Community Broadband Bits

After a bitter battle with Comcast and a successful referendumto reclaim local authority back in 2017, Fort Collins, Colorado, is moving forward with its municipal fiber network, Connexion. The city is starting to connect residents to the network, so we wanted to check back in with local activists and Connexion staff to find out how it’s going. In this … Continue reading "Checking in With Fort Collins Fiber Network, Connexion- Community Broadband Bits Episode 408" ★ Support this podcast ★

We last spoke to Brian Skelton, president of Tullahoma Utilities Authority, in 2013 for episode 54 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. Since then, the Tennessee city’s municipal fiber network, LightTube, has continued to offer Internet access, voice, and video services, attracting new businesses to the region. For this episode of the Community Broadband Bits podcast, Christopher and … Continue reading "Tullahoma Thrives With Fiber Network, Plus Straight Talk on the Pandemic- Community Broadband Bits Episode 407" ★ Support this podcast ★

The breathtaking mountains of northwest Colorado have long attracted skiers and hikers, but broadband providers haven’t found the region’s rugged landscape and sparse population as appealing. Enter Project THOR, a middle mile fiber network developed out of a collaboration among local governments and private companies led by the Northwest Colorado Council of Goverments (NWCCOG). Over the last few … Continue reading "Heroic Partners Bring Middle Mile Fiber to Northwest Colorado With Project THOR- Community Broadband Bits Episode 406" ★ Support this podcast ★

Our lives have mostly moved online as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the millions of Americans who don’t have access to home broadband have been left behind. Whether it’s unavailable or just unaffordable, these families must risk their health to access essential services, like healthcare and education. This week for the Community Broadband … Continue reading "Digital Inclusion Saves Lives During a Pandemic- Community Broadband Bits Episode 405" ★ Support this podcast ★

The Covid-19 pandemic is affecting communities across the country in different ways. Recently, Christopher called up Scott Mooneyham, Director of Political Communications and Coordination for the North Carolina League of Municipalities, to find out how towns and cities in the Tar Heel State are faring. Christopher and Scott discuss how the spread of the novel coronavirus … Continue reading "NC Needs Local Internet Choice to Tackle Pandemic – Community Broadband Bits Episode 404" ★ Support this podcast ★

With Covid-19 cases growing across the country, it’s more important now than ever that households have access to telehealth services. For the seventh episode of the “Why NC Broadband Matters” podcast series, we spoke with Dave Kirby, president of the North Carolina Telehealth Network Association, about the role of telehealth in the healthcare system, both during … Continue reading "Benefits of Telehealth Go Beyond Covid-19 in Rural NC – Community Broadband Bits Podcast, Bonus Episode Seven" ★ Support this podcast ★

This week on the Community Broadband Bits podcast, Christopher speaks with Steve Song, a fellow at Mozilla who works to connect unserved communities across the globe. Steve shares his background starting out at a nonprofit Internet service provider in 1990s South Africa, and they discuss the negative but mostly positive effects of widespread Internet access. While acknowledging … Continue reading "Think Local, Connect Global with Smart Wireless Policy – Community Broadband Bits Episode 403" ★ Support this podcast ★

For this episode, Christopher was joined by returning guest Jonathan Chambers to discuss the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), which will finance broadband deployment across rural America. Jonathan is a partner at Conexon, which works with rural electric cooperatives to plan, fund, and build fiber optic networks. The pair review the details … Continue reading "How the FCC Plans to Spend $20 Billion on Rural Broadband – Community Broadband Bits Episode 402" ★ Support this podcast ★

The Community Broadband Networks team had to say a difficult goodbye recently to longtime Senior Researcher Lisa Gonzalez, who accepted a new position with the State of Minnesota. Before she left, Lisa sat down with Christopher to reflect on the end of an era. Despite some bittersweet feelings, she expresses confidence that she’s leaving the … Continue reading "Lisa Gonzalez Leaves Us With a Sense of Hope – Community Broadband Bits Episode 401" ★ Support this podcast ★

Early last month, before the spread of the novel coronavirus turned staying home from a quiet night in into a moral imperative, Christopher traveled to North Carolina to attend the Institute for Emerging Issues Forum at North Carolina State University. While there, he interviewed Leslie Boney, Director of the Institute for Emerging Issues. He also spoke with … Continue reading "Bridging Divides, Building Opportunity in Rural and Urban North Carolina – Community Broadband Bits North Carolina Bonus Episode!" ★ Support this podcast ★

Not even a pandemic can stop this week’s guest, US Internet CEO Travis Carter, from finding ways to bring better connectivity to his company’s subscribers and the community. For the 400th episode of the Community Broadband Bits podcast, Christopher interviewed Travis (from six feet away) at the US Internet office outside Minneapolis, Minnesota. The pair … Continue reading "Connecting During a Pandemic With US Internet – Community Broadband Bits Episode 400" ★ Support this podcast ★

When Paul Revere rode through Concord, Massachusetts, to warn the Colonists about the Red Coats, horseback was the fastest way to move information. More than 240 years later, the community that was so instrumental to founding of the United States as we know it now sends information via their own fast, affordable, reliable Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) … Continue reading "Citizens Continue to Lead the Charge in Concord, Massachusetts – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 399" ★ Support this podcast ★

Norman, Oklahoma, is known for the University of Oklahoma and, with 30,000 students enrolled, one expects Internet access to be vibrant and readily available throughout the area. It hasn’t always been that way, but thanks to Oklahoma Electric Cooperative and their OEC Fiber, those who live and work in the areas around the fringes of the … Continue reading "OEC Fiber Delivering the Gigabit Service People Want in Oklahoma – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 398" ★ Support this podcast ★

This is episode number six of the special podcast project we’re working on with NC Broadband Matters to share North Carolina news, challenges, and innovations about broadband in their state.  Christopher went on a trip to in February to attend the Institute for Emerging Issues Forum at North Carolina State University. The event addressed a wide range of topics, … Continue reading "Contending with the Homework Gap – Community Broadband Bits Podcast, Bonus Episode Six" ★ Support this podcast ★

In February, Christopher was in North Carolina at the Institute for Emerging Issues Forum at North Carolina State University. While he was there, he had the opportunity to conduct several interviews with people engaged in research, working with boots on the ground to expand broadband, or advocating for better policy so more people have access to high-quality Internet access. One of the … Continue reading "Talking Telehealth with Danika Tynes, Ph.D. – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 397" ★ Support this podcast ★

Christopher went to North Carolina earlier this month to attend the Institute for Emerging Issues Forum at North Carolina State. While he was there, he interviewed Dr. Jeff Cox, President of Wilkes Community College, and Zach Barricklow Vice President of Strategy for the college. The conversation was too good not to share as another bonus episode for the … Continue reading "Connecting Community Colleges for Opportunity and Development – Community Broadband Bits North Carolina Bonus Episode!" ★ Support this podcast ★

Rural areas are taking steps to improve their connectivity and are developing high-quality Internet access on par with the best services in urban centers. When smaller communities band together, they increase their chances of developing fast, affordable, reliable community networks that serve a larger swath of people. This week, Christopher speaks with Travis Thies, General … Continue reading "Southwest Minnesota Broadband Services Offering Rural Speed, Reliability – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 396" ★ Support this podcast ★

In recent months, we’ve been working with nonprofit NC Broadband Matters to shed light on some of the connectivity issues in North Carolina. The group focuses on bringing broadband coverage to local communities for residents and businesses and have asked us to help them develop the series, “Why NC Broadband Matters,” which explores broadband and related issues … Continue reading "Roberto Gallardo on the Complex Digital Divide – Community Broadband Bits North Carolina Bonus Episode!" ★ Support this podcast ★

Minnesota’s Border to Border Broadband Development Grant Program provides funding for deployment of broadband networks in rural regions of the state. The program, which started in 2014, has helped extend necessary high-quality Internet access infrastructure to dozens of communities. Without this week’s guest, Matt Schmit, the program would never have become a reality. Matt and Christopher knew … Continue reading "Matt Schmit Leading Broadband from Minnesota to Illinois – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 395" ★ Support this podcast ★

Auburn Essential Service (AES) is one of those networks that has been serving the community for years with a steady presence and a strong commitment to the community. This week, Christopher talks with AES General Manager Chris Schweitzer about their fiber optic network, how they’re innovating, and their recipe for consistent growth. AES began with fiber … Continue reading "Auburn Essential Services Steady as It Grows – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 394" ★ Support this podcast ★