On this episode, we hear from Bruce McClelland, CEO of Ribbon Communications, about his company's work with broadband service providers in the rural US.

McClelland says he took advantage of this last year of lockdown to reach out to policymakers in Washington, DC, and local reps at the state level, to "gauge tone" on rural broadband. We talk about his takeaways from those conversations, as well as the challenging economics around expanding broadband in hard-to-reach areas, why he's enthusiastic about the outcome of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction and more.

The Divide: Ribbon's Bruce McClelland on economics and politics of rural broadband

On this episode, we hear from Blair Levin, who oversaw the creation of the National Broadband Plan under President Barack Obama and served as FCC Chairman Reed Hundt's chief of staff under President Bill Clinton, as well as Clint Odom, senior vice president of policy and advocacy at the National Urban League.

Earlier this year, the National Urban League put forth the Lewis Latimer Plan for Digital Equity & Inclusion, outlining steps toward ending the digital divide and creating a more equitable and inclusive society in the US.

We discuss the goals of the plan, which include deploying networks everywhere, overcoming the significant adoption gap, using networks to improve the delivery of essential services and creating new economic opportunities in the digital economy – and how the National Urban League and others are working with policy makers at the federal level to advance this agenda.

The Divide: Blair Levin and Clint Odom on digital equity and inclusion

Light Reading's Alan Breznick is back on the podcast to discuss whether the NFL's $110 billion deal with a number of streaming video services will be the nail in the coffin for traditional pay-TV bundles.

"Everybody wants football and it's amazing that with football games on so many different places that the NFL is getting overexposed," says Breznick. "But it seems like you can't overexpose the NFL."

In the lineup of streaming services that will now provide access to NFL games, Amazon Prime gained exclusive national TV rights to NFL's Thursday Night Football slate for a cool $1 billion per year.

The move to hosting football games on streaming services also provides viewers with the ability to watch games on a number of different devices, which grants the NFL access to new data and insights into how viewers want to consume content.

LR's Alan Breznick: The NFL's TV deals gave streaming platforms legitimacy, longevity

Light Reading's Mike Dano joins the podcast to discuss which service providers and vendors are pulling ahead in the planning stages for 6G.

In addition, Dano examines whether 6G will reach the terabyte per second speed threshold, and whether the industry will experience a smooth transition from 5G to 6G.

While much is yet to be determined in regard to the benefits of 6G, Dano says there are two tangible improvements coming with the technology: "There's a discussion that 6G will be 80GHz and above that – 95GHz – all these super high-frequency communications. Most people agree that 6G is in even higher spectrum bands." The second tangible improvement, explains Dano, is that 6G could provide more realistic VR experiences where science-fiction movies such as Ready Player One become a reality.

Light Reading's Mike Dano: Six questions about 6G

On this sponsored edition of the Light Reading podcast, we chat with Tyson Marian, Plume's chief commercial officer, about the company's new product, WorkPass. We'll cover what WorkPass is and why Plume is building services for small businesses. As part of that discussion, we'll discuss how Plume uses its experience in managing smart homes – especially its cloud and AI expertise – to help small businesses deal with their most challenging network issues.

As ever, with Plume, it's not just about the end user. The company's biggest customers are some of the world's largest service providers, so we'll discuss how those CSPs will use WorkPass to complement their existing offers and how it works with their current connectivity products and existing back-end systems.

Marian conducts the entire podcast interview from a local small business he frequents to take a break from the WFH life. He offers some firsthand knowledge on how having smart connectivity options can make a difference as small businesses recover from their pandemic setbacks.

Microsoft Azure's Yousef Khalidi curates carrier clouds

Last week's telecom news highlights included some revealing numbers about the annual MWC Barcelona event, the US government walking back an unprecedented cloud computing contract for its defense systems, and a whimsical story about 5G-connected, remote controlled cars in Las Vegas, where the high temperature on July 12 will be 113 Fahrenheit.

Light Reading Recap: Week ending July 9

Gigi Sohn, executive director of the American Association for Public Broadband (AAPB), spoke to Light Reading about municipal broadband networks in the US, including why and where they're popping up the most, where the biggest success stories are, and how her organization is working to defend against efforts by incumbent providers and "dark money" groups to derail community networks. Interview conducted by Light Reading contributor Diana Blass.

Release date: 2/1/2024

Show notes: https://www.lightreading.com/broadband/gigi-sohn-on-the-fight-for-public-broadband

Gigi Sohn on the fight for public broadband

Matt Adams, PLM, Fiber Optics Production and Lab Test for Viavi, joins the podcast to discuss the challenges testing equipment vendors face in the data center. 

Release date: 5/10/2024

Show notes: https://www.lightreading.com/optical-networking/viavi-on-the-pressure-of-pacing-optical-testing-with-ai-demands

Viavi on the pressure of pacing optical testing with AI demands

This week: Officials from Navajo County, Arizona, and eX² Technology, on solving the region's digital divide with an open access, middle mile fiber network, and how middle mile capacity will help the county succeed with BEAD.

Release date: 5/20/2024

Show notes: https://www.lightreading.com/broadband/the-divide-navajo-county-on-building-middle-mile-fiber-in-an-internet-desert-

The Divide: Navajo County on building middle mile fiber in an 'Internet desert'

Charter is working on its latest pay-TV strategy to hold onto and hopefully expand its subscriber count.

Release date: 10/10/2024

Show notes: https://www.lightreading.com/video-broadcast/what-s-the-story-it-s-hard-out-there-for-a-pay-tv-provider

What's the Story? It's hard out there for a pay-TV provider

Telecom East podcast hosts Robert Clark and Ross O'Brien analyze the mobile industry's 6G reset and dissect Huawei's latest financial numbers. Later, they discuss the hot Southeast Asian data center business with Lionel Yeo from STT GDC.

Release date: 4/25/2025

Show notes: https://www.lightreading.com/6g/southeast-asia-s-huge-data-center-buildout

Southeast Asia's huge data center buildout

This week: Eli Dvorkin and Rachel Neches, from the Center for an Urban Future, join the podcast to discuss their report exploring the extent and causes of the ongoing digital divide in the Bronx, New York, and how to solve it.

Release date: 8/18/2025

Show notes: https://www.lightreading.com/broadband/the-divide-digging-into-the-biggest-broadband-barriers-in-the-bronx

The Divide: Digging into the biggest broadband barriers in the Bronx

Prysmian's Matt Brice joins the podcast to discuss how the race to build out AI infrastructure is challenging fiber manufacturers.

Release date: 8/22/2025

Show notes: https://www.lightreading.com/broadband/prysmian-in-the-us-moving-fast-and-not-bending-things

Prysmian in the US: Moving fast and not bending things

In this podcast, SVP Joe Cumello explains why Ciena had its eye on automating OSS platforms for service providers within the Blue Planet division, and how Blue Planet has evolved in the AI era.

AI alone can't fix a messy OSS

Light Reading's Jeff Baumgartner joins the podcast to discuss AT&T's decision to scoop up a swath of EchoStar's low- and mid-band spectrum for $23 billion, what this means for the broader telecom industry and what to expect next.

Release date: 9/2/2025

Show notes: https://www.lightreading.com/5g/what-s-the-story-at-t-s-23b-echostar-spectrum-splurge

What's the Story? AT&T's $23B EchoStar spectrum splurge

In this podcast, Heavy Reading's Sterling Perrin explains why many communications service providers (CSPs) believe AI will increase connectivity demand at a greater rate in their long-haul networks and why they expect wavelength services to be the dominant transport service for AI connectivity.

Release date: 9/3/2025

Show notes: https://www.lightreading.com/ai-machine-learning/csps-bank-on-wavelength-services-to-monetize-ai-traffic

CSPs bank on wavelength services to monetize AI traffic

New Street Research policy analyst Blair Levin joins the podcast to discuss the outcome of BEAD's 'benefit of the bargain' bidding and how federal policy changes may exacerbate the digital divide despite increasing access.

Release date: 9/9/2025

Show notes: https://www.lightreading.com/broadband/the-divide-blair-levin-on-what-s-next-for-bargain-bead

The Divide: Blair Levin on what's next for bargain BEAD

Amid GFiber's ongoing network expansions, the company's COO, Rocco Laurenzano, digs into the company's approach to prioritizing projects and allocating resources. 'The real killer of productivity are half-done projects,' he says.

Release date: 9/15/2025

Show notes: https://www.lightreading.com/broadband/coo-rocco-laurenzano-on-the-gfiber-way-

COO Rocco Laurenzano on the 'GFiber way'

Craig Leddy, a long-time industry journalist and Light Reading contributor, joins the podcast to discuss his new book: 'Fast Forward: The Birth of Video Streaming, Media's Wild Child'.

Release date: 9/23/2025

Show notes: https://www.lightreading.com/cable-technology/new-book-chronicles-the-dawn-of-streaming-and-cable-s-dive-into-digital

New book chronicles the dawn of streaming and cable's dive into digital

SCTE's Maria Popo and Janelle Morse join the podcast to talk themes and topics that will dominate TechExpo 2025 in Washington, DC. Atlanta will host TechExpo 2026, then the show will be in Denver for the foreseeable future.

Release date: 9/24/2025

Show notes: https://www.lightreading.com/cable-technology/tech-and-policy-set-to-collide-at-scte-techexpo-2025

Tech and policy set to collide at SCTE TechExpo 2025

LoRa Alliance CEO Alper Yegin joins Light Reading's Phil Harvey to discuss LoRaWAN’s ten-year journey and its role in powering massive IoT. They also examine why leading operators are investing in LoRaWAN alongside 5G, and where the technology shines.

Show notes: https://www.lightreading.com/wireless/why-operators-and-enterprises-are-turning-to-lorawan

Why operators and enterprises are turning to LoRaWAN

This week: Gigi Sohn, executive director, American Association for Public Broadband, on why the revised BEAD program is unlikely to live up to its initial promise and how public broadband networks can deliver for communities.

Release date: 10/15/2025

Show notes: https://www.lightreading.com/broadband/the-divide-gigi-sohn-on-the-bad-state-of-bead-and-promise-of-public-broadband

The Divide: Gigi Sohn on the bad state of BEAD and promise of public broadband

This week: Paolo Balboa, NYC's chief digital equity officer, joins the podcast to discuss the main barriers to broadband throughout New York, what's been accomplished so far with the city's Digital Equity Roadmap and more.

Release date: 10/27/2025

Show notes: https://www.lightreading.com/broadband/the-divide-paolo-balboa-on-nyc-s-road-to-achieving-digital-equity

The Divide: Paolo Balboa on NYC's road to achieving digital equity

Dell'Oro Group's Jeff Heynen joins the first 'Signal Strength' podcast to discuss the big takeaways from TechExpo 2025, Verizon's new fiber partnership, CommScope's 'RemainCo' and a check into cable earnings season.

Release date: 11/4/2025

Show notes: https://www.lightreading.com/cable-technology/signal-strength-what-s-next-for-docsis-and-verizon-s-fiber-strategy-

Signal Strength: What's next for DOCSIS and Verizon's fiber strategy?

This week: Dave Seliger (NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development) and Dr. Brandy McNeil (New York Public Library) discuss New York's Neighborhood Tech Help program and the role it plays in solving the digital divide.

Release date: 11/6/2025

Show notes: https://www.lightreading.com/broadband/the-divide-how-nyc-is-breaking-broadband-barriers-with-neighborhood-tech-help-

The Divide: How NYC is breaking broadband barriers with 'Neighborhood Tech Help'

Nokia's Geert Heyninck discusses how 25G/50G PON are shaping the next wave of connectivity and how operators can harness them to drive new growth.

Release date: 11/12/2025

Show notes: https://www.lightreading.com/fttx/the-rise-of-25g-and-50g-pon

The rise of 25G and 50G PON

This week: Digicel's Liam Donnelly joins the podcast to discuss how the operator is restoring network services in regions ravaged by Hurricane Melissa. We also cover broader digital divide issues affecting the Caribbean and more.

Release date: 11/17/2025

Show notes: https://www.lightreading.com/broadband/the-divide-how-digicel-is-recovering-from-hurricane-melissa

The Divide: How Digicel is recovering from Hurricane Melissa

Who is the satellite company that's suddenly in the middle of the Sprint/T-Mobile merger discussions? Light Reading editors Mike Dano and Jeff Baumgartner join hosts Phil Harvey and Kelsey Ziser to discuss the past, present and future of Dish Network, the 22-year-old, $15 billion company that said it will build a 5G network and become a viable competitor to AT&T and Verizon.

Dishing on Dish Network

This week on the "What's the Story?" podcast we're talking with Paula Gilbert, editor of Connecting Africa, Light Reading's sister site. Paula has been reporting on the mobile money industry in Africa, including new partnerships between telcos and banks, the pandemic's impact on the sector and more.

She's here to tell us more about the mobile money industry in Africa, how it's evolving, why it matters, and what's likely to happen next.

What's the story: Connecting Africa's Paula Gilbert on mobile money

Max Silber, VP of Mobility and IoT for MetTel, discusses the service provider's IoT strategy for assisting the City of Phoenix in meeting its goal of becoming a zero-waste city by 2050. MetTel has worked with the city to provide automated vehicle location services via IoT-connected devices that monitor fuel usage, route efficiency, scheduling maintenance and more. In addition, Silber explains how MetTel used IoT technology to ensure driver safety, improve vehicle idle management, GPS tracking, Geo-fencing capabilities and provide other services for Brosnan Security's fleet of trucks.

MetTel's Max Silber on how Phoenix is becoming a smart city

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