Connected Nation
This is Connected Nation – an award-winning podcast focused on all things broadband. From closing the Digital Divide to simply improving your internet speeds, we talk technology topics that impact all of us, our families, and our communities. The podcast was honored in 2024 with an Award of Excellence for Podcast Series - Technology. This is the highest honor given by the Communicator Awards. More recently, the podcast received an Award of Distinction in 2025. It received the same honor in 2023 and 2022. Learn more about the national nonprofit behind this podcast at connectednation.org.
Episodes
In this episode of Connected Nation, we continue our coverage from the Broadband Communities Summit in Houston, Texas.
Jessica Denson speaks with Tyler Dempsey and Shelby Smith of Sonar Software about what sets their OSS/BSS platform apart in a rapidly changing industry—and why launching their new podcast “Bandwidth” is part of building stronger connections.
Later, we hear from Adeyinka O. Ogunlegan, Chief of Staff and VP of Federal...
On this episode of Connected Nation, we continue our coverage live from the Broadband Community Summit in Houston, Texas.
We talk with Heather Gate, Executive Vice President of Digital Transformation for Connected Nation about the summit and the topic she's focused on. But as you'll hear, things didn't quite go as we'd planned. I like to call this one. You never know who you're gonna meet when you're w...
On this episode of Connected Nation, we continue our coverage from the Broadband Community Summit, and we talk with the president and CEO of MCNC, about its role connecting schools and healthcare facilities across North Carolina.
We also talk about the importance of middle mile infrastructure and the high stakes of an upcoming court decision.
Recommended Links:
Today we begin our in-depth coverage of the Broadband Communities Summit taking place in Houston, Texas.
On this episode of Connected Nation, we talk with Joseph Wender, Executive Director of the SHLB Coalition about what's happening this week to critical funding that's used to connect our nation's schools and libraries.
UPDATE: On June 27, the Supreme Court upheld the program in a 6-3 decision
Recommended Links:
Why does workplace energy matter — and how can we build it?
Dana Spencer, known as “The Energy Expert,” joins us to share how she’s helping organizations revitalize employee productivity, morale, and team dynamics using her Five S framework.
From remote work boundaries to self-awareness and the power of a simple smile, this episode will leave you feeling recharged.
Recommended Links:
On this episode of Connected Nation, we talk with a representative from the Broadband Communities Summit about the topics and speakers attendees can expect in Houston, Texas — and why now is a critical time to come together.
Find out what Brad Randall has to say about the new BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) rules—and how Total Telecom is involved in the Broadband Communities Summit.
Recommended Links:
On this episode of Connected Nation, we sit down with Bill Baker, CEO of Nextlink Internet, to explore how this Texas-based provider is leading the charge in expanding broadband across 12 states—serving some of the country’s most rural and underserved communities.
Baker shares the extraordinary origin story of Nextlink, explains what “radical, organic growth” means, and unpacks the company’s unique approach to fiber and fixed wirele...
On this episode of Connected Nation, we’re diving into proposed changes to the federal E-rate program — and what those changes could mean for schools, libraries, and the millions of students who rely on internet access to learn.
Our guest, Mark Colwell, Director of Broadband Operations at Mission Telecom, brings years of experience in federal and state broadband policy to the table. He explains how efforts to scale back E-Rate fundi...
Hurricane season is here — and it’s expected to be one of the most active on record. In this episode of Connected Nation, we sit down with three industry leaders who know exactly what it takes to keep people online before, during, and after a disaster.
Together, they unpack real lessons from 2024’s devastating Hurricane Helene, including how to prepare for outages, deploy emergency Wi-Fi, and coordinate with first responders — and w...
On this episode of Connected Nation, we take you to Wichita, Kansas for an historic event – the groundbreaking of the first Internet Exchange Point in the state.
We talk with those who have been working toward this moment for years – about what an Internet Exchange Point is, why it’s important to individuals, businesses, and communities, AND the effort to bring this same infrastructure to 125 towns across the country.
Rel...
In this episode of Connected Nation, Jessica Denson revisits with Ben Elkins, CEO of Utah Broadband and AireBeam, to discuss the outsized impact that small and medium-sized internet service providers (ISPs) can have on closing the Digital Divide.
From strategic builds in underserved communities to innovative fiber solutions in mobile home parks, Ben shares how these regional providers are solving last-mile connectivity challenges, ...
What do YOU think motivates some people to put their own needs aside to help others? We talked with one extraordinary teenager who is taking action to the close the Digital Divide – by helping both senior citizens and those dealing with homelessness.
On this episode of Connected Nation, we head to Birmingham, Alabama to meet the 2025 National Student Broadband Hero Award honoree – Michael Schmalz.
Related links:
Teens Teach Te...
On this episode of Connected Nation, we wrap up our coverage of the Connected America conference with a powerful conversation about bridging the Digital Divide. Host Jessica Denson is joined by Viviana Cohuo, Lead Project Manager for AT&T’s Corporate Social Responsibility team.
They dive into AT&T’s nationwide efforts to build digital skills through programs like Teens Teach Tech powered by AT&T, Ready Tech Go workshops...
The retirement of copper landlines is accelerating — and many businesses aren’t ready.
On this episode of Connected Nation, guest host Grant Ahlbrand speaks with Max Silber, Vice President of Mobility and IoT at MetTel, to explore why this shift is happening now, what it means for essential services and businesses, and how digital solutions can deliver safer, smarter, and more cost-effective communication infrastructure.
Whether yo...
On this episode of Connected Nation, we tackle a topic impacting millions of students across the country — how to sustain digital access in K-12 education.
As federal programs end, only 27% of states are ready to keep kids connected. Jessica Denson talks with Pam Lloyd, Ph.D., Strategic Advisor at Connected Nation, and Ji Soo Song, Director of Projects and Initiatives at SETDA, about a new report that outlines strategies to prevent...
In this episode of Connected Nation, we continue our coverage from the Connected America conference in Irving, Texas.
Our host, Jessica Denson sits down with the Editor-in-Chief at Working Nation, to discuss the importance of digital skills in today’s workforce and how digital navigators are bridging the connectivity gap.
Later, Jessica speaks with an individual from Lead for America about their efforts to support digitally disconn...
On this episode of Connected Nation, we talk with leadership from Calix – a company that “helps broadband service providers simplify, innovate, and grow.”
Learn how the company is shifting the focus from being a service provider to a “experience” provider, what exactly that means, and and how the unique approach is actually aiding in the response to natural disasters in the U-S.
Recommend Links:
On this episode of Connected Nation, we’re doing things a little bit differently. That’s because March 24, 2025 marks our five year anniversary since launching.
We’ll take you through the very distinct moment in time we got started, how we’ve evolved since, and what are favorite episodes have been over the last five years.
Related links:
Press release announcing five-year-anniversary
First episode (S1, Ep. 1) - Teleme...
On this episode of Connected Nation, we continue our coverage from the Connected America conference, where we dive into the latest in broadband innovation and policy.
First, we hear from Belden Precision Optical Technologies, a company that was recently acquired by Belden, about how this shift is driving new opportunities in fiber connectivity. Then, we sit down with Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Officer of the Michigan High-S...
On this episode of Connected Nation, we continue our coverage from Connected America in Irving, Texas, by exploring the Startup Village, where innovation is driving connectivity forward.
First, we sit down with Huw Rees from NetExperience, a company revolutionizing managed Wi-Fi for apartments, student housing, and hotels. Then, we meet Yishai Amsterdamer, CEO of Litelinx, whose company is introducing smart fiber, a game-changing t...
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