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When Starlink Rewrites the Rules of Broadband Funding - Episode 675 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

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In this episode of the podcast, Chris is joined by Doug Adams, head of Broadband Marketers and writer at Broadband.io, and Karl Bode for a wide-ranging discussion on recent developments reshaping federal broadband policy.

The conversation centers on Starlink’s latest efforts to reshape BEAD program requirements through confidential riders sent to state broadband offices—requests that would dramatically reduce accountability, alter performance standards, and deliver large sums of public funding upfront. 

Doug breaks down what states are being asked to accept, why NTIA has reportedly warned states not to sign on, and how these demands differ from the obligations placed on fiber and fixed wireless providers.

Chris and Karl place the moment in historical context, comparing it to past telecom subsidy failures and raising concerns about affordability, capacity limits, consumer protections, and long-term resilience. 

The discussion also touches on broader themes: the erosion of federal oversight, the future of municipal broadband, how ARPA funds are still quietly delivering results in states like New York, and why community-driven fiber networks may once again become the fallback as federal promises falter.

The episode closes with reflections on accountability, public trust, and the real-world impacts of policy decisions on rural communities.

This show is 50 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed. 

You can also check out the video version via YouTube.

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

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How Rural America Gets Left Behind - Episode 660 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

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In this episode of the podcast, Chris reconnects with Jonathan Chambers from Conexon to unpack the past, present, and future of federal broadband policy. 

They revisit the lessons of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), the wave of defaults that followed, and why definitions of “broadband” have so often favored weaker technologies over fiber.

Jonathan shares insights on the BEAD program, the risks of funneling funds to satellite providers, and how policy choices today will shape whether rural communities thrive or wither tomorrow.

Despite frustrations, he ends with a call for evidence-based decisions and hope that local voices can still steer broadband investment where it’s needed most.

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.

You can also check out the video version via YouTube.

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

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How Federal Changes Could Derail BEAD - Episode 659 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

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on

In this episode of the podcast, Chris is joined by Sarah Morris, Managing Director of Technology at Waxman Strategies and former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary at NTIA.

Sarah offers an insider’s perspective on the BEAD program, reflecting on her time helping design and launch the $42.5 billion initiative to close the digital divide.

Together, they unpack the Trump administration’s recent push to steer more households toward satellite service, what it means for state-led broadband planning, and the risks of undermining Congress’s original vision for BEAD.

The conversation also dives into the importance of non-deployment funds, why state-driven processes matter, and how to keep accountability and community needs at the center of federal broadband policy.

This show is 41 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed.

You can also check out the video version via YouTube.

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

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High Cost Of The “Bargain:” Trump Administration BEAD Changes Herald Slower, More Expensive Broadband

Elon Musk stands with his hands on his hip, back to camera surveying exploded rocket debris
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Recent Trump administration changes to a massive federal broadband grant program are lowering standards for broadband access, shifting the focus away from affordability and equity, and potentially redirecting billions of dollars away from future-proof fiber networks toward slower, more expensive satellite options that don’t seem likely to fix U.S. broadband woes.

But states, worried about losing an historic round of broadband grants, may be too intimidated to be up front about the potential downside of changes the Trump administration calls “the benefit of the bargain.”  

That’s the early story coming out of states like Tennessee, Colorado, and Texas, where state leaders are being forced to dramatically revamp billions of dollars in Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grant planning.

In all three states the changes have introduced new delays and lowered last mile quality control standards. But an early look at the revamped bidding process in all three states shows that billions of dollars are likely being redirected away from locally-owned fiber networks to billionaire-owned low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite broadband options insufficient to the task.

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Mecklenburg Co-Op Celebrates 7,500 Fiber Customer Milestone

Mecklenburg Elec Coop logo
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Empower Broadband, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Virginia-based Mecklenburg Electrical Cooperative, says it has successfully deployed affordable fiber access to more than 7,500 subscribers across long-neglected and underserved portions of the Old Dominion state.

Mecklenburg Coop, created in 1938, serves 31,000 residential and business electrical customers across portions of nine Southside Virginia counties and five northern North Carolina counties. Like many cooperatives, Mecklenburg and Empower are leveraging generations-old experiences at rural electrification to migrate into the broadband business.

In 2022, the coop broke ground on a $154 million initiative to bring high-speed internet to 14,634 unserved and underserved locations in Halifax, Mecklenburg, and the southern portions of Charlotte and Brunswick counties. As of today, the Mecklenburg fiber network consists of 2,900 miles of fiber and passes by 23,443 locations, with additional expansion planned.

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Trump Administration Imposed BEAD Changes Introduce Significant New Delays

An electronic sign on highway reads: "Expect Delays"
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Trump administration changes to the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grant program are poised to introduce years of potential new delays to the already slow-moving program, potentially undermining the program’s goal of bringing universal broadband access to mostly rural communities.

Worse, the looming changes would eliminate efforts to ensure taxpayer-funded broadband is affordable for low-income Americans, while driving billions in new subsidies to the world’s richest man and Trump mega donor Elon Musk.

Testifying this week before a Senate Appropriations Committee, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will "soon" issue a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) that states will have 90 days to respond to.

The revisions will ensure that billionaire Elon Musk – and his capacity-constrained satellite broadband network Starlink – will receive significantly more taxpayer money. Such Low-Earth orbit satellite networks were slated to get some funds, but federal changes may result in them dominating grant funding, overruling the mix of technology states had originally preferred.

Other changes being implemented include elimination of provisions ensuring affordable access for low-income Americans.

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BEAD in Limbo: How Federal Delay Is Shaking Up Louisiana's Broadband Future - Episode 649 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

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In this episode of the podcast, Chris talks with Josh Etheridge, Chief Strategic Officer of EPC—a broadband construction company based in Louisiana—about the real-world consequences of the federal government’s pause on BEAD funding. 

Josh breaks down how the delay has disrupted local businesses, sidelined workers, and stalled broadband expansion in some of the country’s most disconnected communities. 

From equipment sitting idle to families laid off, he lays out how uncertainty at the top is rippling down through the industry—and what’s at stake if BEAD doesn’t move forward soon.

This show is 36 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

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Broadband at a Crossroads: Evan Feinman on Getting BEAD Right - Episode 645 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

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on

In this episode of the podcast, Chris sits down again with Evan Feinman to reflect on the challenges and lessons learned from launching the country’s largest broadband infrastructure initiative.

Evan shares an insider perspective on what it took to design the BEAD program, why local decision-making and equity are essential, and how political shifts could jeopardize its success. 

From permitting to the risks of relying on satellite technology, this conversation unpacks the real stakes of connecting every American to high-quality Internet.

This show is 52 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

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BEAD Under Threat: Fiber, Satellites, and the Fight for the Future of Rural Internet Access - Episode 643 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

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on

In this episode of the podcast, former BEAD Director Evan Feinman joins Christopher Mitchell and Sean Gonsalves to talk about the turmoil brewing inside the BEAD program. 

They break down what’s really behind the push for more satellite connectivity, the threat of sidelining state-led fiber projects, and the political forces stalling progress. 

With billions on the line and rural communities waiting, this episode cuts through the noise and asks: are we about to squander a once-in-a-generation opportunity?

This show is 46 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

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Conexon Finishes 10th Fiber Build In Partnership With The Sac Osage Electric Cooperative

Conexon Connect logo
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Conexon Connect, the ISP arm of fiber broadband builder Conexon, said it has completed its tenth fiber broadband deployment in four years in collaboration with the Sac Osage Electric Cooperative. The network, Conexon’s second deployment in Missouri, will bring affordable fiber broadband for the first time to the cooperative’s 9,000 mostly rural members.

The 2,100-mile fiber network, located 150 miles from Conexon's Kansas City headquarters, was finished in less than three years, and dramatically improves broadband availability across nine rural Missouri counties.

"The demonstration of what we can achieve together through hard work and partnership keeps us moving forward in our commitment to advancing connectivity across rural America," Conexon Co-CEO Randy Klindt said of the company’s latest deployment.

A section in the southwest corner of Missouri is highlighted in orange to show where Cedar County is

Conexon was initially known for rural fiber-optic network design and construction, but launched its own last mile public facing retail ISP, Conexon Connect, in 2021.

It now directly provides last mile access via networks across Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri, and has seen its business boom thanks to widespread nationwide partnerships with U.S. cooperatives and federal grants.

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