Tag: "transcript"

Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 407

Posted May 6, 2020 by Sushmita Shrestha

This is the transcript for episode 407 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. In this episode, Christopher speaks with Brian Skelton, president of the Tullahoma Utilities Authority about fiber network in Tullahoma and how the pandemic has affected their service. Listen to the episode, or read the transcript below.

 

Brian Skelton: We try to have low rates and have the best service for our customer so they want to stay with us, but we do understand this is a very difficult financial time for a certain segment of our population. So we know those people are going to need some time to catch up with any kind of debt they may have whenever all of this COVID-19 situation is over with.

Jess Del Fiacco: Welcome to episode 407 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. This is Jess Del Fiacco, Communications Manager here at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Today Christopher talks with Brian Skelton, president of the Tullahoma Utilities Authority. Brian walks Christopher through some of the history of the Tullahoma Utilities Authority. He explains that they've been operating their network for 12 years now and have reached nearly 4,000 subscribers. He tells Christopher that unlike big companies like Comcast, small providers like his are unable to offer low cost or free service during the pandemic due to financial barriers. But the Tullahoma Utilities Authority is already providing high quality, affordable service to their community and is offering flexible bill payment options for anyone who needs them. Christopher and Brian also discussed how the network contributed to local economic growth before the pandemic hit and Brian shared some advice for communities considering investing in a municipally-owned network or pursuing a partnership. Now here's Christopher talking with Brian Skelton, president of the Tullahoma Utilities Authority.

Christopher Mitchell: Welcome to another episode of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. I'm Christopher Mitchell at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and I'm talking with Brian Skelton, the president of Tullahoma Utilities Authority. Welcome back to the show, Brian.

Brian Skelton: Thanks Chris. Good to catch up with you.

Christopher Mitchell: I think you've had a slight...

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Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 406

Posted April 30, 2020 by Sushmita Shrestha

This is the transcript for episode 406 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. This episode brings Jon Stavney, executive director of the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments as well as Evan Biagi, executive vice president of business development for Mammoth Networks. Chris, Jon, and Evan discuss about Project THOR, a middle mile fiber network established out of a collaboration between local governments and private companies. Listen to the episode, or read the transcript below.

 

Jon Stavney: This project allows these local governments to actually have a lever to pull to, hopefully, affect the quality of service with whatever partners come to the table and make the most sense.

Jess Del Fiacco: Welcome to episode 406 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. This is Jess Del Fiacco, Communications Manager here at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Jess Del Fiacco: Today, Christopher talks with Jon Stavney, executive director of the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments, as well as Evan Biagi, executive vice president of business development for Mammoth Networks. Christopher, Jon, and Evan talk about Project THOR, which was established by a group of Colorado communities who decided to band together in order to reduce costs and improve connectivity.

Jess Del Fiacco: THOR provides middle mile service so communities can engage in a variety of solutions to suit their unique local needs. They discuss how Project THOR has evolved and how Mammoth Networks has been involved in the project. Jon and Evan also tell Christopher about some of the engineering and funding challenges of working to develop a regional network with multiple communities.

Jess Del Fiacco: Now, here's Christopher talking with Jon Stavney and Evan Biagi about Project THOR.

Christopher Mitchell: Welcome to another episode of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. I'm Christopher Mitchell with the Institute for Local Self Reliance and I'm speaking today with two patient guests, Jon Stavney, the Executive Director of the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments. Welcome to the show.

Jon Stavney: Thank you, Christopher. Great to be here.

...

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Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 405

Posted April 24, 2020 by Sushmita Shrestha

This is the transcript for episode 405 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. In this episode, Christopher talks with Angela Siefer, Executive Director for the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) about how the pandemic crisis has exposed the digital divide. She also shares the work NDIA is doing to bring long-term solutions to connect low income families. Listen to the episode, or read the transcript below.

 

Angela Siefer: The affordability problem is one that we can solve like right now, and so the the idea that people don't have broadband in their homes because they can't afford it and we know of all the terrible stuff that's going along with not having broadband in your home right now, that situation is completely unacceptable.

Jess Del Fiacco: Welcome to episode 405 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. This is Jess Del Fiacco, Communications Manager. Today, Christopher talks with Angela Siefer, Executive Director for the National Digital Inclusion Alliance. Christopher and Angela talk about the new work organization is doing to meet the needs of our public health crisis, including creating a list of resources to help those who can support people who may need assistance with connectivity during the pandemic. They discussed some of the efforts of larger ISP to bring connectivity to low income folks and why such efforts need to include a range of demographics, not just homes with school aged children. Angela explains why some of those programs are more popular than others in the short term, and she and Christopher discuss possible longterm solutions as well. Now, here's Christopher talking with Angela Siefer, executive director for the National Digital Inclusion Alliance.

Christopher Mitchell: Welcome to another episode of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. This is Chris Mitchell from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance in my den in St. Paul talking to one of my favorite people who's doing a lot of really great work around the nation. Angela Siefer, executive director for the National Digital Inclusion Alliance. Welcome back to the show, Angela.

Angela Siefer: Hi Chris. Thanks for having me again. I'm coming to you from my home...

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Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 404

Posted April 16, 2020 by Sushmita Shrestha

This is the transcript for episode 404 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. This episode brings Scott Mooneyham, Director of Political Communication and Coordination for the North Carolina League of Municipalities to discuss the importance of local Internet choice in North Carolina. Listen to the episode, or read the transcript below.

 

 

Scott Mooneyham: This is an issue that they know about, that they're dealing with every day in their everyday lives and right now they're dealing with it in a way that they never have.

Jess Del Fiacco: Welcome to episode 404 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. This is Jess Del Fiacco, Communications Manager. Today, Christopher talks with Scott Mooneyham, Director of Political Communication and Coordination for the North Carolina League of Municipalities. Scott tells Christopher about what he's been hearing from communities responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and how this crisis has highlighted the importance of high quality Internet access. Scott and Christopher also discussed Disconnected, which is a new documentary from North Carolina's WRAL news station that profiles a town called Enfield. Scott tells us about how a change in law could allow towns like Enfield that have their own electric utility to work with partners to improve local connectivity. Now here's Christopher talking with Scott Mooneyham of the North Carolina League of Municipalities.

Christopher Mitchell: Welcome to another episode of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. This is Christopher Mitchell from my house in St. Paul, which is the better of the two cities next to Minneapolis where our office is for the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I'm back on the phone with Scott Mooneyham, someone I've been working with quite a bit over the last few years. Scott is the Director of Political Communication and Coordination at the North Carolina League of Municipalities. Welcome to the show, Scott.

Scott Mooneyham: Good to be here, Chris.

Christopher Mitchell: Scott, I wanted to have you on because I feel like there's so much happening in our cities around the nation, and in particular North Carolina as a...

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Transcript: Community Broadband Bits NC Bonus Episode 7

Posted April 10, 2020 by Sushmita Shrestha

This is the transcript for episode 7 of the Why NC Broadband Matters series on the Community Broadband Bits podcast. In this episode, Christopher speaks with Dave Kirby, President of the North Carolina Telehealth Network Association. The pair discuss the importance of telehealth services and broadband to achieve health equity. Listen to the episode, or read the transcript below.

 

Dave Kirby: Convenient means for most people who are also working or taking care of children are taking care of elders, not having to arrange for those things to be managed in their absence, while they go off for a nurse and doctor visit that could have been done with a telehealth modality, with just a few minutes out of both a doctor's day and the patient's day.

Jess Del Fiacco: We're bringing you another episode in our special community Broadband Bits Podcast series, Why NC Broadband Matters. I'm Jess Del Fiacco, 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, including local businesses and a local workforce so each can compete in the global economy. The group has created the North Carolina chapter of CLIC, The Coalition for Local Internet Choice. The Institute is working with NC Broadband Matters to produce this series, focusing on issues affecting people in North Carolina that also impact folks in other regions. Today we're joined by Dave Kirby, President of the North Carolina Telehealth Network Association.

Jess Del Fiacco: In this episode, Christopher and Dave talk about the role of broadband in telehealth in 2020. They discuss the differences between rural and urban healthcare and how telehealth in rural areas could reduce costs. Dave also points out all of the issues that health technicians can face without broadband access, and why telehealth has become even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, here's Christopher talking with Dave Kirby of the North Carolina Telehealth Network Association.

Christopher Mitchell: Welcome to another...

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Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 403

Posted April 9, 2020 by Sushmita Shrestha

This is the transcript for episode 403 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. In this episode, Christopher speaks with Steve Song, fellow with Mozilla about spectrum, wireless Internet access, and the current pandemic cirsis. Listen to the episode, or read the transcript below.

 

 

Steve Song: So, a strategy that is going to increase value for the elites, as opposed to democratizing access and making access cheaper and more affordable to everyone, I think it's only going to exacerbate inequality. Not just in the US and Canada, but everywhere.

Jess Del Fiacco: Welcome to episode 403 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast, from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. This is Jess Del Fiacco, Communications Manager. Today, Christopher talks with Steve Song, who was a part time fellow with Mozilla. On the show today, Steve explains how he became interested in helping people get connected to high quality Internet access and he talks about why some of the strategies the United States has adopted are not designed to bring Internet access to the most people possible. Steve tells Christopher about the new ways Spectrum is becoming available for innovative approaches to expanding wireless connectivity, and they discuss the ways in which our current pandemic crisis has influenced how we think about networks and how prepared we are to depend on them. Now here's Christopher talking with Steve Song of Mozilla.

Christopher Mitchell: Welcome to another episode of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast. I'm Chris Mitchell with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, working out of my house in St. Paul, which is better than Minneapolis any day anyway. But today I want to talk with Steve Song, who is a person that I think of as being a very interesting thinker on wireless issues, and more broadly someone who thinks outside the box, who isn't just the kind of person who feels constrained by what's been going on. But anyway, he's a part time fellow with Mozilla. He also works with the Network Startup Resource Center at the University of Oregon, and he does some work with the Association of Progressive Communications on something that's near and dear to my heart, supporting community networks around the nation....

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Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 402

Posted April 7, 2020 by Sushmita Shrestha

This is the transcript for episode 402 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. In this episode, Christopher speaks with Jonathan Chambers, partner at Conexon about how Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) differs from Connect America Fund. The pair also discuss how the FCC should move the auction process so that local ISPs can quickly start connecting rural households during the pandemic. Listen to the episode, or read the transcript below.

 

 

Jonathan Chambers: This approach is that the winners and losers are not chosen in Washington. They're chosen at the local level by whether somebody's willing to step up, build a network, provide service.

Jess Del Fiacco: Welcome to episode 402 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. This is Jess Del Fiacco, Communications Manager. We have Jonathan Chambers back on the show today. Jon is a partner at Conexon, which works with rural electric cooperatives to expand Fiber-to-the-Home in rural areas. In this episode, Christopher and Jon discuss the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund or RDOF. They discuss the eligibility and auction process for RDOF and how it is related to the Connect America Fund. Jon breaks down some of the differences between the two programs, including that RDOF will be more influenced by local initiatives than the Connect America Fund was.

Jess Del Fiacco: And Jon and Christopher discuss why these changes should result in better networks and better service for rural areas. Before we get started, we have a quick question for our listeners. We recognize that news is happening quickly these days. That's why we're releasing this episode ahead of our usual schedule. We want to know if you'd prefer shorter, more frequent episodes of this podcast, or if you'd rather we stick with our standard weekly schedule. We always want to do what works best for you, so leave a comment on this episode post, send us an email at podcast@medianetworks.org, or reach out to us on social media to let us know what you think. Now, here's Christopher talking with Jon Chambers of Conexon.

Christopher Mitchell: Welcome to another episode of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast headset...

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Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 401

Posted April 7, 2020 by Sushmita Shrestha

This is the transcript for episode 401 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. In this episode, Christopher speaks with Lisa Gonzalez, Senior Researcher of Community Broadband Networks initiative about her time advocating for local Internet choice. Lisa reflects back on her early days and shares her journey with ILSR. Listen to the episode, or read the transcript below.

 

 

Lisa Gonzalez: I feel really good about everything that we've done and where we are now and I feel confident that the community broadband initiative is going to be great without me and I feel really good about the future.

Jess Del Fiacco: Welcome to episode 401 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast from the Institute for Local Self Reliance. This is Jess Del Fiacco, the communications manager. If you're a regular listener, you may already be missing a familiar voice in our podcast. Lisa Gonzalez recently left her position as senior researcher at the Institute for Local Self Reliance to become an analyst for the Minnesota Department of Commerce. We couldn't let her leave without one final conversation on the show. In this interview, you'll hear Lisa and Christopher talk about her role at ILSR, how her work changed over the last eight years and how more communities than ever are turning to us for resources and advice. They reminisce a little about her early days on the job and why she felt so at home at ILSR. Lisa also talks about what she'll be doing in her new position with the Department of Commerce. We'll certainly miss having her as part of our team, but we know she'll do great things there. Here's Christopher talking with Lisa Gonzalez.

Christopher Mitchell: Welcome to another episode of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. Super sad edition. Lisa has been with us, introduced more than 400 podcasts and this will be her final episode that she's appearing on at least for a while. Maybe, who knows? Maybe we'll get you back in a different capacity. Lisa Gonzalez is a senior researcher who's been working on my team for eight years here at the Institute for Local Self Reliance. You've been just a big part of the success that we've had. You were responsible for that, not just here for it. So Lisa, it's wonderful to have you on the show and very sad...

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Transcript: Community Broadband Bits NC Bonus Episode

Posted April 7, 2020 by Sushmita Shrestha

This is the transcript for our special bonus episode of Community Broadband Bits series, Why NC Broadband Matters. In this episode, Christopher talks with Leslie Boney, Ron Townley, and Darren Smith about urban and rural connectivity, and ways to revitalize Wilson's economy. Listen to the episode, or read the transcript below.

 

 

 

Leslie Boney: There are four times as many people in urban areas who are not connected to broadband because they can't afford it as there are people who aren't connected to broadband in rural areas because they can't have it, they can't find it.

Jess Del Fiacco: We're bringing you another episode in our special Community Broadband Bits podcast series, Why NC broadband Matters. I'm Jess Del Fiacco 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, which is necessary for thriving local communities, including local businesses and a local workforce, so each can compete in the global economy.

Jess Del Fiacco: The group has created the North Carolina chapter of CLIC, the Coalition for Local Internet Choice. We are working with NC Broadband Matters to produce this series, focusing on issues affecting people in North Carolina that also impact people in other regions. We have three guests on the show today. First, Christopher speaks with Leslie Boney, director of the Institute for Emerging Issues, about the importance of digital inclusion in both rural and urban areas. Then they're joined by Darren Smith of Wilson, North Carolina's Gig East Exchange, and Ron Townley of the Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments. Ron and Darren discuss how broadband infrastructure is helping revitalize the economy in Wilson and beyond.

Christopher Mitchell: Welcome to another episode of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. I'm Christopher Mitchell with the Institute for Local Self Reliance, normally in Minneapolis, but taking a short break to visit NC State, North Carolina, a school that has been hosting a lot of really good events around broadband lately. Today I'm here at the...

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Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 400

Posted March 26, 2020 by Sushmita Shrestha

This is the transcript for episode 400 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. In this episode, Christopher speaks with Travis Carter, CEO of US Internet, a locally owned Internet access company in Minneapolis, about how the company is adjusting to the increased demand for Internet access due to the new coronavirus pandemic. Listen to the episode, or read the transcript below.

 

Travis Carter: The priority really is just keep our customers connected, keep them running, keep our employees safe, make sure they're getting paid so we can navigate through this together.

Jess Del Fiacco: Welcome to episode 400 of the community broadband bits podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. This is Jess Del Fiacco, the Communications Manager. We've interviewed Travis Carter several times before, but never in the middle of a pandemic. Travis is the CEO of US Internet, a locally owned Internet access company here in Minneapolis. Travis intends to build out the USI fiber optic network across the city and while the coronavirus may have slowed down construction, it has uninterrupted service for subscribers. In this interview, Travis and Christopher will discuss what it's like operating his company during a national crisis and while social distancing impacts operations. He also talks about how as more people are working from home and schools are shut down, traffic is impacting demands on the network. Now here's Christopher talking with Travis Carter from US Internet.

Christopher Mitchell: Welcome to another episode of the community broadband bits podcast. I'm here with Travis Carter in his office at the US Internet world headquarters.

Travis Carter: World headquarters

Christopher Mitchell: Do you call us Minneapolis? You know I am in Minneapolis.

Travis Carter: Because nobody ever knows where Minnetonka or Minnesota is.

Christopher Mitchell: So we are recording, we'll become episode 400.

Travis Carter: I miss 300 but now I got 400.

Christopher Mitchell: That's right.

Travis Carter: Well done.

Christopher Mitchell: And, just so you know, so Lisa Gonzalez,...

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