Delivering high-speed internet and voice services throughout the midwest, Nextlink Internet has experienced radical, organic growth over the past decade and has become the one of the largest wireless internet service providers in the nation. Nextlink differentiates itself based on an obsession with great customer service, whether the service is provided with wireless or fiber. Nextlink maintains redundancy and reliability by ensuring even in highly rural areas that it utilizes multiple wireless backhaul connections on licensed links, and has a healthy amount of fiber in its diet across its footprint.

Join us on the next episode of Fiber for Breakfast as Bill Baker, CEO of Nextlink talks with Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association about Nextlink’s expansion projects, recent deployments and its collaborative efforts with the Seward County Chamber of Commerce as they recently announced the grand opening of the county’s first Digital Empowerment Center.

FFB Episode 240 - Fixed Wireless & Fiber - A Winning Combination for Nextlink

As work, commerce, and society move online, reliable internet access has become essential. In 2000, only 1% of U.S. adults had home broadband, compared to 80% today. Without faster speeds and higher adoption, the U.S. would have lost $1.3 trillion in economic growth from 2010–2020. Since 1996, the private sector has invested $2.2 trillion in broadband infrastructure, with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act adding $65 billion in federal funds. Still, 10% of households (12.7 million) lack a broadband subscription. New investments aim to close this gap, but extreme weather and rapidly evolving technologies pose ongoing challenges.

On our next episode of Fiber for Breakfast, join us as Ed Barrett, President of HR Green’s Broadband Business Unit talks with Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) and covers the latest broadband report card grade published by the American Society of Civil Engineers and covers important areas of research on broadband capacity, materials cost for last-mile broadband deployment methods, funding, operations and maintenance and more.

*Telecom Advisory Services, “The Contribution of Fixed Broadband to the Economic Growth of the United States between 2010 and 2020,” 2022

With Special Guest:

Ed Barrett, President of HR Green’s Broadband Business Unit

FFB Episode 241 – Grading American Broadband: Findings of the 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure

The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program promises to transform connectivity in underserved communities — but securing funding has been anything but simple. In this episode of Fiber for Breakfast, Bree Maki, Director of Minnesota’s Office of Broadband Development, joins Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, to share real-world challenges and best practices for navigating BEAD. From financing hurdles and Build America Buy America (BABA) compliance to permitting delays, pole access, workforce pressures, and shifting federal guidance, they break down the complexities providers face — and how the industry is adapting.

With Special Guest:

Bree Maki, Director of Minnesota’s Office of Broadband Development

FFB Episode 242 - Best Practices When Dealing with BEAD Complexities

Network slicing is emerging as one of the most promising developments in broadband. By enabling real-time customization at the network level, slicing could allow customers to prioritize performance for specific needs—whether that’s streaming, gaming, remote work, or even short-lived secure connections for activities like online banking.

But how close is this concept to reality, and what does it mean for providers and the broader industry? In this episode of Fiber for Breakfast, Nick Saporito, Head of Product at GFiber Labs, joins FBA President & CEO Gary Bolton to unpack the potential of network slicing, the role automation will play, and the steps needed before it can be widely deployed.

With Special Guest:

Nick Saporito, Head of Product at GFiber Labs

FFB Episode 243 - Fiber Slicing: Unlocking a More Open, Customized, and Secure Experience

Discover how granular location and coverage data is transforming broadband deployment knowledge, funding planning and deployment strategies. Powered by tools like historical coverage data via CostQuest’s Time Series Dashboard and Broadband in America report, stakeholders now have unprecedented visibility into broadband availability and buildout trends for fiber and broadband technologies. This clarity enables both public and private entities to precisely target resources—time, capital, and infrastructure—toward markets that align with strategic goals.

Join us for the next episode of Fiber for Breakfast with Gary Bolton, FBA’s President & CEO to hear from Jim Stegeman, CEO CostQuest on how CostQuest’s Fabric location level data along with the FCC’s Broadband Coverage data allow entities to identify build out trends and reveal true coverage gaps and create effective public and private funding strategies.

With Special Guest:

Jim Stegeman, CEO CostQuest

FFB Episode 244 - From Data to Deployment: Powering Smarter Broadband Decisions

What does it really take to age in place successfully? Beyond healthcare and housing, it’s about connection—and that’s where fiber broadband comes in. From telehealth and online learning to smart home safety and staying close to family, fiber is redefining what independence looks like for older adults.

This week on Fiber for Breakfast, Tom Kamber, Founder & Executive Director at OATS (Older Adults Technology Services), from AARP a leader in helping older adults thrive with technology talks with Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association and dives into how broadband is transforming aging in America, and why this presents both a responsibility and an opportunity for providers.

With Special Guest:

Tom Kamber, Founder & Executive Director at OATS (Older Adults Technology Services)

FFB Episode 246 - Aging in Place: Powered by Fiber

Grand Farm is a collaborative network of growers, startups, corporations, researchers, educators, investors, and government partners working together to solve agricultural challenges through applied technology. Based in North Dakota, with projects and partnerships across the country, Grand Farm supports real-world testing and validation of technologies like autonomous equipment, IoT sensors, and AI-driven tools that rely on strong broadband infrastructure.

In this episode of Fiber for Breakfast, Dr. William Aderholdt, Executive Director of Grand Farm, joins Gary Bolton, President & CEO of FBA to discuss how fiber broadband is accelerating innovation in agriculture. The conversation will focus on how connectivity enables everything from field-level data collection to the adoption of advanced tools across rural communities, helping bridge the gap between AgTech solutions and the growers who need them.

With Special Guest:

Dr. William Aderholdt, Executive Director of Grand Farm

Fiber For Breakfast Episode 247 - The Future of Agriculture Grows on Fiber

Data demand isn’t slowing down—and networks can only stretch so far. As service providers race to keep up, the challenge is no longer just building connections, but ensuring they can stand the test of time.

This week on Fiber for Breakfast, Bryan Darr, Vice President of Government Affairs at Ookla, joins Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, to explore how state broadband offices can stay ahead of the curve.

While fiber remains the backbone of new deployments, the updated BEAD program suggests a bigger role for alternative technologies than many state plans first envisioned. That shift makes ongoing performance monitoring more critical than ever. It’s not enough to declare a network complete—offices must track reliability and capacity for years to come.

Why? Because oversubscription and insufficient backhaul can undermine even the most ambitious projects. And as Darr and Bolton will discuss, some technologies make it easier to add capacity when demand inevitably spikes.

Don’t miss this timely conversation about planning, performance, and the real-world strategies to keep broadband strong for the long haul.

With Special Guest:

Bryan Darr, Vice President of Government Affairs at Ookla

FFB Episode 248 - How Speed Test Measurements are Designed to Improve End User Experiences

The broadband industry is at a turning point. Dell’Oro Group’s newly released 5-Year Forecast projects that the global Broadband Access Equipment market will climb steadily through 2029, with revenues peaking in 2028. Behind the numbers are powerful forces reshaping the industry: fiber expansion, DOCSIS 4.0 upgrades, and the rapid adoption of Wi-Fi 7 and fixed wireless.

This week on Fiber for Breakfast, Jeff Heynen, Vice President of Broadband Access and Home Networking at Dell’Oro Group, joins Gary Bolton, FBA President & CEO, for a must-hear discussion on what’s coming next. They dig into the technologies and strategies including:

The next wave of PON and DOCSIS investment and its competitive implications.
How Fixed Wireless and Wi-Fi 7 are set to transform home connectivity.
Why providers must pivot from “homes passed” to customized services, automation, and AI-driven platforms.

This isn’t just a forecast—it’s a roadmap for where broadband is headed. Whether you’re a network operator, vendor, or investor, this conversation will help you understand how to future-proof your strategy, and what customers will demand next.

With Special Guest:

Jeff Heynen, Vice President of Broadband Access and Home Networking at Dell’Oro Group

FFB Episode 249 – Dell’Oro Group 5-Year Broadband Access & Home Networking Forecast

Today, many technologies can advertise 100/20 “broadband,” but few providers deliver those speeds consistently. Consumers are sold “up to” speeds – yet speed test data shows that while fiber consistently delivers as promised, other technologies fall short most of the time. On today’s Fiber for Breakfast, Jonathan Chambers, co-CEO, Conexon talks with Gary Bolton, FBA’s President & CEO about how the industry must move beyond theoretical definitions to accountability based on actual, verifiable performance. The question is simple: are customers really getting what they paid for?

With Special Guest:

Jonathan Chambers, co-CEO, Conexon

FFB Episode 250 – All Broadband Is Not Created Equal: The Practical Divide Between Marketing Claims, Speed Tests and Delivered Speeds

The Fiber Broadband Association provides advocacy, education and resources to companies, organizations and communities who want to deploy the best networks through fiber to the home, fiber to the business and fiber everywhere.  Get Association updates and Fiber for Breakfast The Fiber Broadband Association's weekly 30-minute live video discussion hosted by our President and CEO, Gary Bolton, and featuring industry thought leaders on current topics that explore fiber as the critical infrastructure for 21st century communications as well as other connectivity and workplace issues presented during these challenging times.

FFB Episode 240 - Fixed Wireless & Fiber - A Winning Combination for Nextlink

Fiber for Breakfast with Gary Bolton

Related tracks