Rural Broadband Today
Latest Episodes
Rule Changes Expand Fiber Options in Washington, With Will O’Donnell
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
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 rate of re
Despite Fiber Funding, Poor Areas Could Still Be Left Behind, With Jordana Barton-Garcia
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 side of the di
Are Broadband Labels the Strings Attached to Funding?, With Jeff Smith
While broadband providers enthusiastically welcome government funding to build and expand networks, Vantage Points 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
In this crossover episode with Lead Tennessee Radio, Paige Shapiro, Tennessees federal program officer for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) and Digital Equity programs, discusses
Louisiana is Dishing Out GUMBO Grants to Built Broadband, With Thomas Tyler
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
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 importa
Looking Back on a Ten-Year Electric-Telco Broadband Partnership in Minnesota, With John Twiest
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
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
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 co