Catch the latest episode of the Connect This! Show, with co-hosts Christopher Mitchell (ILSR) and Travis Carter (USI Fiber) joined by regular guests Kim McKinley (UTOPIA Fiber) and Doug Dawson (CCG Consulting) to talk about all the recent broadband news that's fit to print. 

Topics include:

• Verizon and AT&T claiming that the FCC can't stop them from selling your data
• Starlink introduces a wait list and finally adds a customer help line
• The startling decline in spectrum value for mmWave
• Funding announcements in New York and California that favor public networks
• The Dish/Direct TV deal looks kaput
• How we would redesign the Affordable Connectivity Program, and why

Join us live on November 22, at 2pm ET or listen afterwards wherever you get your podcasts.

Watch the next show on December 6th at 2pm EST.

Email us at [email protected] with feedback and ideas for the show.

Subscribe to the show using this feed or find it on the Connect This! page, and watch on LinkedIn, on YouTube Live, on Facebook live, or below.

In this special episode of the podcast, Chris is joined by Gigi Sohn, Executive Director of the American Association for Public Broadband (AAPB). Originally aired last summer, they discuss the crucial role of state and local governments in broadband policy, efforts to grow community broadband networks across the U.S., and the ongoing challenges these networks face from incumbents and dark money groups.

Gigi also shares insights into her work with Benton, where she helps build coalitions in Missouri, Arizona, and Pennsylvania to ensure effective use of broadband funding. Additionally, the conversation highlights AAPB’s mission to double the number of municipal broadband networks in five years and the importance of defending these networks from attacks like those in Bountiful, Utah.

This show is 47 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

Join us Friday, June 7th at 2pm ET for the latest episode of the Connect This! Show. Co-hosts Christopher Mitchell and Travis Carter will be joined by regular guests Kim McKinley (UTOPIA Fiber) and Robert Boyle (Planet Networks) as well as special guest Blair Levin to talk about how state broadband offices are faring under the pressure of BEAD (some not so well), the conundrum of reaching every unserved home with insufficient funds, how medium providers are continuing the spirit of ACP while elected leaders like Ted Cruz attack straw-man versions of the program, and more.

Email us at [email protected] with feedback and ideas for the show.

Subscribe to the show using this feed or find it on the Connect This! page, and watch on LinkedIn, on YouTube Live, on Facebook live, or below.

Welcome back to another episode of the B4DE Podcast! This time, Chris sits down for a chat with Abraham Camez, the passionate digital navigator for Hoopa Valley's Acorn Wireless ISP.

Abe paints a vivid picture of the looming consequences as the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) draws to a close, affecting not just the reservation but also nearby areas. About 40% of Acorn Wireless's customers, including roughly 80 folks aided by Abe himself, face the harsh reality of losing their internet lifeline.

But amidst the uncertainty, there are stories of hope. Abe shares a touching tale of a Hoopa Tribal member who turned their passion for jewelry into a successful online business, thanks to the ACP's helping hand.

As they discuss the challenges ahead, there's a resilient optimism in the air. Abe applauds the efforts of others in tackling digital equity issues head-on, showing that even in the face of adversity, there's room for progress and positivity.

This show is 11 minutes long and can be played on this page or using the podcast app of your choice with this feed.

Transcript below. 

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes here or see other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance here.

Thanks to Joseph McDade for the music. The song is On the Verge and is used per his Free-Use terms.

Join us Friday, May 3rd at 2pm ET for the latest episode of the Connect This! Show. Co-hosts Christopher Mitchell and Travis Carter will be joined by regular guests Kim McKinley (UTOPIA Fiber) and Doug Dawson (CCG Consulting) with special guests Sean Stokes (Partner, Keller and Heckman) and Roger Timmerman (UTOPIA Fiber). On the docket: the return of net neutrality (and whether it matters), the appeals court decision upholding New York state's affordable broadband law, and our first takeaway from the new broadband nutrition labels.

Email us at [email protected] with feedback and ideas for the show.

Subscribe to the show using this feed or find it on the Connect This! page, and watch on LinkedIn, on YouTube Live, on Facebook live, or below.

In the latest episode of the podcast, Christopher reunites with Ry Marcattilio and Sean Gonsalves to tackle the conclusion of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and the pressing need for sustainable solutions to internet affordability across the United States.

Fresh from the recent Building for Digital Equity (B4DE) Event, this discussion zeroes in on internet affordability, shedding light on successful models and strategies employed by community-owned broadband networks in various municipalities. Examples from Pharr, Texas, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, illustrate effective approaches to providing affordable internet access within local communities.

Wrapping up the conversation are updates on recent developments, including the FCC's redefinition of broadband, the expansion of Longmont's municipal network in Colorado, and a sneak peek into an upcoming podcast episode covering the recent Tribal Broadband Bootcamp held at RantanenTown Ranch in Southern California.

This show is 25 minutes long and can be played on this page or using the podcast app of your choice with this feed.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show: please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes here or see other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance here.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Join us Friday, March 1st at 3pm ET for the latest episode of the Connect This! Show. Co-hosts Christopher Mitchell (ILSR) and Travis Carter (USI Fiber) will be joined by regular guest Doug Dawson (CCG Consulting) and Kim McKinley (UTOPIA Fiber) and special guest Gigi Sohn (American Association or Public Broadband) to talk about the 2024 Metro Connect conference, multi-dwelling units, AT&T's fixed wireless dreams, and municipal network developments in Fort Pierce, Florida and elsewhere before ending the show with the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF).

Email us at [email protected] with feedback and ideas for the show.

Subscribe to the show using this feed or find it on the Connect This! page, and watch on LinkedIn, on YouTube Live, on Facebook live, or below.

The fading sound of holiday bells and soft stillness that comes with plunging temps can only mean one thing; it's January again, which means it's time to break out the crystal ball and have a conversation about the year to come. Joining Christopher in the recording booth are a slew of CBN staffers new and veteran to join in the collective task of putting words to feelings both foreboding and optimistic about the year to come.

Will we see the first BEAD-connected home this year? Will the Affordabel Connectivity Program get re-funded? How will the maps look in 11 more months, with slews of challenge data? How many new municipal ftth networks will we see founded in 2024? State preemption laws rolled back, or re-introduced? Tune in for answers to all these and more.

This show is 48 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

Join us Tuesday, January 16th at 2pm ET for the latest episode of the Connect This! Show. Co-hosts Christopher Mitchell (ILSR) and Travis Carter (USI Fiber) will be joined by regular guests Doug Dawson (CCG Consulting), Kim McKinley (UTOPIA Fiber), and special guest Roger Timmerman (Executive Director UTOPIA Fiber) to prognosticate all of the broadband things for 2024: will ACP get renewed? Which states will get BEAD right, and which are showing signs of cracking under the pressure? What did we see at CES that will impact the broadband market? Is the fiber market going to pause? Tune in for titillating discussion on these topics and many more.

Email us at [email protected] with feedback and ideas for the show.

Subscribe to the show using this feed or find it on the Connect This! page, and watch on LinkedIn, on YouTube Live, on Facebook live, or below.

Join us Wednesday, December 13th at 2pm ET for the latest episode of the Connect This! Show. Co-hosts Christopher Mitchell (ILSR) and Travis Carter (USI Fiber) will be joined by regular guests Doug Dawson (CCG Consulting) and Kim McKinley (UTOPIA Fiber). They'll talk about what we saw in 2023, whether there's hope for an ACP renewal (it doesn't look good), why there's so much unused capacity in government-built fiber networks today, and special guest Gigi Sohn (American Association for Public Broadband) joins to talk some more about the recent anti-municipal network dark money campaign that has inexplicably come out of the woodwork.

Email us at [email protected] with feedback and ideas for the show.

Subscribe to the show using this feed or find it on the Connect This! page, and watch on LinkedIn, on YouTube Live, on Facebook live, or below.