The Broadband Bunch
Welcome to the Broadband Bunch, a podcast about broadband and how it impacts all of us. Join us to learn about the state of the industry and the latest innovations and trends. Connect with the thought leaders, pioneers and policymakers helping to shape your future through broadband. The Broadband Bunch is sponsored by: ETI Software: www.etisoftware.com VETRO: www.vetrofibermap.com
Episodes
August 26, 2025 • 54 mins
In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, host Pete Pizzutillo speaks with Tracy Doaks, President and CEO of MCNC. Tracy shares her journey from state CIO to leading MCNC, which operates the North Carolina Research and Education Network.
She discusses MCNC’s 5,000 miles of fiber, its role in telehealth, and how middle-mile networks empower last-mile providers to serve rural communities. The conversation covers broadband as infrastru...
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August 19, 2025 • 61 mins
In this episode of the Broadband Bunch, host Pete Pizzutillo sits down with Ronan Kelly, Managing Director of AllPoints Fibre Networks in the UK. Ronan shares his 30-year journey through the broadband industry—from the early days of dial-up with U.S. Robotics to leading innovative fiber deployments across Europe.
The conversation explores the consolidation of UK alt-nets, the creation of AllPoints Fibre’s wholesale-only model, and...
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August 14, 2025 • 29 mins
In this episode of the Broadband Bunch, recorded at Fiber Connect 2025 in Nashville, Brad Hine sits down with Jason Moore, Co-Founder and CEO of RouteThis, to explore the challenges of delivering flawless in-home connectivity. Jason shares his career journey from silicon design and consumer tech to building a global platform that empowers ISPs, technicians, and subscribers to diagnose and resolve network issues right at the device ...
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August 12, 2025 • 31 mins
In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, host Brad Hine interviews Juan Pinzon, a project manager at Aspire Communications, from Fiber Connect 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Juan shares insights into the evolution of Aspire Communications from a small startup into a broadband service provider. With a focus on fiber optic network design and construction, Aspire has grown significantly, particularly in Florida and California. Juan dis...
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August 7, 2025 • 32 mins
In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, recorded at WISPAmerica 2025 in Oklahoma City, host Brad Hine sits down with Steve Schwerbel, Director of State Advocacy at WISPA, to explore the landscape of broadband policy across all 50 states. Steve shares thoughts on how state-level legislation, BEAD funding, and advocacy strategies are shaping the broadband deployment—particularly for fixed wireless providers.
They discuss WISPA's tec...
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August 5, 2025 • 35 mins
In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, recorded live at Fiber Connect 2025 in Nashville, host Pete Pizzutillo sits down with Joe Hickey, President of PomeGran, for a conversation about the realities of expanding rural broadband in Canada. Joe reflects on his 35-year career spanning telecom, defense electronics, wireless, and broadband, sharing how his passion for connecting communities has shaped his work today.
The discussion ex...
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July 31, 2025 • 37 mins
In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, host Brad Hine sits down at WISPA America 2025 in Oklahoma City with Matt Mandel, Vice President of Government Affairs at WISPA. With over two decades of experience navigating Capitol Hill, Matt shares a behind-the-scenes look at broadband policy advocacy, from engaging with Congress and federal agencies to representing the needs of WISPs across the country.
The conversation explores the rol...
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July 29, 2025 • 37 mins
In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, host Brad Hine welcomes back Jeff Gavlinski, CEO of Mountain Connect, for a preview of the 2025 Mountain Connect Conference in Denver, Colorado. Now in its 11th year, Mountain Connect is known for its focus on honest dialogue, practical innovation, and community-centered solutions.
Jeff tells how the conference has evolved from a regional Colorado event to a nationally recognized broadband f...
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July 28, 2025 • 40 mins
In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, host Pete Pizzutillo sits down with Gene Crusie (CEO and Head Coach), Kevin Bush (Chief Revenue Officer), and Amber Rodriguez (Senior Director of Growth Marketing) from Surf Internet. Together, they share the story behind Surf’s mission to bring future-proof fiber connectivity to underserved communities across the Great Lakes region.
From their early roots as a fixed wireless and dial-up ISP...
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July 24, 2025 • 37 mins
In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, recorded live from WISPAmerica 2025 at the Oklahoma City Convention Center, host Brad Hine sits down with Josh Johnson, CIO of Fibersmith. With over 25 years in telecom and software development, Josh offers a look into the evolution of OSS/BSS, the power of automation, and the responsible integration of AI in broadband operations.
Josh shares the origin story of Fibersmith’s dual focus on en...
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July 22, 2025 • 20 mins
In this episode of the Broadband Bunch, recorded live on day three of Fiber Connect 2025 in Nashville, host Pete Pizzutillo sits down with Tony Stout, Chief Technology Officer at CDG. With nearly 30 years in the telecom industry, Tony shares how CDG—a 55-year-old OSS/BSS provider—continues to innovate by building a next-generation, AI-native platform called Elements.
Tony tells about CDG’s digital transformation journey, including...
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July 21, 2025 • 28 mins
In this episode of the Broadband Bunch, recorded live at Fiber Connect 2025 in Nashville, host Brad Hine welcomes Stephen Farnsworth, Chief Revenue Officer at gaiia. Stephen shares gaiia’s compelling origin story—how it evolved from the in-house OSS/BSS platform of Canada’s fastest-growing ISP, OXIO, into one of the most talked-about disruptors in the U.S. broadband market. The conversation explores how gaiia is redefining the way ...
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July 17, 2025 • 33 mins
In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, host Brad Hine is joined by returning guest Lori Adams, Vice President of Broadband Policy and Funding Strategy at Nokia, for a conversation on the evolving BEAD landscape. This episode breaks down the June 2025 policy updates that have reset the BEAD program, including revised tech neutrality standards, rescinded grant awards, and a compressed 90-day reapplication window.
Lori shares on-the...
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In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, host Pete Pizzutillo joins Kim Morrison, Vice President of Growth and Customer Delivery, and Ben Poppie, Vice President of OSP, from Circet USA, at Fiber Connect 2025 in Nashville. Kim and Ben discuss Circet’s transition from KGP Services and how the company is leveraging its European roots to expand its presence and capabilities in the U.S. market.
They reflect on the current state of the f...
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July 14, 2025 • 17 mins
In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, recorded live at FiberConnect 2025, host Pete Pizzutillo sits down with Janet Price, Director of Engineering for Telecon U.S. With over four decades of experience in the telecom industry, Janet shares her insights on the evolving landscape of fiber deployment, the impact of BEAD funding, and the importance of permitting and pre-construction planning in today’s broadband projects.
Janet discu...
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July 10, 2025 • 47 mins
In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, host Brad Hine sits down with Chris Draper, Board Chair at SafetAI, recorded live at day two of the Community Broadband Action Network (CBAN) conference in Ames, Iowa. With broadband providers increasingly overwhelmed by promises of “AI-infused” solutions, Chris brings clarity and expertise to the conversation around artificial intelligence in utilities and broadband.
Drawing from his experi...
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July 8, 2025 • 39 mins
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 ...
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July 7, 2025 • 27 mins
In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, recorded live from Fiber Connect 2025, host Brad Hine sits down with Stephen Rose, CEO of Render Networks, for a conversation about the evolving broadband landscape and the role of intelligent infrastructure. Stephen shares his journey from global telecom operations to leading innovation at Render, drawing on past leadership roles at IBM, Nokia, and the Nobel Prize-winning Nokia Bell Labs.
T...
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July 3, 2025 • 20 mins
In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, recorded live at Fiber Connect 2025 in Nashville, host Brad Hine welcomes Charlene Gavel, President and CEO of SaskTel, to the show. Fresh from her "Operator Lightning Talk" presentation titled Lighting Up Saskatchewan, Charlene shares the remarkable journey of SaskTel—from its origins as a provincial telephone department in 1908 to its current role as a cutting-edge technology leader in Cana...
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July 1, 2025 • 32 mins
In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, host Brad Hine sits down with Dr. Christopher Ali, the Pioneers Chair in Telecommunications and Associate Professor at Penn State’s Bellisario College of Communications. Recorded live at the CBAN Spring Summit, the conversation explores the evolving landscape of broadband policy and BEAD funding. Dr. Ali offers a grounded perspective on what it will truly take to close the digital divide, emp...
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