Broadband Action

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 turns 30 years old this year. To "celebrate", CBAN talks with Sean Stokes of Keller & Heckman LLP about the origins of the Act, how it's working, and what changes are needed in today's telecommunications environment.https://www.khlaw.com

Doug Dawson with CCG Consulting joins Curtis Dean and Jon Willow to discuss what he believes are the top 5 "turkeys" of the year in the broadband industry. Doug blogs daily at https://potsandpansbyccg.com. His "Turkey Awards" are available at https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2025/12/08/broadband-turkeys-of-2025/

BEAD is putting a lot of broadband eggs in one high-flying basket - low earth orbit satellite internet. In this edition of Broadband Action, CBAN's Curtis Dean chats with Glenn Fishbine of Breaking Point Solutions about whether LEO can deliver.

It's a holiday tradition at CBAN! Doug Dawson of CCG Consulting reveals his broadband predictions for 2026 to CBAN's Jon Willow and Curtis Dean. https://potsandpansbyccg.com

In 2010, Chattanooga's municipal utility EPB made a controversial $396 million bet on citywide fiber infrastructure. Fifteen years later, economist Dr. Bento Lobo and EPB's William Plank reveal the results in this episode of Broadband Action: $5.3 billion in economic value, 10,420 jobs created, and a 6.4x return on investment. The fiber network powers both gigabit internet and a smart grid that's prevented $632 million in storm damage. The conversation covers how municipal fiber forced competitors to improve service, connected 16,000 low-income students through digital equity programs, and why EPB is now investing $30 million in quantum computing. A masterclass in infrastructure investment with practical lessons for communities nationwide.Read the full study here: https://static.epb.com/media/documents/Lobo-Plank_2025_-_Nov_12_2025.pdf

Curtis Dean with CBAN chats with Doug Adams of Broadband Marketers. Doug has been following the rollout of NTIA approvals for state BEAD programs for the past several weeks, and has some good insights as to what may be coming next. Be sure to check out Doug's insightful articles at www.broadband.io.www.broadbandmarketers.com

CBAN's Curtis Dean talks about the NTIA's announcement that it has approved 18 state/territory final BEAD plans, an important step forward to bringing better broadband to many Americans.https://www.ntia.gov/press-release/2025/ntia-announces-approval-18-bead-final-proposals

In this episode of Broadband Action, we discuss how broadband operators can serve their community through video coverage of community events. Curtis Dean chats with Karyn Leininger of Spencer Municipal Utilities and Monte Goodyk with Pella Fiber about their services.

In this episode of Broadband Action, host Curtis Dean explores Yuma County, Arizona's innovative approach to digital infrastructure with PJ Way, Broadband Program Manager. Way details how the county has strategically combined ARPA and local funding to construct an extensive middle mile fiber network spanning the region. The conversation highlights how this connectivity initiative particularly benefits Yuma's agricultural sector, enabling farmers to implement precision agriculture technologies that optimize crop production while significantly reducing resource consumption—especially critical water usage in this arid region. Dean and Way discuss how this digital transformation represents not just technological progress but a sustainable path forward for rural agricultural communities facing resource challenges.https://www.yumacountyaz.gov

CBAN's Curtis Dean wakes up long enough to record this episode of Broadband Action with co-founder Jon Will to preview the CBAN/IAMU 2025 Spring Summit in Ames, Iowa on April 22-23, 2025.

On this edition of Broadband Action, CBAN’s Jon Willow chats with Christa Vinson and Joshua Williams with Rural LISC. Rural LISC believes that in a resilient rural community, digital access means affordable, reliable broadband internet, widely available internet-enabled computer technology and digital skill supports that meet user needs. Achieving this goal requires intentional strategies and investments to reduce and eliminate barriers to access and use technology. Jon, Christa, and Joshua chat about the work of the organization, including their Broadband Planning Help Hub.Rural LISChttps://www.lisc.org/Broadband Planning Help Hubwww.broadbandplanninghelphub.org

The Universal Service Fund has played a huge role in getting Americans connected, first with telephone service and later with broadband. But legal challenges to the USF could put the program in jeopardy. In this episode of Broadband Action, we chat with Christopher Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and Sean Stokes with Keller & Heckman LLP.https://communitynets.orghttps://www.khlaw.com

In this episode of Broadband Action, the CBAN podcast welcomes Alan Fitzpatrick, who shares valuable insights from his work with Open Broadband in the Carolinas. The discussion delves into Open Broadband's innovative approach to connecting underserved communities through a technology-agnostic strategy. Fitzpatrick explains how his company evaluates each customer's unique situation to determine the most effective connectivity solution, whether it's fiber optics, fixed wireless, cellular networks, or satellite service.Links:Open Broadband: https://openbb.netPower & Tel, CBAN Broadband Backer and Spring Forum Showcase Sponsor: https://www.ptsupply.com

In our final addition of Broadband Action for 2024, Curtis Dean visits with Brad Randall, editor at Total Telecom, as par of our "Covering the Broadband Beat" series. Randall shares his perspectives as a journalist covering the broadband industry and discusses some of the top broadband stories of the year.

A Broadband Action favorite! Curtis Dean and Jon Willow chat with Doug Dawson of CCG Consulting, whose annual predictions edition of his Pots and Pans blog is a must-read among industry professionals. What do the next 12 months have in store for broadband? The almighty sage soothsayer, omnipotent visionary from the East, Doug Dawson will tell us what to expect!

What will be the impact of the (once and future) Donald Trump administration on broadband policy in the US? CBAN's Curtis Dean and Sean Stokes with Keller and Heckman LLP discuss possible changes to BEAD, the Universal Service Fund, FCC initiatives, and more. https://www.khlaw.com

CBAN's Curtis Dean provides an overview of the Broadband Communities Summit West held in San Diego, CA on October 30-31, 2024. Thank you to our sponsor ImOn Communications for supporting our trip to BBC Summit West! https://www.imon.net

Getting digital devices into the hands of people who need them is a vital need in digital equity work. In this episode, we chat with two nonprofit organizations that are helping close the digital divide through device recycling, refurbishment, and distribution. Ashley Smith, E2D https://www.e-2-d.org Padric Gleason, Human I-T https://www.human-i-t.org

The latest edition of Broadband Action, the CBAN podcast, is now available for viewing or listening! CBAN's Jon Willow chats with Ry Marcattilio from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) about a new map of community networks across the U.S. The map, updated with a new engine and user interface, tracks publicly owned broadband networks, including municipal, cooperative, and tribal models. It features various filters for business models, network characteristics, and population sizes, with 400 municipal networks serving over 700 communities. The map aims to help communities find similar networks and solutions for their broadband needs. Future enhancements include exporting raw data and adding technology filters. Links: Community Networks (Institute for Local Self-Reliance): https://communitynets.org ILSR Broadband Map: https://communitynets.org/content/community-network-map Join CBAN and become part of the conversation and the community! https://broadbandaction.com/join-cban/

The Broadband Communities Summit West happens at the end of October. In this edition of Broadband Action, we chat with one of the event organizers, Brad Randall. We also chat with Jim Baller with Keller and Heckman LLP, a CBAN Broadband Backer. Baller and his team will lead one of the session tracks at BBC Summit West. Links: BBC West Agenda: https://www.terrapinn.com/conference/broadband-communities-west/agenda.stm CBAN 20% discount code for BBC Summit West attendees: https://bit.ly/CBAN20BBC Keller and Heckman LLP: https://www.khlaw.com