Light Reading Podcasts

This week: Execs with Brightspeed, Ziply Fiber and CentraCom discuss the biggest problems with broadband permitting; how inconsistent timelines, requirements and costs cause deployment delays; and what reforms are most needed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick Halley, the president and CEO of the Wireless Infrastructure Association, discusses the top trends in the industry and how AI and 6G are poised to come together. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former FCC official Blair Levin joins the podcast to discuss BEAD program updates and how the federal government can best prepare for the future of connectivity and AI as we mark 30 years of the 1996 Telecommunications Act. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: Former FCC official Carol Mattey joins the podcast to discuss the outcome of states' revised BEAD plans and what's next, as well as why she's not optimistic the Universal Service Fund will be reformed anytime soon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New Street Research's Vikash Harlalka joins the podcast to discuss cable's latest round of financial results, including the improvements and the significant challenges the industry will continue to face in 2026. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: IEEE Senior Member David Witkowski joins the podcast to catch up on topics impacting the connectivity landscape – from the BEAD program to the evolution of FWA and satellite broadband to the growth of AI. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With GPS supporting so much of the U.S’s critical infrastructure, it is a known single point of risk. NextNav’s Mariam Sorond joins Light Reading to discuss how operators whose own networks are vulnerable to GPS attacks, can help solve the national security challenge with GPS, secure their networks with a resilient terrestrial timing back-up and open up opportunities by offering 3D PNT capabilities. Sponsored by NextNav. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cable ops are going with FTTP in most greenfield buildouts, but a new report from cable industry vet Jay Rolls suggests that some operators are pivoting to fiber in legacy HFC areas, too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As she prepares to retire as CEO of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, Shirley Bloomfield joins us to discuss progress on connecting the rural US, how BEAD changes will impact those communities, and the need to preserve USF. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amid more FCC approvals for its copper shutdown plan, AT&T is initially targeting customer service migrations with wireless connections ahead of future fiber builds, says AT&T's Susan Johnson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wave7 Research's Jeff Moore joins the podcast to discuss how mobile network operators and MNO-owned brands such as TracFone, Straight Talk and Mint Mobile are beefing up promotions and marketing of FWA services. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: Missouri State Rep. Louis Riggs and Benton's Drew Garner join the podcast to discuss the state of the BEAD program and their push to get the NTIA to 'follow the law' and release full funding to the states. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike Dano, Light Reading's former mobile guy who's now at Ookla, joins the podcast to catch up on all of the intrigue involving mobile and spectrum and some thoughts about the ongoing battle for Warner Bros. Discovery.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nokia's Dirk Verhaegen discusses how operators can transform Wi-Fi from a cost center to a revenue driver with cloud-managed networks and AI insights. This episode is sponsored by Nokia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Wright of Spectrum for the Future and Jason Wallin with the OnGo Alliance discuss how CBRS might be impacted as the FCC and NTIA look high and low for spectrum. They also explain whether the band is under siege or only mildly threatened. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hitachi Vantara's Octavian Tanase, Chief Product Officer joins Light Reading's Phil Harvey to discuss how AI is reshaping enterprise infrastructure design and driving the next generation of high-end block storage.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: Jess Auer (Institute for Local Self-Reliance) and David Kulp (Ashfield, Massachusetts) on ILSR's new report exploring how 19 Western Massachusetts towns collaborated to connect their communities to municipal broadband. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: Digicel's Liam Donnelly joins the podcast to discuss how the operator is restoring network services in regions ravaged by Hurricane Melissa. We also cover broader digital divide issues affecting the Caribbean and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nokia's Geert Heyninck discusses how 25G/50G PON are shaping the next wave of connectivity and how operators can harness them to drive new growth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: Dave Seliger (NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development) and Dr. Brandy McNeil (New York Public Library) discuss New York's Neighborhood Tech Help program and the role it plays in solving the digital divide. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dell'Oro Group's Jeff Heynen joins the first 'Signal Strength' podcast to discuss the big takeaways from TechExpo 2025, Verizon's new fiber partnership, CommScope's 'RemainCo' and a check into cable earnings season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: Paolo Balboa, NYC's chief digital equity officer, joins the podcast to discuss the main barriers to broadband throughout New York, what's been accomplished so far with the city's Digital Equity Roadmap and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: Gigi Sohn, executive director, American Association for Public Broadband, on why the revised BEAD program is unlikely to live up to its initial promise and how public broadband networks can deliver for communities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

LoRa Alliance CEO Alper Yegin joins Light Reading's Phil Harvey to discuss LoRaWAN’s ten-year journey and its role in powering massive IoT. They also examine why leading operators are investing in LoRaWAN alongside 5G, and where the technology shines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SCTE's Maria Popo and Janelle Morse join the podcast to talk themes and topics that will dominate TechExpo 2025 in Washington, DC. Atlanta will host TechExpo 2026, then the show will be in Denver for the foreseeable future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Craig Leddy, a long-time industry journalist and Light Reading contributor, joins the podcast to discuss his new book: 'Fast Forward: The Birth of Video Streaming, Media's Wild Child'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amid GFiber's ongoing network expansions, the company's COO, Rocco Laurenzano, digs into the company's approach to prioritizing projects and allocating resources. 'The real killer of productivity are half-done projects,' he says. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New Street Research policy analyst Blair Levin joins the podcast to discuss the outcome of BEAD's 'benefit of the bargain' bidding and how federal policy changes may exacerbate the digital divide despite increasing access. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this podcast, Heavy Reading's Sterling Perrin explains why many communications service providers (CSPs) believe AI will increase connectivity demand at a greater rate in their long-haul networks and why they expect wavelength services to be the dominant transport service for AI connectivity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Light Reading's Jeff Baumgartner joins the podcast to discuss AT&T's decision to scoop up a swath of EchoStar's low- and mid-band spectrum for $23 billion, what this means for the broader telecom industry and what to expect next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode:Why Ciena acquired Blue Planet (01:37)How Blue Planet's strategy has evolved from addressing service provider requirements for network management (04:17)How Blue Planet is applying agentic AI technologies to OSS (14:53) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode:Some background on Zappi and how it provides brands like PepsiCo, McDonald's and Heineken with consumer data and insights to help fuel their advertising (01:00)A review of the celebrity MVNO sector and some other product areas endorsed or owned by celebrities (3:30)Celebrity-focused ads are distinctive, but they don't necessarily provide a near-term sales bump (7:45)How and why the effectiveness of celebrity advertising varies by age group (21:40)Brand recall also differs among age groups (27:30)How Trump Mobile and its golden T1 phone might resonate in the market (30:00)Other ways celebrity MVNOs may try to stand out in the market (35:40) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prysmian's Matt Brice joins the podcast to discuss how the race to build out AI infrastructure is challenging fiber manufacturers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this podcast, Heavy Reading's Gabriel Brown shares highlights from Heavy Reading research that examines why 5G SA deployments are ramping up and what the biggest drivers are for expansion of the technology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: Eli Dvorkin and Rachel Neches, from the Center for an Urban Future, join the podcast to discuss their report exploring the extent and causes of the ongoing digital divide in the Bronx, New York, and how to solve it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rouzbeh 'Father of the Cable Modem' Yassini and industry analyst Stewart Schley join the podcast to discuss the story of cable broadband – from its early struggles to the rise of DOCSIS – as recounted in their new book, 'The Accidental Network: How a Small Company Sparked a Global Broadband Transformation.' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Light Reading's Iain Morris joins the podcast to unpack Intel's decision to spin off its network and edge assets business (dubbed NEX), what the implications are for equipment makers like Ericsson and what to expect next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bango's Giles Tongue joins the podcast to discuss the evolution of the bundle as subscription combinations extend well beyond streaming services to include fitness services, food boxes, music, gaming, social media and AI offerings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Misty Duckworth and Randy Kinsey join the podcast to explain how BSP's technical due diligence business is rapidly shifting to the data center market and how the rise of AI is driving demand for space, power and cooling in existing and new data center facilities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ACA Connects President and CEO Grant Spellmeyer joins the podcast to discuss the regulatory hot-buttons for independent cable operators, including Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, BEAD revisions, the ATSC 3.0 debate and the deletion of net neutrality proceedings at the FCC. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this podcast, AT&T executives explain how the service provider built an internal generative AI (GenAI) tool to more efficiently manage its network and customer experience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: Spectrum's Jeff Gehrig joins the podcast with Jennifer Tucker of Tucker Farms in Kentucky, to discuss the connectivity challenges facing the rural region and how the farm is now benefiting from Spectrum's fiber build. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this podcast AT&T's Chris Stratmann explains how the FirstNet Response Operations Group (ROG) triages network infrastructure needs for local public safety agencies when natural disasters strike. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Light Reading's Tereza Krásová joins the podcast to discuss developments in quantum computing, what they mean for telecom and how major players in the telecom industry are beginning to prepare for this computing evolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this podcast, LG executives explain how LG's Tennessee-based home appliance factory is applying private 5G and automation across the board – using smart applications, AI, computer vision, digital twins and robotics for a more efficient manufacturing process. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: Telstra International's Sarah Mills discusses the connectivity challenges for Australia's Norfolk Island and how Telstra quadrupled broadband capacity for the remote region with a mix of geostationary (GEO) and medium-Earth orbit (MEO) satellites. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ekahau's Matt Starling is back on the Light Reading Extra podcast to discuss the network performance benefits of Wi-Fi 7, plus Cisco's launch of new Wi-Fi 7 access points during Cisco Live. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

OpenVault CEO Mark Trudeau joins the podcast to discuss the big takeaways of the company's quarterly 'Broadband Insights' report. He also provides an update on how cable operators are squeezing more capacity out of HFC. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: BroadbandNow's Tyler Cooper discusses research showing the FCC is still undercounting the number of people in the US without broadband access, and how incorrect mapping is hindering efforts to close the digital divide. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: Mission Telecom's Mark Colwell and Computers 4 People's Dylan Zajac discuss their non-profit efforts to connect communities in need to broadband, including through their recently launched Shield 5G Home Hotspot. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.