Broadband Pulse

It’s clear that the campus Wi-Fi environment is evolving toward AI-driven operations, mandatory Wi-Fi 6E/7 upgrades, and high-density coverage to support the growth of bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and IoT-enabled environments. Industry watchers note that the rapid adoption of Wi-Fi 6E and 7 is crucial to handle increased capacity, lower latency, and higher speeds required by video conferencing and high-density environments. Looking ahead, Dell’Oro noted that Wi-Fi 7 adoption and the introduction of Wi-Fi 8 APs will continue to fuel demand for multi-gig ports. In response to these trends, Broadcom recently released its Wi-Fi 8 access point (AP) and switch solution, purpose-built with a unified architecture for AI-ready enterprise networks. Building on its Wi-Fi 8 radios launched in October 2025, the new enterprise-grade Wi-Fi 8 AP platform is powered by a new accelerated processing unit (APU) chip, the BCM49438, designed to optimize wireless networking and AI acceleration at the enterprise edge. Also, Broadcom unveiled an enterprise-grade switch platform powered by a new Ethernet switch, the Trident X3+ BCM56390, with Broadcom’s multigigabit PHY and PoE power sourcing equipment (PSE) chips. The company says these platforms form a unified architecture that maximizes the performance, efficiency and security for the Wi-Fi 8 wireless network in the enterprise. In this latest Broadband Pulse podcast, we talked to two key members of Broadcom’s Wi-Fi team making efforts to advance enterprise Wi-Fi: Mike Powell, director of product Management, wireless broadband communications at Broadcom And Ashok Raman, principal product line manager for Broadcom's core switching group Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments: Opening | 0:00 Host introduction of guests | 0:03 Wi-Fi campus evolution | 0:49 Powell and Rahman discuss how hybrid work environments and new security threats are changing the enterprise Wi-Fi landscape. Wi-Fi 8’s emergence | 3:34 The Wi-Fi 8 standard includes built-in capabilities to track, react to, and monitor latency. Broadcom's new enterprise-grade Wi-Fi AP platform | 5:27 The new platform integrates enterprise AI and AI core processors. Self-driving enterprise Wi-Fi networks | 6:45 Powell explores how Broadcom’s platform can help enterprise Wi-Fi platforms self-diagnose problems. A unified architecture | 8:47 Rahman discusses why it was important to deploy the access point (AP) and the switch platforms together.   Vertical segment targets |12:15 Broadcom’s platforms could be a strong fit for data-intensive environments, including the public sector, manufacturing, and healthcare. Campus Wi-Fi telemetry capabilities | 14:58 How the platform could provide visibility across large enterprise campus environments. IEEE 1588 precision time protocol’s role | 15:34 How the 1588 protocol for time stamping, latency and jitter requirements has been adapted for Wi-Fi environments.    Final thoughts/closing | 19:46 Powell and Rahman provide the Broadband Pulse with their final thoughts about the state of the campus Wi-Fi market. About our guests Mike Powell, director of product Management, wireless broadband communications at Broadcom As Director of Marketing and Product Management within Broadcom’s wireless broadband communications unit, he sets the strategic goals, organizational vision, and roadmap for software and silicon platforms with a solid focus on customer relationships and business growth. Powell has contributed to the development of Wi-Fi 8, which is positioned as a foundation for secure, intelligent enterprise AI edge networks. He has been involved in developing Broadcom’s NitroQAM modulation technology and has worked closely with industry standards regarding Wi-Fi Wave 2 certification. Powell joined Broadcom through Broadcom’s acquisition of LVL7 Systems in early 2006. Earlier, Powell served as Large Enterprise Direct Account Manager at IBM. And Ashok Raman, principal product line manager for Broadcom's core switching group Ashok Raman has over 25 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, spanning roles from chip design to product management. In his current role, he has product management responsibility for multiple generations of industry-leading switches for the enterprise campus and datacenter. Previously, he held engineering roles at Intel and a variety of startups. He holds a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, an MSEE from Virginia Tech, and an Exec MBA from UC Berkeley.   About the Podcast  In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

Marvell has put itself squarely in the AI race by refocusing its efforts on developing data center products and solutions. One of those key areas is co-packaged optics (CPO). Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) integrates optical components (lasers, photodetectors) directly with electrical processing chips (ASICs) in the same package, overcoming limitations of traditional pluggable modules by drastically shortening signal paths. Having divested other assets, including its automotive business, Marvell is positioning itself in the data center industry. The company made two key acquisitions in 2025 to bolster its data center capabilities: Celestial AI and XConn Technologies. Celestial AI’s Photonic Fabric technology platform enables optical I/O for package-, system-, and rack-level connectivity in data center infrastructure. Marvell’s acquisition of XConn broadens its data center switching portfolio with PCIe and CXL products, supporting next-generation AI and cloud infrastructure. Earlier in the year, it debuted a custom AI accelerator (XPU) architecture with integrated co-packaged optics (CPO) technology.  In this new podcast, we talked to Rishi Chugh, Vice President and General Manager, Data Center Switch Business Unit, with Marvell. Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments: Opening | 0:00 Host introduction of guests | 0:03 Marvell's push into the data center market | 0:35 Chugh addresses how Marvell has deep roots in the switching and connectivity side of the industry. The co-packaged optics CPO opportunity | 2:22 How CPO has become a natural progression for Marvell. CPO’s influence on power | 5:24 Addressing how CPO can achieve greater efficiency. Data center scale-up | 6:47 The role of scale-up systems in the development of CPO and other technologies. CPO skill sets | 8:33 CPO’s success will require a range of skill sets, power delivery, cooling, cable management, connectors, and optics working in concert. Complementing CPO | 10:40 How scale-up technologies and CPO will work in tandem with switching technologies and Network Interface Cards (NICs) in scale-up scenarios.   Final thoughts/closing | 13:04 Rishi Chugh shares his final thoughts about how Marvell is collaborating with equipment manufacturers, interconnect companies and fiber manufacturers to ensure that there’s an infrastructure for delivering a successful CPO-based system. About our guest Rishi Chugh currently serves as Vice President and General Manager of the Data Center Switch Business Unit at Marvell. Before joining Marvell, he served as Vice President of Product Marketing at Cadence Design Systems and Senior Director of Product Marketing at Cavium, Inc., with a focus on ARM Server CPUs. His career also includes significant roles at Broadcom, Altera, and LSI Logic Corporation, where Rishi contributed to product strategy, market analysis, and product lifecycle management in the networking and semiconductor industries. He holds an MBA in Marketing from Santa Clara University, an MS in Electrical Engineering with a focus on VLSI Design from San Jose State University, and an undergraduate degree in Electronics from Thadomal Shahani Engineering College. In this new podcast, we talked to Rishi Chugh, VP and General Manager of Data Sense Data Center Switch Business Unit with Marvell.  About the Podcast  In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

Ripple Fiber sees an opportunity to address America’s underinvestment in fiber broadband infrastructure. The company, founded by broadband entrepreneur Greg Wilson, views itself as a disruptor in the U.S. fiber broadband market. In this latest episode, we talked with Greg Wilson, founder and CEO of Ripple Fiber, a Charlotte-based independent fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) provider founded in 2021. Greg leads the company's expansion, which aims to build 1.5 million new passings across 15 states over the next five years, following a 2025 merger with fellow fiber broadband provider Hyperfiber. Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments: Opening | 0:00 Host introduction of guests | 0:03 Ripple Fiber's emergence | 0:39 Wilson notes that underinvestment in the nation’s fiber networks has left the door open for disruptors like Ripple to deploy new broadband infrastructure. The Ripple Fiber brand | 2:15 With a focus on optimism, the Ripple Fiber brand centers on how communities can create opportunities through fiber. A local feel | 3:42 Unlike traditional cable operators and telcos, Ripple focuses on establishing a strong local presence in each market it serves.  Working with communities | 5:14 How Ripple Fiber will engage with community leaders to understand their priorities. Broadband competition | 6:59 Ripple Fiber is looking to be honest with its customers with straightforward pricing, no hidden costs and no bandwidth restrictions. Cable’s response | 8:52 In the markets Ripple enters, the provider sees local cable operators upgrading their DOCSIS platforms and implementing enhanced retention strategies but not building out fiber-based broadband. Ripple Fiber’s expansion strategy | 9:54 The company has created an advanced data set and algorithm to identify underserved and unserved broadband markets. Broadband provider consolidation |12:04 Wilson predicts that 2026 will be a busy year for mergers and acquisitions in the fiber broadband market. Fiber broadband speeds |12:51 Wilson notes that its fiber network supports 10 Gbps and that it will release a new 5 Gbps product soon. Business services |14:22 While Ripple Fiber has focused on residential customers, the service provider plans to launch a business-grade service soon. Wholesale services | 16:06 Today, Ripple Fiber’s focus is on providing fiber broadband to homes and businesses, but Wilson said it has the network capability to address data centers, enterprises and wireless backhaul opportunities as they arise. Convergence | 17:15 Ripple plans to keep its product set simple with a continual focus on providing high-speed fiber-based broadband services. Fiber shortages |17:38 While there have been reports of fiber shortages, Ripple Fiber maintains that, because it has already planned with its supplier, it does not foresee any issues. Final thoughts | 18:44 Greg Wilson shares his final thoughts about Ripple Fiber’s disruptive approach to the fiber broadband market.   About the Podcast  In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

When the FCC cut E-Rate funding for mobile hotspots & school bus Wi-Fi in September 2025, it threatened internet access for millions of students – hitting low-income and rural students hardest and worsening the digital divide. Nearly 20K schools & libraries were counting on more than $27.5 million to ensure children and families stay connected, but now they’ve been left out to dry.  But Mission Telecom is serving up a solution to protect affordable Wi-Fi access with a new offer to cover the loss of the revoked E-rate subsidies. The service provider is offering unlimited 4G/5G service at any applicant’s post-discount share of cost on their 471 through June 30, 2026. The new offer builds on Mission Telecom’s Mission-Connect, launched in July, which helped schools and libraries stay connected amidst E-rate uncertainty. Mission-Connect plan delivers affordable, unlimited wireless broadband to schools and libraries with pricing up to 65% below market rates and no contracts. In this new Broadband Pulse podcast, we talked with Mark Colwell, director of broadband operations at Mission Telecom, about how its new offer will make schools and library budgets whole after the E-Rate cuts. Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments: Opening | 0:00 Host introduction of guests |0:03 Mission Telecom’s background | 0:20 How Mission Telecom began its life providing educational TV using MMDS spectrum, and later leased spectrum to the broadband wireless operator Clearwire, now T-Mobile. FCC’s E-Rate eligibility| 2:04 Mission Telecom is providing an alternative service to schools and libraries for Wi-Fi on buses and wireless hotspots, which was cut from the E-Rate program. Mission’s Wi-Fi program | 3:56 Mission’s broadband program now has over 120 partners (schools and libraries). Schools and libraries benefiting from Mission’s program| 5:15 Littleton Public Schools (Colorado), Baltimore Public Library, York County Library (Charlotte, NC) and Boston Public Library are all trialing or using Mission’s wireless services. Mission Telecom’s Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB) partnership | 6:20 Advocating for libraries as a key piece in solving the digital divide. Rural communities | 8:02 Mission is helping rural communities through its partnership with T-Mobile, whose low-band spectrum and 5G coverage is a good fit for smaller communities.   Computers 4 People partnership | 9:33 How Mission Telecom works with various non-profit organizations that refurbish devices. Looking towards 2026 and final thoughts | 10:49 Colwell shares how Mission Telecom is gaining traction in the school and library space and how communities are seeking affordability and a way to support their communities. Meet our guest: Mark Colwell is the Interim Executive Director and the Director of Broadband Operations. Before joining Mission Telecom, Mark served as the Senior Manager of Broadband Programs for the Colorado Broadband Office, where he managed a team overseeing federal broadband grant programs, including the Capital Projects Fund (CPF) and the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. In addition, Mark was appointed by Governor Polis to serve on the Colorado Broadband Deployment Board, funding state and federal grants to connect unserved and underserved Coloradans. Colwell began his career as a Legislative Assistant in the U.S. Congress, focusing on telecommunications, spectrum, rural broadband, and IT issues. He also worked as a Senior Business Operations Analyst at DISH Network, managing projects focused on delivering world-class customer experience. Mark earned a master's degree from the Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program at the University of Colorado-Boulder, graduating at the top of his class. About the Podcast  In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

In this new Broadband Pulse podcast, we talked to Jared Sonne, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Astound West Region. During the session, Sonne addressed how Astound Broadband is approaching new opportunities with the government's BEAD program, community and commercial broadband partnerships and its ongoing penetration into the multi-dwelling unit (MDU) market.  About the Podcast  In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.  

In this latest issue of Building Broadband, we’re tracking new broadband deployments from various providers. Today, we’re breaking the summary into two parts—highlighting builds for the weeks ending January 16 and January 9. For the week of January 16, we’re tracking deployments from Comcast, Dobson Fiber, Glo Fiber, Spectrum, STELLAR Broadband and Ziply Fiber. Then, for the week of January 8, we tracked deployments from Burlington Telecom, Comcast, Fybe, GoNetspeed, Ripple Fiber and Spectrum. About the Podcast  In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.  

Unlike previous generations of Wi-Fi that focused on speed, the upcoming Wi-Fi 8 standard (IEEE 802.11bn) focuses on enabling Ultra High Reliability (UHR), consistency, and lower latency in real-world, interference-prone environments.  Broadcom is taking on the Wi-Fi 8 opportunity full force. As AI reshapes how data moves, Broadcom is taking on Wi-Fi 8 with its recently launched BCM4918 Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) and two new dual-band Wi-Fi 8 devices, the BCM6714 and BCM6719.  In this episode, we talked to two key members of Broadcom’s Wi-Fi group about how it is addressing the emerging Wi-Fi 8 opportunity: In this episode, we talked two key members of Broadcom’s Wi-Fi group: Chris Szymanski, director of product marketing for the Wireless Broadband Communications for Broadcom And Kevin Narimatsu, associate director of product marketing for Wireless Broadband Communications at Broadcom Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments: Opening | 0:00 Host introduction of guests | 0:03 Broadcom’s CES perspective | 0:44 Szymanski shares his views about the show’s Wi-Fi trends. Broadcom’s Wi-Fi 8 ecosystem | 2:12 Narimatsu talks about Broadcom’s new Wi-Fi 8 chips: the BCM 6719 and the BCM 6714. The AI factor | 3:53 Szymanski discusses how AI is impacting next-gen Wi-Fi. Enterprise Wi-Fi trends | 7:10 Szymanski discusses how to deliver seamless Wi-Fi performance for enterprises. Broadcom’s multi-band Wi-Fi support | 11:18 Narimatsu explains that integrating multiple bands enables it to offer a platform at a similar cost point to Wi-Fi 7. Addressing vertical markets | 12:19 Szymanski addresses how Broadcom licenses its Wi-Fi technology for other adjacent markets like automotive. Addressing cost-sensitive Wi-Fi markets | 14:29 Narimatsu sees opportunities for Broadcom to accommodate the unique broadband market dynamics in Europe and other regions. Final thoughts and closing |16:37 Szymanski and Narimatsu provide their final thoughts about their new Wi-Fi platforms and how the market will continue to evolve. About our guests Chris Szymanski, director of product marketing for the Wireless Broadband Communications for Broadcom Christopher Szymanski is Director of Product Marketing for Broadcom Inc.’s Mobile Connectivity Division, with a focus on technology strategy, spectrum policy, regulatory affairs, and standards development. Mr. Szymanski serves as Director on the Wi-Fi Alliance Board and the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance Board. Prior to taking on this role, Mr. Szymanski served as Global Trade Compliance Officer, Director of Global Regulatory Affairs, and Secretary of the Political Activity Committee (PAC) for Broadcom Corporation. Before joining Broadcom, Szymanski lived in China for over four years, serving in a compliance and government relations role for a semiconductor foundry. For the last three of those years in China, he also served as co-chair of the Export Compliance Working Group (ECWG) of the American Chamber of Commerce to improve the U.S.-China high-tech trade relationship. Prior to working in China, Szymanski served on Capitol Hill for Congressman Don Manzullo, the House Committee on Small Business, and the U.S.-China Interparliamentary Exchange, advising on manufacturing, trade, and defense policies and accompanying and hosting official delegations to and from China. Szymanski received his master’s in business administration (MBA) from the Washington University Olin School of Business, with a focus on leadership in China. And Kevin Narimatsu, associate director of product marketing for Wireless Broadband Communications at Broadcom Narimatsu leads Broadcom’s business development and product marketing team focused on the WLAN retail and service-provider router and OTT video streaming markets. During his tenure at Broadcom, he also served as the associate director of business development for Japan and as the Cisco account manager. Earlier in his career, he held sales and engineering roles at Vitesse Semiconductor and LSI Logic. Narimatsu holds a bachelor’s degree, Electrical Engineering and Economics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. About the Podcast  In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

In this Building Broadband episode of Broadband Pulse, we're tracking new broadband deployments from Comcast, Digital C, Intrepid Fiber Networks, Optimum, Shentel, STELLAR Broadband, and Wyyered Fiber.  About the Podcast  In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

As the demands from AI have created new bandwidth expectations, the Optical Interoperability Forum (OIF) realizes that it has to respond to new demands for industry interoperability in near real time. This was reflected in the OIF’s Next Generation CEI-448G Framework Document, released at its recent Q4 2025 Technical and MA&E Committees Meeting. OIF’s CEI-448G Framework Document defines the application spaces, technical challenges and potential solution paths for electrical interfaces operating at 448 Gbps per lane. During this podcast, we talked to two optical industry veterans about OIF’s recent CEI documents and its expectations for OIF’s first quarter 2026 Technical and MA&E Committees meeting at the OFC show in March: Nathan Tracy, President of OIF And Cathy Liu, board member of OIF Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments: Opening | 0:00 Host introduction of guests | 0:03 Update on recent OIF activities | 0:30 Nathan Tracy and Kathy Liu address the OIF’s new CEI 448G framework. Focus on interoperability | 2:00 How AI/ML has created the hardest data rate jump it has ever faced. OIF’s February Q1 meeting | 6:20 Tracy and Liu give a preview of the OIF’s upcoming quarterly meeting and a preview of OFC activities. Coherent optics | 10:24 How the OIF can deliver value by creating coherent optic standards recommendations for shorter lengths, including in campus or building settings. The Data Center Interconnect (DCI) opportunity |14:25 The OIF is helping its membership address the hyperscale and AI compute needs. Final thoughts/closing | 16:30 Tracy and Liu give their final thoughts about OIF's activities at their upcoming meeting and the OFC trade show in March.  About our guests Nathan Tracy, President of OIF Nathan Tracy currently serves as OIF’s President on the Board of Directors. Over the past 13 years, he has also served OIF as vice president of marketing, co-chair of the market awareness and education (MA&E) committee, technical committee chair, and technical committee vice chair. As a technologist on the system architecture team for the Digital Data Networks business unit at TE Connectivity (TE), he is responsible for driving standards activities and working with key customers to enable new system architecture. Tracy has more than 30 years of experience in technology development, marketing, and business development for TE, with a focus on RF/microwave and high-speed signaling technologies for the networking, telecom, wireless, automotive, and defense markets. He is also an active member of other industry standards and associations. He is currently a regular attendee and contributor to IEEE 802.3 and the Ethernet Alliance. Additionally, he is active in several industry MSAs and forums, where he has held leadership roles. And Cathy Liu, board member of OIF Cathy Liu, distinguished Engineer, currently leads Broadcom’s SerDes architecture and modeling group. Since 2002, she has been working on high-speed transceiver solutions. Previously, she developed read channel and mobile digital TV receiver solutions. She specializes in signal processing, FEC, and modeling for high-speed optical and electrical transceiver solutions, has published numerous journal and conference papers, and holds over 20 U.S. patents. She currently serves as the vice president of the board director of Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF), a member of the board of advisors for the department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) of University of California at Davis, a member of Signal Integrity Journal editorial advisory board, and the co-chair of the DesignCon technical track of high speed signal processing, equalization and coding. She received the DesignCon 2021 Engineer of the Year award. She earned her B.S. in Electronic Engineering from Tsinghua University in China and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Hawaii. About the Podcast  In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

Founded in 2023 in Houston, Texas, by Carter Old and SDC Capital Partners, Lyte Fiber focuses on delivering fiber-based broadband in Texas and beyond. Old, a former US Navy officer, has extensive experience in developing new approaches to broadband delivery and financial expertise across various industry segments. Lyte Fiber is not Old's first fiber rodeo. Before co-founding Lyte Fiber, he co-founded Tachus, which fellow fiber broadband provider Ezee Fiber recently acquired. Lyte offers both residential and business internet service plans supported by an XGS-PON access network capable of delivering up to 10 Gbps. Today, Lyte Fiber serves nine Texas communities and plans to expand further in the coming year. Old acknowledged that while the fiber broadband industry is “really competitive,” there’s a big opportunity to address underserved communities with fiber-based broadband services. Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments: Opening | 0.00 Host introduction of guests | 0:03 Founding Lyte Fiber | 0:18 Old discusses how he worked with SDC Capital to form his latest startup. Network expansion | 3:13 How Lyte Fiber has prioritized fiber builds in underserved communities. Engaging with communities | 5:35 Lyte Fiber focuses on leading first with building long-term relationships. Fiber’s community impact | 8:02 How the presence of fiber-based broadband makes a community more attractive for existing and new residents. Underserved communities | 11:43 Old addresses the challenges of bringing fiber to underserved communities.   Community permitting | 13:12 As it moves to get fiber lit in 15 markets, permitting is an all-hands-on-deck effort. Navigating the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program (BEAD) Program | 15:11 The state of Texas recently awarded Lyte Fiber $142 million to connect seven communities. The broadband M&A wave |18:41 Lyte Fiber is actively evaluating potential opportunities. Broadband competition | 20:22 Within Lyte Fiber’s markets, the provider mainly faces competition from cable operators. Final thoughts/closing | 23:17 Looking ahead, Lyte Fiber will focus on scaling, delivering solid customer service, ensuring network reliability, and addressing each community’s needs.   About our guest Carter Old is Founder and CEO of Lyte Fiber, LLC, a Texas-based fiber broadband internet company formed in partnership with SDC Capital Partners. Before he founded Lyte, Carter co-founded Tachus, LLC, a Houston-based fiber broadband internet company that he helped build and grow to nearly 160 employees, 70,000+ passed homes, and 20,000+ customers in three and a half years. Under his leadership, Tachus raised over $190 million in total debt and equity capital. While at Tachus, he and his business partner were named finalists for the 2022 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® Central South Awards. In addition to his fiber broadband experience, Old was the co-founder of OmniEarth, an Earth intelligence and analytics company based in Arlington, VA. He also worked at Fieldstone Partners, where he served as Senior Vice President and COO and co-led Fieldstone’s space and ground infrastructure business areas. Earlier, Old served on active duty for four years as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy. He was initially the First Lieutenant and then the Naval Infantry Officer for USS BULKELEY (DDG 84) on his first tour, and then the Operations Officer for MCM CREW LEADER on his second tour. He attended the University of Texas at Austin on a Navy ROTC scholarship and graduated with a B.A. in Government. He also has an M.B.A. from UT-Austin. About the Podcast  In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

In this latest issue of Building Broadband, we’re tracking new broadband deployments from Bluepeak, Cajun Broadband, Comcast, Ezee Fiber, Fidium, Ripple Fiber, Surf Internet and Ziply. About the Podcast  In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

Arelion enhances its European reach while carving out a position in the ever-evolving enterprise services market.    As chief evangelist at Arelion, Mattias Fridström is passionate about networking. A nearly 30-year veteran of the service provider, Fridström not only has insights into the networked economy but also into the challenges network providers will face tomorrow in meeting ever-increasing traffic demand and customer quality expectations within the same cost framework. However, his passion is not limited to networks: he has played golf professionally and competed at the national level in football and in in-line hockey (the Swedish name for floorball).  Arelion has continued to evolve since it began building its network in 1993, when its Autonomous System (AS) 1299 was allocated. The provider has continued to grow organically ever since. The service provider’s network now stretches 77,000 km across Europe, North America, and Asia. Customers connect directly to over 2,900 wholesale customers in more than 129 countries. Also, Arelion has over 450 local access partners worldwide. In 2025, the service provider took a significant step to enhance its European network reach by expanding its Baltic network, constructing a fully diverse, high-capacity route between Helsinki and Warsaw. And while Arelion is a well-known wholesale carrier, earlier this year it began to expand into the enterprise services market. Arelion continues to succeed in selling its products to businesses directly and via agents. In this podcast, we spoke with Fridström about the service provider’s ongoing network expansion and its move to establish a stronger brand foothold in the enterprise services market. Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments: Opening | 0.00 Host introduction of guests | 0:03 Arelion’s recent Baltic to Western Europe network route | 0:27 This new network is built to bypass traditionally congested routes, providing resilience for carrier and enterprise customers.  The EU's Connecting Europe Facility 2 (CEF2) program | 2:07 How Arelion is leveraging CEF2 funding to modernize transport networks in underserved areas of Europe, like the Baltics. Arelion’s European network plans | 3:27 Fridström explains how the Baltic expansion fits into the broader European connectivity trends. Arelion’s network redundancy approaches | 4:22 How Arelion’s customers value having multiple network paths to data centers and other critical locations. Approaching data center opportunities | 5:31 Arelion works to provide the best path for extending fiber to new data centers. Local and regional data centers | 7:03 How new data centers drive Arelion’s network expansion plans. Arelion’s broad network reach | 8:20 The service provider’s network can accommodate customers with global reach needs. Serving enterprise customers | 9:23 How Arelion can apply its wholesale service experience to meet business customer needs. Establishing an enterprise services brand |10:55 Arelion is working to show enterprises that it is a viable provider. The role of Network as a Service (NaaS) | 12:51 While Arelion's view of NaaS is excellent, it faces several challenges. AI’s influence | 14:32 How AI-driven traffic influences Arelion’s network planning process.     Looking forward to 2026 |16:36 Arelion sets its course for carrier and enterprise service opportunities. Final thoughts and closing |18:32 Besides anticipating additional traffic growth, Fridström sees potential upside in the enterprise services market. About the Podcast  In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

In this latest issue of Building Broadband, we’re tracking new broadband deployments from Dobson Fiber, Fidium, Henderson Municipal Power & Light, Metronet Fiber, Omni Fiber, Spectrum, TDS Telecom and Wecom Fiber. About the Podcast   In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com. 

While LightRiver, a network integrator, operates in multiple customer spheres—telecom providers, data centers and the public sector- the one thing they all have in common is that they operate high-reliability communications networks. The company is focused on building networks that they sell services to every fund from the Internet at your house to multi-terabit networks between data centers and enterprises of all sizes in between. Out of its main customer segments, the largest of the networks that it builds is in the service provider sector. As a result, LightRiver keeps a keen eye on what's happening there and what's happening in the other areas so it can bring value to our customers by sharing ideas that it has learned as best practices across different areas. In this episode, we talked to two experts at LightRiver about providing a seamless experience for their provider customers: Walt Paskowski, SVP marketing and sales operations for LightRiver And Matt Briley, Senior VP of global sales for LightRiver Here is a timeline of the episode: 0:03    Opening and introduction of guests 0:26    Customer diversity The unique elements of the three main industries LightRiver serves—service providers, data centers, and the public sector. 2:04   LightRiver’s factory-built networks approach How LightRiver’s approach to building a network in its own facility minimizes disruption for its customers. 4:41    Customer examples LightRiver shares how it helped Gigabit Fiber build a new network for interconnecting about 12 different data centers in Dallas and other markets. 5:56    Integrating network assets How LightRiver can help service providers integrate assets they purchase. 8:02    Cable’s coax and fiber transition Giving cable customers a common view of their assets. 10:59 The evolving data center industry LightRiver’s factory-built network process is finding resonance with data center providers. 12:33 AI’s growing influence How LightRiver has incorporated AI to help its customers track assets, network data, and building agents into its software. 15:16 Light River’s geographic reach The company has personnel in 26 out of the 50 states across the US and 150 team members in North America and the UK to respond to its diverse customer set. 17:46 Final Thoughts/Closing Walt Paskowski and Matt Briley share their final thoughts with Broadband Pulse host Sean Buckley. About our guests Walt Paskowski, SVP marketing and sales operations for LightRiver Walt Paskowski oversees LightRiver’s marketing and sales operations, reporting to the CEO. He originally joined LightRiver in 2013 as Senior Vice President of Sales, focused on Utility, Transit, State & Local Government, Public Safety and Research & Education market verticals. He brings over 20 years of experience driving client-centric, mission-critical technology and business solutions, sales leadership and bottom-line revenue contributions to LightRiver and its customers from best-of-breed transport equipment manufacturers, like Alcatel-Lucent and Harris Corporation. Walt has a background in finance, manufacturing, operations and sales. Walt has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Strayer University and another Bachelor of Science in Finance & Business Administration from the University of Connecticut. Matt Briley, senior VP of global sales for LightRiver Matt Briley is at the helm of LightRiver’s Global Sales and Network Solutions Engineering teams, where he oversees both the business and technology aspects of providing customers and partners with problem-solving technology. His primary focus is empowering companies to automate, modernize, and optimize their communications networks, ensuring they stay ahead in the ever-changing industry. With over two decades of experience, Matt has held crucial roles in the industry, including leading Nokia’s Optical Networking business in North America. He also made significant contributions in sales and engineering management positions at Infinera and Ciena, expanding businesses across multiple geographies and sectors. Matt’s passion for the industry is entwined in his background, holding a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the University of Oklahoma, and beginning his career with the MCI engineering development program. When he’s not shaping the future of telecommunications, Matt enjoys spending quality time with his family in Heath, TX, just outside Dallas. Together, they relish activities such as biking, sporting clays, golf, and Jeeping. About the Podcast  In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com. 

With most people being distracted during the holidays, online scammers are ready to pounce on consumers. According to Optimum, the most common online scams identified by Optimum’s cybersecurity team this season include phishing websites, smishing scams, non-delivery schemes, charity fraud and travel scams. The company shared these insights in October during the worldwide Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Today, Optimum’s network blocks thousands of malicious attack attempts daily for our customers, ranging from phishing, smishing, spam, malware and other scams.  Optimum is in an interesting position to help consumers with battling online threats. Consider that over the last three years, the cable MSO has been transforming its business, which includes investing heavily in its network to expand service across its 21-state footprint. This year, the company has surpassed 3 million Fiber passings and has seen 50% fewer network outages. In this episode, we talked to Ben Smith, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at Optimum, about the top security threats consumers face and how to avoid potential traps. Here is a timeline of the episode: 0:03    Opening        0:40    Optimum’s celebration of Cybersecurity Awareness Month       How scam artists and hackers ramp up their attacks on consumers during the holiday season. 6:54    Scammers leveraging AI.             Using AI to conduct phishing to spoof the look and feel of an email that might come directly from a company. 8:09    Optimum’s cybersecurity efforts The service provider is scaling its security controls, visibility and governance. 10:31 Bundling security with broadband   Optimum is developing an advanced security offering that will allow consumers to manage their own Internet security. 12:09 Regulatory compliance and resilience. Optimum continues to hold operational testing of its cybersecurity operations. 14:09 Final thoughts/wrap up About our guest Ben Smith serves as the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at Optimum, where he leads the company’s enterprise cybersecurity, governance, and IT risk management strategy. With over 20 years of experience across telecommunications, healthcare, and financial services, he has built and led security and IT risk management programs that align technology with organizational strategy, operational resilience, and regulatory requirements. He serves on the Board of Directors of Hudson Valley Credit Union as Board Secretary and is a member of the Governance and Nominations Committee as well as the Finance Committee. In the past, he has served on multiple not-for-profit and community Boards and Advisory Committees. A seasoned advisor to leading cybersecurity organizations, Ben leverages his executive and board experience to drive product strategy and market expansion within regulated industries. He holds both an MBA and a B.S. in Management Information Systems from Rochester Institute of Technology, along with CISSP and CHCIO certifications.  About the Podcast  In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com. 

In this week's episode of Building Broadband, we're tracking new broadband builds from Alabama Fiber Network (AFN), Breezeline, Brightspeed, eX² Technology, Home Telecom, and Ziply Fiber.   These providers are all using a mix of public and private funding for a host of new broadband build-outs across a diverse set of communities. Lightwave is tracking service providers' ongoing efforts to extend broadband to more homes and businesses via our Building Broadband series. If you want to share a new broadband build, contact Lightwave Editor in Chief Sean Buckley at sbuckley@endeavorb2b.com. About the Podcast  In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com. 

In this special edition of the Broadband Pulse podcast, we're in Dallas, Texas, covering this year’s Mplify (formerly MEF) Global NaaS Event GNE 2025 show. For this episode, we’re taking a look at the key highlights of the first day of the event:  Mplify’s leadership transition Mplify Market Brief Positioning NaaS as Foundation for Agentic AI Mplify’s Carrier Ethernet for AI certification Advancing Mplify's certification efforts in wireless through aligning with the GSMA Addressing standardized automation for enterprises About the Podcast  In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com.   

In this week's episode of Building Broadband, we're tracking new broadband builds from Brightspeed, Digital C, Ezee Fiber, Fidium, Greenlight Networks, Junction Internet, Lyte Fiber, Metro Communications, Metronet, and Vero Fiber are all using a mix of public and private funding for a host of new broadband build-outs across a diverse set of communities. As part of this mix, we also saw three service providers move to expand their footprints through M&A:  Greenlight Networks to acquire FastBridge Fiber Metro Communications’ Clearwave Fiber Southern Illinois deal bolsters its FTTH plans Vero Fiber extends its Southeast reach with the acquisition of Telephone Electronics Corporation (TEC) acquisition About the Podcast  In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com. 

In late August, the Arkansas State Broadband Office released the state’s final proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, officially opening the plan for public review and comment. According to the Arkansas State Broadband Office, the state's $1 billion BEAD program represents the largest public broadband investment in Arkansas history. The state's BEAD program garnered a strong response. Arkansas' State Broadband Office received 730 applications from 33 internet service providers (ISPs), and 23 providers were selected by the broadband office for preliminary awards.  During this Broadband Pulse podcast, we talked to Glen Howie, director of the Arkansas State Broadband Office, about how it will apply the BEAD program to bring broadband to its communities. Here is a timeline of the episode: Opening 0:39    Arkansas's Broadband Efforts How state and federal grants like Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) are helping the state expand broadband availability. 2:12    Arkansas's landscape How the state can extend broadband to rural and urban areas. 3:06    Final BEAD proposal for public comment Howie sees BEAD as the true blueprint to achieve universal broadband access across the state. 5:04    BEAD provider diversity Arkansas’s BEAD proposal drew a wide swath of service providers: 29 from Arkansas and 19 from outside the state. 7:55    Navigating BEAD uncertainty Even with the change of the White House administration, Arkansas continued to move with a sense of urgency. 9:26    Sharing BEAD experiences with other states Arkansas continues to talk to other states about its best practices. 9:56    Digital skills training As the state wires more locations with broadband, it is also focusing on helping people acquire digital skills to access and use the service for employment and education opportunities. 14:30 Communicating with communities How the state and the BEAD participants are working with local leaders to provide information on how the BEAD program will impact their communities. 16:55 Final thoughts/wrap up About our guest Glen Howie is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in both the private and public sectors. A proud native of a small town of about 12,000, he understands the sense of pride and "community" that permeates Main Street USA, as well as the concerns and challenges facing rural Arkansas. In his current role as Director of the Arkansas State Broadband Office, he is leading an "all-of-state" effort to provide "all-of-state" solutions for the "all-of-state" issue of broadband. With a once-in-a-century opportunity to transform the Arkansas economy, Glen's vision, and the Arkansas State Broadband Office's mandate, is to be a leader in the South and a Top Ten state in the country, in all things broadband. Glen earned an undergraduate degree in finance and a master’s degree in public administration from LSU. After he completed the MPA program, he was selected as the recipient of the David B. Johnson Award for Academic Excellence, highlighting his academic achievement, critical analysis of public policy issues, and commitment to improving public management. About the Podcast  In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com. 

In this episode of the Broadband Pulse, we talked to the Ethernet Alliance about the upcoming High-Speed Networking (HSN) Plugfest that will be held from December 8-12, 2025, at Keysight Technologies in Santa Clara, CA. The Plugfest will feature interoperability testing for Ethernet devices ranging from 200GbE to 1.6TbE, covering various interconnects and transceivers. The event supports the transition to 200Gbps per lane, enabling breakthroughs in AI, cloud computing, and high-performance data centers. Besides the Plugfest, the Ethernet Alliance is also hosting the TEF 2025: Ethernet for AI. Taking a page from the TEF 2024: Ethernet in the Age of AI event, held in October 2024, the new event will take a deeper exploration into 400 Gbps electrical and optical signaling in response to the industry’s need to address the growing demands of AI workloads. During the podcast, we talked to two key members of the Ethernet Alliance:  John D’Ambrosia, a Distinguished Engineer with the Datacom Standards Research team at Futurewei and Ethernet Alliance TEF Chair And Sam Johnson, HSN Subcommittee Chair for the Ethernet Alliance and manager of the Link Applications Engineering team within Intel’s Networking Solutions Group Here’s a timeline of the episode: Opening 0:03    Host introduces guests Broadband Pulse host Sean Buckley introduced John D’Ambrosia and Sam Johnson 1:08    Ethernet Alliance Plugfest event The details of the Ethernet Alliance’s High-Speed Networking (HSN) plugfest event in December at Keysight Technologies’ headquarters in Santa Clara, California. 5:16    200 Gbps per lane How 200G is the next building block speed in the evolution of Ethernet. 7:34    Seeing the potential in 1.6 Tbps The HSN interoperability tests will look at Ethernet devices ranging from 200GbE to 1.6TbE. 11:15 Coalescing around the Ethernet standard and the IEEE How vendors and the Ethernet industry are trying to find commonality. 12:14 TEF 2025: Ethernet For AI How the TEF 2025 for AI will address how to help the Ethernet industry address increased bandwidth, faster signaling, power delivery challenges, advanced packaging technologies, next-generation test equipment and methodologies, and new approaches to cooling. 15:05 AI networking based on 400Gbps signaling How the next generation of AI networking, based on 400 Gbps signaling, is likely to diverge significantly from today’s architectures. 19:14 Final Thoughts/Closing John D’Ambrosia and Sam Johnson give their final thoughts about the ongoing evolution of Ethernet. About our guests: John D’Ambrosia, a Distinguished Engineer with the Datacom Standards Research team at Futurewei and Ethernet Alliance TEF Chair John D’Ambrosia is a Distinguished Engineer with the Datacom Standards Research team at Futurewei Technologies, a U.S. subsidiary of Huawei.  John has over 25 years of experience supporting standards development.   John is currently the chair of the IEEE P802.3dj 200 Gbps, 400 Gbps, 800 Gb/s, and 1.6 Tbps Task Force.  Previously, John chaired the IEEE 802.3 Task Forces that developed 40 GbE and 100 GbE, 200 and 400 GbE, and 800 GbE. Additionally, he chaired other IEEE 802.3 task forces, as well as the IEEE 802.3 New Ethernet Applications Ad hoc.  John is also a member of the IEEE 802 LAN / MAN Standards Committee and is an IEEE Senior Member.  In addition to his multiple roles in IEEE 802, John is one of the founders of the Ethernet Alliance and served as Chairman from 2011 to 2019.  John served as an advisor to the European Photonics Industry Consortium from 2019 to 2022c. His previous work experience includes Dell, Force10 Networks, and Tyco Electronics. Sam Johnson, HSN Subcommittee Chair for the Ethernet Alliance and manager of the Link Applications Engineering team within Intel’s Networking Solutions Group Sam Johnson is an Engineering Manager with Intel Corporation, leading the Link Applications Engineering team within the Network and Edge Group. Sam started at Intel in 2010 with a focus on 10G Serial Ethernet debug and has built a career based on High Speed Serial Ethernet PHY and pluggable media behavior, configuration, and interoperability. He and his team work to define and develop the Ethernet hardware control infrastructure and to enable and support Intel customers' Ethernet solutions. Sam holds multiple patents related to Ethernet interoperability and is a co-chair of the High Speed Networking subcommittee within the Ethernet Alliance, with a focus on L1 protocol and interoperability testing. Outside of work, Sam enjoys spending time with his family, woodworking, and all forms of outdoor recreation. About the Podcast  In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com.