Tag: "transcript"

Transcript: Community Broadband Bits NC Bonus Episode 1

Posted November 4, 2019 by Katie Kienbaum

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...

Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 379

Posted November 3, 2019 by Katie Kienbaum

This is the transcript for episode 379 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. In this episode, Christopher interviews writer and reporter Karl Bode about the impact of coporate lobbyists on telecom policy and how the media covers it (or doesn't). Listen to the episode, or read the transcript below.

Karl Bode: Starting locally, fighting locally ⁠— that's where people win. That's where the process hasn't been quite so corrupted over a period of 50 years, you know, so the local fights are super important.

Lisa Gonzalez: Welcome to episode 379 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I'm Lisa Gonzalez. There's a limited number of reporters that write about technology and developments in telecommunications and even fewer that keep tabs on related legislation. This week, Christopher sat down with one of the leading writers who has been covering these fields for decades, Karl Bode. Including years contributing to DSL Reports. Karl's work has appeared in Vice, Techdirt, Medium, and a long list of other publications. In this interview, Christopher and Karl discuss how coverage has changed over time and how his focus has changed due to forces in the industry. Karl and Christopher also discussed policy, including events at the FCC surrounding network neutrality, competition and monopolies, and a recent congressional investigation into privacy and social media. Karl has some opinions about what can, should, and might happen and he has years of observation on which to base his ideas. Now, here's Christopher with analyst and writer Karl Bode.

Christopher Mitchell: Welcome to another episode of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. I'm Chris Mitchell with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, and I'm in Minneapolis per usual, today talking with Karl Bode, someone who, if you're listening to this show, I'm sure you've run across. He's a long time freelance writer and also a longtime analyst of what happens in the broadband space in particular. Welcome to the show, Karl.

Karl Bode: Hey Chris. Thank you for having me. I appreciate it.

Christopher Mitchell: So let me just ask you if you want to give us a bit of a background because frankly, I've known you...

Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 378

Posted October 31, 2019 by Katie Kienbaum

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.

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....

Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 377

Posted October 25, 2019 by Katie Kienbaum

This is the transcript for episode 377 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. In this episode, Christopher, Lisa, and Jess discuss the misinformation on municipal networks that we've seen recently as well as some old favorites. Listen to the episode, or read the transcript below.

Christopher Mitchell: I don't know who's funding the Taxpayer Protection Alliance, but whoever it is, you could do better.

Lisa Gonzalez: Welcome to episode 377 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I'm Lisa Gonzalez. Every once in awhile we find it necessary to sit down and talk about some of the misinformation about municipal broadband networks that seems to make its way into the media on a pretty regular basis. Typically, local communities that are considering an investment in fiber optic infrastructure to improve connectivity spur a rash of reports, letters to the editor, and other opinion pieces. Those articles and reports are almost always based on poor data and the same old arguments we see again and again. That's why we call these occasional podcasts our crazy talk episodes. In this crazy talk episode, we discuss a couple of articles and reports from the usual cast of characters: the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, the Mackinac Center, and a new report we haven't seen before which uses questionable data. We talk about competition, economic development, and the argument that fiber could become obsolete, and we address other points that anti-muni groups always bring up. For a more comprehensive review of how to address the faulty arguments from these and other groups, take a look at our correcting community fiber fallacies page on muninetworks.org. We're trying to learn more about how communities are using their municipal networks to develop local digital inclusion programs. If you know of any communities doing this, drop us a line at podcast@muninetworks.org. As a reminder, this is digital inclusion week. Check out muninetworks.org or the National Digital Inclusion alliance at digitalinclusion.org. You can learn how you can show your support for digital inclusion. Now, here's Christopher, our communications specialist Jess Del Fiacco, and me for our latest edition of crazy talk.

Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 376

Posted October 24, 2019 by Katie Kienbaum

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...

Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 375

Posted October 18, 2019 by Katie Kienbaum

This is the transcript for episode 375 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. In this episode, Christopher speaks with Carol Mattey about the Connect America Fund and how the Federal Communications Commission subsidizes broadband expansion. Listen to the episode, or read the transcript below.

Carol Mattey: What is necessary now is to push the FCC to come up with a comprehensive plan and not let up until it's done.

Lisa Gonzalez: Welcome to episode 375 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I'm Lisa Gonzalez. Federal grant funding can make or break plans to deploy community broadband networks. Local governments, cooperatives, and Internet access companies all apply for funding when they find themselves eligible. We've had guests on the show in the past to discuss the Connect America Fund, also known as CAF, and the manner in which the FCC has chosen to determine which applicants receive awards. This week, we have a Connect America Fund expert on the show, consultant Carol Mattey. Why is she an expert in all things CAF? Because she is one of the people who initially developed the program. She's also worked on the national broadband plan. Carol talks about the broad goals of the Connect America Fund, and she reviews the process that has included the first two rounds of subsidy awards. Carol gives us some insight into the politics of CAF and the challenges the FCC has faced in developing the program. Christopher and Carol talk about the pros and cons of the program and what's next. Now here's Christopher with Carol Mattey, principal of Mattey Consulting.

Carol Mattey: Hello Chris and everyone who's listening.

Christopher Mitchell: I really appreciate you taking the time. I feel like you're someone who has a lot of knowledge about something that's very important in terms of connecting rural America, and the rest of us have, in many ways, been trying to figure it out. And...

Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 374

Posted September 20, 2019 by Katie Kienbaum

This is the transcript for episode 374 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. In this episode, Christopher speaks with Stacy Evans from BrightRidge in Eastern Tennessee. They discuss the electric utility's new broadband project, which is bringing Fiber-to-the-Home and fixed wireless connectivity to homes and businesses in and around Johnson City, Tennessee. Listen to the episode, or read the transcript below.

Stacy Evans: The doctor there said that he had DSL Internet services. He was very challenged in working with his medical services from home. And now, he started out with our lowest package of 200 meg symmetric Internet. He says he now can pull down his x-rays and the MRIs, and he can make his notes, send it up. And he says it's just like being at work.

Lisa Gonzalez: Welcome to episode 374 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I'm Lisa Gonzalez. We have another great conversation from Tennessee this week where local communities are taking initiative to provide broadband for residents and businesses. Stacy Evans from BrightRidge in eastern Tennessee talks with Christopher about the public utility and how they're developing infrastructure to offer broadband service in the region. Stacy describes how they've worked within the confines of state limitations in order to legally expand their network and offer stories from subscribers. He also talks about the challenges they faced as they've developed plans to deploy in a very large area in the Appalachians. He talks about how the fiber infrastructure is assisting with local electric services and their complementary fixed wireless service. In this interview, we also learn about their future plans and hear how BrightRidge is taking an innovative approach to deployment that makes subscriber options and future innovations easier to implement. Now here's Christopher with Stacy Evans from BrightRidge.

Christopher Mitchell: Welcome to another episode of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. I'm Chris Mitchell at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and today I'm speaking with Stacy Evans, the chief broadband officer at BrightRidge in Johnson City, or thereabouts, Tennessee. Welcome to the show.

...

Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 373

Posted September 18, 2019 by Katie Kienbaum

This is the transcript for episode 373 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. In this episode, Christopher speaks with Christy Batts of CDE Lightband about Clarksville, Tennessee's municipal fiber network. Listen to the episode, or read the transcript below.

Christy Batts: When we went in and put in his new phone system and got everything set up for him, his phone traffic more than tripled. What was happening is he was missing these calls. He's now had to hire two additional people to answer the phone, but his business is booming because of it.

Lisa Gonzalez: Welcome to episode 373 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I'm Lisa Gonzalez. Back in 2013, Christy Batts from CDE Lightband made her first appearance on the podcast to share the story of how Clarksville, Tennessee, chose to invest in a publicly owned fiber optic network. She's back this week to describe upgrades and changes that have kept the network at the top of its game. In addition to innovations in voice and video service, CDE Lightband has partnered with local cooperatives and continues to increase speeds throughout the community. Christopher and his guest talk about the network's new approach to improving subscriber Wi-Fi performance and the ways they plan to bring free Wi-Fi to public spaces in Clarksville. They also talk about how unexpected success has kept the network on sound financial footing that is benefiting the community in ways that aren't broadband related. Now here's Christopher and Christy Batts from CDE Lightband in Clarksville, Tennessee.

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, Minnesota. Today I'm speaking with one of our guests from our first year doing this program. Christy Batts is the broadband division director at CDE Lightband. That's a municipal electric provider that also does broadband services in Clarksville, Tennessee. Welcome back to the show, Christy.

Christy Batts: Thank you Chris. I'm glad to be back.

Christopher Mitchell: Well, it's been about six years I think, maybe a little bit more than that, and a...

Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 372

Posted September 5, 2019 by Katie Kienbaum

This is the transcript for episdoe 372 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. In this episode, Christopher speaks with Kathryn de Wit about the new state broadband policy explorer tool from Pew Charitable Trusts and about trends in state-level broadband laws. Listen to the episode, or read the transcript below.

Kathryn de Wit: State policy matters.

Lisa Gonzalez: Indeed, it does. Welcome to episode 372 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I'm Lisa Gonzalez. This week, Kathryn de Wit from the Pew Charitable trusts joins Christopher to discuss the many ways state broadband policy's changing. She's here to talk about the organization's nifty new tool, the state broadband policy explorer. You can find the tool at pewtrusts.org in the projects section under "governing" and "broadband research." Kathryn described some of the discoveries her team made while developing this tool that documents state-level broadband policies. She also talks about the challenges they faced when taking on such a large task and talks about information they encountered that surprised them. The tool will lead to additional research, and Kathryn gets into the way she hopes others will use it and some of the questions she thinks the broadband policy explorer can answer moving forward. Now here's Christopher and Kathryn de Wit from the Pew Charitable trusts.

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. Today, I'm speaking with Kathryn de Wit, the manager of the broadband research initiative from Pew Charitable trusts. Welcome to the show.

Kathryn de Wit: Thanks Chris. I'm really happy to be here.

Christopher Mitchell: Well, I'm excited to talk to you. You and I have gone back and forth a little bit over the past six months, and you've unveiled this new tool, which is fun and could very well suck up too much of my time in the coming months. But let's start, before we get into the exciting state broadband policy explorer, just by backing up a second and let me ask you, what is Pew and what do you do at the broadband research initiative?

...

Transcript: Community Broadband Bits Episode 371

Posted August 30, 2019 by Katie Kienbaum

This is the transcript for episode 371 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast. In this episode, Christopher speaks with Sascha Segan, lead mobile analyst at PC Mag. They discuss our recent fact sheet, Pocket Guide to 5G Hype, and Sascha offers some corrections and helpful nuance about 5G technology and regulation in the U.S. and abroad. Listen to the episode, or read the transcript below.

Sascha Segan: No technology is really going to solve what is a regulatory and market structure problem more than anything else.

Lisa Gonzalez: Welcome to episode 371 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I'm Lisa Gonzalez. When large Internet access companies begin discussing advances in technologies they're developing, it's important to maintain perspective and not get swept away by the inevitable hype. Over the past two years or so, 5G has been on everyone's mind, and big providers haven't done anything to curb unrealistic expectations. Recently we released our Pocket Guide to 5G Hype to help manage some of the claims that have been floating around that are a little overblown. Shortly after the release of the pocket guide, this week's guest Sascha Segan from PC Mag, contacted us to let us know that he disagreed with some of the content of our resource. Since Sascha has been covering mobile technology for what Chris describes as forever, we wanted to bring him on the podcast to explain what he disagrees with and why. In this interesting discussion, Sascha provides some great education on the intricacies of 5G millimeter waves and the technology and marketing campaigns surrounding them. He and Christopher also talk about fiber deployment and what it will take to bring high quality connectivity to all of the U.S. Now here's Christopher and Sascha Segan from PC Mag.

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. Today I'm talking to a very notable guest, Sascha Segan, PC Mag lead mobile analyst. Welcome to the show.

Sascha Segan: Thanks for having me on. Hi.

...

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