state plans first envisioned. That shift makes ongoing performance monitoring more critical than ever. It’s not enough to declare a network complete—offices must track reliability and capacity for years to come.

Why? Because oversubscription and insufficient backhaul can undermine even the most ambitious projects. And as Darr and Bolton will discuss, some technologies make it easier to add capacity when demand inevitably spikes.

Don’t miss this timely conversation about planning, performance, and the real-world strategies to keep broadband strong for the long haul.

With Special Guest:

Bryan Darr, Vice President of Government Affairs at Ookla

Grand Farm is a collaborative network of growers, startups, corporations, researchers, educators, investors, and government partners working together to solve agricultural challenges through applied technology. Based in North Dakota, with projects and partnerships across the country, Grand Farm supports real-world testing and validation of technologies like autonomous equipment, IoT sensors, and AI-driven tools that rely on strong broadband infrastructure.

In this episode of Fiber for Breakfast, Dr. William Aderholdt, Executive Director of Grand Farm, joins Gary Bolton, President & CEO of FBA to discuss how fiber broadband is accelerating innovation in agriculture. The conversation will focus on how connectivity enables everything from field-level data collection to the adoption of advanced tools across rural communities, helping bridge the gap between AgTech solutions and the growers who need them.

With Special Guest:

Dr. William Aderholdt, Executive Director of Grand Farm