This is the transcript for episode 381 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. In this episode, Christopher speaks with JonT Sallet from the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society about their new report Broadband for America's Future: A Vision for the 2020s. Listen to the episode, or read the transcript below.

Jon Sallet: We've tried to offer a vision for debate, for discussion on how to move forward in the next decade.

Lisa Gonzalez: Welcome to episode 381 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I'm Lisa Gonzalez. Last week, the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society released a detailed and groundbreaking report titled Broadband for America's Future: A Vision for the 2020s. This week we get to hear author Jon Sallet discuss the publication and the organization's reasons for producing the report as he elaborates on some of his findings. Jon has had a long and illustrious career in Internet policy. He was around when the term information super highway was all the rage and gives us a five minute recap about his work. During the interview, Christopher and Jon cover the four main takeaways in the report along with some special conversation about competition, the term overbuilding, and how encouraging competition could help solve some of the problems we now face. Be sure you download the report and dig deeper into its text, where you're likely to find some familiar stories about local communities and their work on improved connectivity. You can download the report at benton.org/publications/broadband-policy2020s. Before Jon and Christopher get started, however, you'll get to hear a little more about the Benton organization's recent transformation from foundation to institute. Christopher spends a few minutes talking with Adrianne Furniss, Benton's executive director. Adrian explains the evolution of this organization that has been instrumental in our work as well as the work of other broadband advocates. Now, here's Christopher with Adrianne Furniss and also Jon Sallet to talk about the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society and about the institute's recent report.

Christopher Mitchell: I'm sitting here with Adrianne Furniss, the executive...

This is the transcript for the first episode of the Why NC Broadband Matters bonus series from the Community Broadband Bits podcast. In this episode, Christopher speaks with Alan Fitzpatrick of NC Broadband Matters and Open Broadband about network overbuilding and local Internet choice. Listen to the episode, or read the transcript below.

Alan Fitzpatrick: Well we'd like to see the state take more positive action on, you know, allowing the use of state assets, county assets, town assets to improve broadband for everyone.

Lisa Gonzalez: Welcome to a special episode of the Community Broadband Bits podcast and our new podcast series, Why NC Broadband Matters. I'm Lisa Gonzalez with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NC Broadband Matters is a North Carolina nonprofit. Their mission is to attract support and champion the universal availability of affordable, reliable, high-capacity Internet access necessary for thriving local communities, local businesses, and a local workforce in order to compete in the global economy. The group has created the North Carolina chapter of CLIC, the Coalition for Local Internet Choice. We are collaborating with NC Broadband Matters to present this series that touches on issues that while certainly affect people in North Carolina also impact people in other states. Our first episode is titled "Overbuilding Means Providing Internet Choice: How One Small Company is Closing North Carolina's Digital Divide." Christopher interviews Alan Fitzpatrick from Open Broadband, and they discuss why the word overbuilding should have positive rather than negative connotations. They talk about the need for better connectivity in North Carolina, how the state might play a more meaningful role, and how his company is offering broadband through a range of technical solutions. Now here's Christopher and Alan Fitzpatrick from Open Broadband.

Christopher Mitchell: Welcome to a special episode of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. I'm Chris Mitchell from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and today kicks off the first of a series of podcasts sponsored by NC Broadband Matters. That's North Carolina Broadband Matters. And to get it all going...

This is the transcript for episode 378 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. In this episode, Christopher speaks with Denise Linn Riedl, CIO for the city of South Bend, Indiana. They discuss the city's dark fiber network and how they're embracing technology to improve city functions and benefit residents. Listen to the episode, or read the transcript below.

Denise Linn Riedl: Technology is not a separate bright and shiny thing. It really is something that we want to be additive to residents and to city government employees.

Lisa Gonzalez: Welcome to episode 378 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I'm Lisa Gonzalez. This week, Christopher visits with Denise Linn Riedl, chief innovation officer with the city of South Bend, Indiana. The community owns a dark fiber network that it's using for practical purposes that we don't often hear about in tech news but are nonetheless important for city operations. Denise introduces us to the network and the entities it serves and describes some of the advantages and benefits the asset have brought to South Bend. She talks about their digital inclusion programs and how they've used the network to break through bureaucratic silos. The city is involved in a data governance project, and Denise shares some surprising moments related to innovation surrounding data collection. She explains how the Department of Innovation and Technology has helped other local government departments embrace change management, and she talks about what it's like encouraging people to approach technology differently than they have in the past. Now, here's Christopher with Denise Linn Riedl from South Bend, Indiana.

Christopher Mitchell: Welcome to another episode of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. I'm Chris Mitchell with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance up in Minneapolis. Today I'm speaking with Denise Linn Riedl, the chief innovation officer for South Bend, Indiana. Welcome to the show, Denise.

Denise Linn Riedl: Thank you very much for having me, Chris.

Christopher Mitchell: You and I have bumped into each other many times over the years. I'm really excited to get a better sense of what you're up to....

This is the transcript for episode 376 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. In this episode, Christopher interviews Mark Buell and Katie Watson Jordan from the Internet Society about their work building trust on the Internet and increasing access in remote communities. Listen to the episode, or read the transcript below.

Mark Buell: You know, this is the way the Internet was built. This is what the Internet was meant to be: this group of people who can come together, work cooperatively to build something for the betterment of society.

Lisa Gonzalez: Welcome to episode 376 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I'm Lisa Gonzalez. The Internet Society, also known as ISOC, is one of the best known organizations advancing a safe and secure Internet for everyone. This week we have Mark Buell and Katie Watson Jordan from ISOC to discuss the organization, its work, and ISOC's upcoming annual indigenous connectivity summit. Mark and Katie talk about their current project in the Arctic with a local indigenous community and the community network project they'll develop next in Hawaii during the summit. They tell us about the history of ISOC and the nature of their work involving access and trust. We learn about how policy experts and technologists are working together in ISOC and within their partners to support their mission and vision. Check out InternetSociety.org for more on ISOC and for details about the indigenous connectivity summit November 12th and 13th in Hilo, Hawaii. Now here's Christopher with Katie Watson Jordan and Mark Buell from the Internet Society.

Christopher Mitchell: Welcome to another episode of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. I'm Chris Mitchell with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance in Minneapolis, Minnesota — usually one of the more Northern guests. I'm usually interviewing people that are to the south of me, and I've got a special guest today, Mark Buell, who is coming to me from Ottawa but oftentimes coming from a considerably farther north place. Mark Buell is the regional bureau director for North America in the Internet Society. Welcome to the show Mark.

Mark Buell: Thanks Chris.

Christopher...