As far as electric utilities go, Jefferson PUD is relatively young. That hasn't stopped them from taking some unique steps to bring broadband to rural and geographically challenging areas of Northwest Washington.

Highlights from the Rural Electric Cooperative Broadband Benchmarking Report

Feb 16th, 2023 44m 14s

Rural broadband build-outs by electric cooperatives have been remarkably successful, according to a recent report from NRTC and NRECA. Despite rising labor and material costs, most co-ops report higher than expected take rates and a 9% internal

Despite Fiber Funding, Poor Areas Could Still Be Left Behind, With Jordana Barton-Garcia

Feb 2nd, 2023 57m 7s

Even with the huge amount of funding coming in to expand broadband, Jordana Barton-Garcia says impoverished regions like tribal lands, the Mississippi Delta, the border region of Texas and central Appalachia could still be left on the wrong sid

Are Broadband Labels the Strings Attached to Funding?, With Jeff Smith

Jan 10th, 2023 24m 31s

While broadband providers enthusiastically welcome government funding to build and expand networks, Vantage Point’s Jeff Smith details some of the transparency requirements that come with it.

Implementing BEAD & Digital Equity Programs in Tennessee, With Paige Shapiro and Carrie Huckeby

Dec 1st, 2022 24m 46s

In this crossover episode with “Lead Tennessee Radio,” Paige Shapiro, Tennessee’s federal program officer for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) and Digital Equity programs, discusses how these programs aim to ensure all people

Louisiana is Dishing Out GUMBO Grants to Built Broadband, With Thomas Tyler

Nov 16th, 2022 24m 9s

GUMBO is more than just the best new acronym in the industry. The program has catapulted Louisiana's broadband office forward into a leading role across the country.

The Challenges of Rural Broadband in Texas, With Mark Seale and Craig Cook

Mar 29th, 2022 18m 16s

Texas has seen great strides in expanding broadband infrastructure across the state. However, challenges with changing legislation, geography, supply chain issues and funding are hindering the important work. In this episode, Mark Seale, exec

Looking Back on a Ten-Year Electric-Telco Broadband Partnership in Minnesota, With John Twiest

Mar 15th, 2022 15m 20s

John Twiest, CEO of Arrowhead Electric Cooperative, discussed a decade old partnership Arrowhead has with CTC to provide broadband in rural Minnesota.

Thinking Outside the Box to Fund a Fiber Build, With Fred Johnson

Feb 24th, 2022 37m 5s

Fred Johnson, CEO of Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative, discusses how FTC expanded into surrounding cities to help fund the fiber build in its cooperative service area.

Broadband Mapping for Rural America, With Bill Price

Nov 19th, 2021 27m 9s

The path forward for efficient and effective development of broadband in rural America depends largely on the accuracy and completeness of maps that depict the unserved and underserved areas of the country. Before becoming Vice President of G

The Challenges of Rural Broadband, With John Greene

Sep 16th, 2021 37m 40s

John Greene, CEO of New Lisbon Telephone Company, co-led a session at the 2021 Fiber Connect conference discussing rural broadband challenges. In this episode, John points out several problems with providing broadband to rural communities, incl

The Adventure of Building a Broadband Network, With Kara Mullaley

Sep 7th, 2021 12m 1s

Building a fiber network is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Kara Mullaley, Corning’s market development manager, was a 2021 Fiber Connect conference panelist on the topic of "Rural Electric Utilities Choose Their Own Broadband Adventure." In

Broadband Expansion Among TVPPA Members, With Doug Peters

Sep 1st, 2021 30m

Local power companies across seven states make up the Tennessee Valley Public Power Association — and many of them are expanding their services to offer broadband to their consumers. Doug Peters, president and CEO of TVPPA, joined us at Fiber C

Tips from a Network Operator on Deploying Fiber, With Mark Freeman

Aug 24th, 2021 25m 40s

Cullman Electric Cooperative launched Sprout Fiber in 2020. Mark Freeman, Cullman’s manager of network operations, was a 2021 Fiber Connect conference panelist on the topic of "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Lessons Learned from Network Operat

Broadband Today: Rural America’s Critical Connection, With Pam Becker

May 19th, 2021 31m 15s

Download the free white paper at frs.org.

NTCA RTIME — Smart Rural Community Showcase Winners, With Josh Seidemann

Mar 29th, 2021 29m 52s

In this interview, the last in a special four-part series sponsored by Corning, Josh Seidemann (VP of policy at NTCA) discusses the exceptional work of the broadband providers who received the 2020 Smart Rural Community Showcase Award: Hill Cou

NTCA RTIME Special Coverage, Part 3, With Laura Withers

Mar 29th, 2021 17m 1s

In the third episode of this special four-part series sponsored by Corning, Laura Withers (VP of strategic communications at NTCA) and host Stephen V. Smith conclude their discussion of several informative sessions from the 2021 NTCA RTIME Onli

NTCA RTIME Special Coverage, Part 2, With Laura Withers

Mar 29th, 2021 31m 51s

In episode two of this special four-part series sponsored by Corning, Laura Withers (VP of strategic communications at NTCA) recaps some of the motivating and informative sessions at the 2021 NTCA RTIME Online event. Part 1 (0:39 - 4:00)“Sto

NTCA RTIME Special Coverage, Part 1, With Laura Withers

Mar 29th, 2021 29m 26s

In this special four-part series sponsored by Corning, Laura Withers (VP of strategic communications at NTCA) recaps some of the motivating and informative sessions at the 2021 NTCA RTIME Online event.Part 1 (0:00 - 07:41)RTIME Virtual Overv

Creative Partnerships and Funding Opportunities for Broadband Providers, With Kara Mullaley

Mar 5th, 2021 32m 38s

Kara Mullaley, Market Development Manager for Emerging Markets at Corning, discusses how broadband partnerships and creative funding opportunities can help bridge the digital divide in rural America.

Building a Tech Ecosystem in the Appalachia Region, With Todd Cope

Mar 1st, 2021 29m 27s

Todd Cope, CEO of CentralApp, recently took a road trip across the U.S. to bring awareness to CentralApp’s mission — building a tech ecosystem of skilled remote workers in the Appalachian region who can help solve the tech worker deficit curren

How Should the FCC Define Broadband?, With Gary Bolton

Jan 13th, 2021 34m 49s

Gary Bolton, President and CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, recently co-authored comments submitted to the FCC encouraging the agency to increase the speeds that qualify as broadband. In this interview, Bolton also shares why he thinks 2

Expanding Rural Broadband Through The EXTEND Act, With U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt

Dec 15th, 2020 37m 11s

Rep. Robert Aderholt has introduced the EXTEND Act to support rural broadband development. The act would give states more time and flexibility to use coronavirus relief funding to build broadband networks.

The FCC Under a New Administration, With Doug Dawson

Dec 10th, 2020 43m 38s

Doug Dawson, President of CCG Consulting, joins the show to discuss what the FCC might focus on under a new presidential administration. He also explains how FCC policies are affecting broadband expansion in rural America.

Business Unusual: Lessons from a Drive-Through Annual Meeting, With Brandi Lyles

Nov 19th, 2020 21m 11s

FTC hosted its 2020 annual meeting in a drive-through format. Brandi Lyles, Manager of Marketing and Public Relations, joined the show to discuss what lessons they learned from the meeting, how they kept members engaged, and the history-making