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Light Reading Podcasts
The Divide: Connected Nation's Heather Gate on maps, grants and the 'future-proof' fallacy
Season 2
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On this episode, we're joined by Heather Gate, vice president of digital inclusion at Connected Nation, a nonprofit organization founded in 2001 that works with communities across the US to increase broadband access and adoption. We discuss the organization's work, including its broadband mapping projects and how states are using them. We also discuss the infrastructure law and how Connected Nation is helping states get and deploy the funding they need.
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EchoStar VP: open RAN's 'flexibility is priceless'
25:13EchoStar's Ravinder Jarral explains why the open RAN testing and development initiative, ORCID, was launched and how things are progressing both in the lab and out in the field. ORCID is funded by a $50 million grant from the NTIA.
The Divide: Blair Levin on what the end of Chevron deference means for broadband
31:12New Street Research analyst Blair Levin joins the podcast to discuss the Supreme Court's recent decision to strike down Chevron deference and what it means for broadband policy and the digital divide.
Verizon's Novak: Be on the lookout for internal AI security threats
33:59AI largely isn't the looming security threat that the tech and telecom industries imagined, but internal misuse of GenAI tools could pose a problem.
Digi.City's Collier: Better data use can make our cities smarter
36:26Digi.City's Chelsea Collier points out how cities can become more livable and address spatial and digital inequality by better improving data collection processes.
The Divide: Gigi Sohn on how the FCC could (still) save the ACP
31:09This week: Gigi Sohn on the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program and a new petition asking the FCC to reconsider its Title II forbearance decision and reopen the door to assessing broadband revenues for the USF.
What's the Story? Telecom code red
15:10At the DTW24 event in Copenhagen last week, TM Forum CEO Nik Willetts said the telecom industry is experiencing a code red transformational failure. Light Reading's Tereza Krásová was there, and she explained why that matters and whether the industry feels a sense of urgency about the sector's lack of growth compared to other digital businesses.
The Divide: How Colorado is preparing to award $826M for BEAD
27:28This week: Brandy Reitter, executive director for Colorado's broadband office, on Internet access and adoption challenges, and next steps for the state's BEAD program now that Colorado's initial proposal received NTIA approval.
For digital inclusion, broadband access is just the beginning
33:28South Bend, Indiana's Madi Rogers explains how broadband access is just one aspect of reaching the goal of digital inclusion.
Omdia on the infiltration of AI into telecom services and infrastructure
32:47Omdia Principal Analyst Roz Roseboro explains how AI has historically been used for telecom operations, such as OSS/BSS, but the advent of GenAI and ChatGPT means AI is starting to infiltrate telecom services and infrastructure.