Episode 445: Inside Tarana’s Mission to Close the Digital Divide with Carl Guardino

In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, host Brad Hine sits down with Carl Guardino, Vice President of Government Affairs and Policy at Tarana Wireless, recorded at WISPAmerica 2025 in Oklahoma City. With a career spanning decades in public policy and leadership—including 24 years as CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group—Carl brings a deep understanding of how innovation, advocacy, and infrastructure intersect in the fight to bridge the digital divide. Carl shares Tarana Wireless’ origin story, which was born from a graduate research project at UC Berkeley by three international students determined to solve connectivity challenges in underserved communities. Now deployed in 24 countries and nearly every U.S. state, Tarana’s cutting-edge fixed wireless technology delivers high-speed, low-latency broadband—even in non-line-of-sight conditions—offering a compelling and cost-effective alternative to traditional fiber. The conversation describes the critical four “legs of the broadband table”: affordability, reliability, high speed, and low latency. Carl emphasizes the need for technology-agnostic, standards-based solutions—especially with $42.5 billion in BEAD funds at stake—and explains why real-world demonstrations and direct engagement with state officials, tribal communities, and local ISPs are essential to success.