Light Reading Podcasts
Episodes
The Divide: How permitting problems delay broadband builds
08 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week: Execs with Brightspeed, Ziply Fiber and CentraCom discuss the biggest problems with broadband permitting; how inconsistent timelines, requi...
Wireless Infrastructure Association CEO braces for the AI and 6G era
21 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Patrick Halley, the president and CEO of the Wireless Infrastructure Association, discusses the top trends in the industry and how AI and 6G are poise...
The Divide: Blair Levin on 30 years of the Telecom Act and what must come next
15 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Former FCC official Blair Levin joins the podcast to discuss BEAD program updates and how the federal government can best prepare for the future of co...
The Divide: Carol Mattey on BEAD hope and hysteria, and stalled USF reform
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week: Former FCC official Carol Mattey joins the podcast to discuss the outcome of states' revised BEAD plans and what's next, as well as why she...
Cable shows signs of improvement, but is it out of the woods?
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
New Street Research's Vikash Harlalka joins the podcast to discuss cable's latest round of financial results, including the improvements and the signi...
The Divide: IEEE's David Witkowski on broadband progress and the AI impact
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week: IEEE Senior Member David Witkowski joins the podcast to catch up on topics impacting the connectivity landscape – from the BEAD program t...
From Risk to Opportunity: How Network Operators Can Leverage Resilient Positioning, Navigation & Timing
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
With GPS supporting so much of the U.S’s critical infrastructure, it is a known single point of risk. NextNav’s Mariam Sorond joins Light Rea...
Is cable approaching a tipping point on PON?
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Cable ops are going with FTTP in most greenfield buildouts, but a new report from cable industry vet Jay Rolls suggests that some operators are pivoti...
The Divide: Shirley Bloomfield on rural broadband progress, BEAD's 'bargain' and USF
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As she prepares to retire as CEO of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, Shirley Bloomfield joins us to discuss progress on connecting the rural US...
AT&T's copper shutdown project takes 'wireless-first' approach
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Amid more FCC approvals for its copper shutdown plan, AT&T is initially targeting customer service migrations with wireless connections ahead of f...
FWA packs on more marketing muscle
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Wave7 Research's Jeff Moore joins the podcast to discuss how mobile network operators and MNO-owned brands such as TracFone, Straight Talk and Mint Mo...
The Divide: What's up with BEAD non-deployment funds?
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week: Missouri State Rep. Louis Riggs and Benton's Drew Garner join the podcast to discuss the state of the BEAD program and their push to get th...
Ookla's Mike Dano on spectrum sagas and WBD dramas
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Dano, Light Reading's former mobile guy who's now at Ookla, joins the podcast to catch up on all of the intrigue involving mobile and spectrum an...
Managed Wi-Fi: cutting costs and boosting revenue
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nokia's Dirk Verhaegen discusses how operators can transform Wi-Fi from a cost center to a revenue driver with cloud-managed networks and AI insights....
What's the state of play for CBRS?
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
David Wright of Spectrum for the Future and Jason Wallin with the OnGo Alliance discuss how CBRS might be impacted as the FCC and NTIA look high and l...
AI and the future of high-end block storage
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hitachi Vantara's Octavian Tanase, Chief Product Officer joins Light Reading's Phil Harvey to discuss how AI is reshaping enterprise infrastructure de...
The Divide: How Western Massachusetts towns banded together for better broadband
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week: Jess Auer (Institute for Local Self-Reliance) and David Kulp (Ashfield, Massachusetts) on ILSR's new report exploring how 19 Western Massac...
The Divide: How Digicel is recovering from Hurricane Melissa
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week: Digicel's Liam Donnelly joins the podcast to discuss how the operator is restoring network services in regions ravaged by Hurricane Melissa...
The rise of 25G and 50G PON
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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. Hos...
The Divide: How NYC is breaking broadband barriers with 'Neighborhood Tech Help'
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week: Dave Seliger (NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development) and Dr. Brandy McNeil (New York Public Library) discuss New York's ...
Signal Strength: What's next for DOCSIS and Verizon's fiber strategy?
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dell'Oro Group's Jeff Heynen joins the first 'Signal Strength' podcast to discuss the big takeaways from TechExpo 2025, Verizon's new fiber partnershi...
The Divide: Paolo Balboa on NYC's road to achieving digital equity
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 b...
The Divide: Gigi Sohn on the bad state of BEAD and promise of public broadband
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week: Gigi Sohn, executive director, American Association for Public Broadband, on why the revised BEAD program is unlikely to live up to its ini...
Why operators and enterprises are turning to LoRaWAN
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 als...
Tech and policy set to collide at SCTE TechExpo 2025
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 T...
New book chronicles the dawn of streaming and cable's dive into digital
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Craig Leddy, a long-time industry journalist and Light Reading contributor, joins the podcast to discuss his new book: 'Fast Forward: The Birth of Vid...
COO Rocco Laurenzano on the 'GFiber way'
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Amid GFiber's ongoing network expansions, the company's COO, Rocco Laurenzano, digs into the company's approach to prioritizing projects and allocatin...
The Divide: Blair Levin on what's next for bargain BEAD
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
CSPs bank on wavelength services to monetize AI traffic
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Heavy Reading's Sterling Perrin explains why many communications service providers (CSPs) believe AI will increase connectivity ...
What's the Story? AT&T's $23B EchoStar spectrum splurge
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
AI alone can't fix a messy OSS
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode:Why Ciena acquired Blue Planet (01:37)How Blue Planet's strategy has evolved from addressing service provider requirements for network...
Celebrity MVNOs are interesting, but do they help telco sales?
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode:Some background on Zappi and how it provides brands like PepsiCo, McDonald's and Heineken with consumer data and insights to help fuel...
Prysmian in the US: Moving fast and not bending things
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Prysmian's Matt Brice joins the podcast to discuss how the race to build out AI infrastructure is challenging fiber manufacturers. Hosted on Acast. Se...
5G standalone deployments are scaling – now comes the hard part
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Heavy Reading's Gabriel Brown shares highlights from Heavy Reading research that examines why 5G SA deployments are ramping up and wh...
The Divide: Digging into the biggest broadband barriers in the Bronx
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 cause...
New book chronicles cable broadband's 'unexpected' journey
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rouzbeh 'Father of the Cable Modem' Yassini and industry analyst Stewart Schley join the podcast to discuss the story of cable broadband – from...
What's the Story? Intel to spin off network biz
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Light Reading's Iain Morris joins the podcast to unpack Intel's decision to spin off its network and edge assets business (dubbed NEX), what the impli...
Where does the bundle go from here?
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bango's Giles Tongue joins the podcast to discuss the evolution of the bundle as subscription combinations extend well beyond streaming services to in...
Giving data centers their due (diligence) on space, power and cooling
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Misty Duckworth and Randy Kinsey join the podcast to explain how BSP's technical due diligence business is rapidly shifting to the data center market ...
ACA Connects CEO on Trump's big Bill, new BEAD rules and the 'NextGenTV' debate
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
ACA Connects President and CEO Grant Spellmeyer joins the podcast to discuss the regulatory hot-buttons for independent cable operators, including Tru...
'Ask AT&T' gives network management a GenAI facelift
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, AT&T executives explain how the service provider built an internal generative AI (GenAI) tool to more efficiently manage its netw...
The Divide: How a rural Kentucky farm got a broadband boost with Spectrum
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week: Spectrum's Jeff Gehrig joins the podcast with Jennifer Tucker of Tucker Farms in Kentucky, to discuss the connectivity challenges facing th...
How AT&T's FirstNet triages network assets during natural disasters
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast AT&T's Chris Stratmann explains how the FirstNet Response Operations Group (ROG) triages network infrastructure needs for local pu...
What's the Story? Quantum computing meets telecom
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Light Reading's Tereza Krásová joins the podcast to discuss developments in quantum computing, what they mean for telecom and how major players in t...
LG's big US home appliance factory is switching to private 5G
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, LG executives explain how LG's Tennessee-based home appliance factory is applying private 5G and automation across the board – usin...
The Divide: How Telstra quadrupled broadband capacity on Norfolk Island
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week: Telstra International's Sarah Mills discusses the connectivity challenges for Australia's Norfolk Island and how Telstra quadrupled broadba...
More bandwidth, fewer problems: Wi-Fi 7 performance is looking up
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ekahau's Matt Starling is back on the Light Reading Extra podcast to discuss the network performance benefits of Wi-Fi 7, plus Cisco's launch of new W...
Broadband usage rates jumped in Q1. Will it last?
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
OpenVault CEO Mark Trudeau joins the podcast to discuss the big takeaways of the company's quarterly 'Broadband Insights' report. He also provides an ...
The Divide: How inaccurate broadband mapping is still impeding access
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week: BroadbandNow's Tyler Cooper discusses research showing the FCC is still undercounting the number of people in the US without broadband acce...
The Divide: How Mission Telecom and C4P are rolling out low-cost 5G hotspots
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week: Mission Telecom's Mark Colwell and Computers 4 People's Dylan Zajac discuss their non-profit efforts to connect communities in need to broa...
AI technologies are only as good as their managers
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
ESG's Jim Frey joins the podcast to discuss why developing the right tools to provide oversight and coordination across agentic and GenAI technologies...
What's the Story? FCC's EchoStar investigation
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Light Reading's Mike Dano joins the podcast to discuss the FCC's planned investigation into EchoStar's nationwide 5G network buildout, why it matters ...
Waiting for BEAD, tracking the MDU broadband renaissance
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dell'Oro's Jeff Heynen joins the podcast to discuss how the uncertainty swirling around BEAD cast a shadow at Fiber Connect 2025 and how vendors are g...
The Divide: FBA's Marissa Mitrovich on the growth of fiber and future of BEAD
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week: Marissa Mitrovich, VP of public policy at the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA), on the growth of FTTH access across the US, the state of t...
Coherent Routing Comes of Age: Discussing Heavy Reading’s New Survey Results
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Heavy Reading analyst Sterling Perrin sits down with Ciena’s Sr. Director of Product Line Management, Rafael Francis, and...
What's the Story? Charter, Cox to combine
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Light Reading's Jeff Baumgartner joins the podcast to discuss the $34.5 billion Charter-Cox merger, what the deal means for the companies and sectors ...
Telecom East: Samsung gets caught in Trump tariff crossfire
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Telecom East, Ross O'Brien of Delta Analysis talks about Huawei's challenge to Nvidia, Samsung's chips problems and how a small operator ...
Extreme Networks CTO on the trouble with 'AI washing'
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There comes a point when the adage "there's an app for that" becomes too on-the-nose.Enterprises need to be able to manage numerous networking and sec...
The Divide: Trump terminates Digital Equity Act – now what?
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week: Angela Siefer, executive director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), on the impact of President Trump 'ending' the $2.75 bi...
What's the Story? Gogo and the saga of 'rip and replace'
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Light Reading's Mike Dano joins the podcast to discuss how the 'rip-and-replace' program led to an odd network launch plan for Gogo, plus broader impa...
The Divide: How DigitalC is closing Cleveland's connectivity gaps
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week: Joshua Edmonds, CEO of DigitalC, on the nonprofit ISP's history providing connectivity and digital skills training in Cleveland, and how Di...
What's the Story? Telecom and the Trump Tax
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode: Light Reading editors discuss Trump's tariff policies and their immediate impact on telecom, how the industry is reacting to rampant ...
Southeast Asia's huge data center buildout
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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, ...
The Divide: Why states want the feds to 'get out of the way' of BEAD
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week: Missouri State Rep. Louis Riggs and Benton's Drew Garner join the podcast to discuss their collaborative effort with over 100 state lawmake...
Comcast Business gets agnostic with 'dedicated' Internet expansion
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Christian Nascimento explains how Comcast Business has expanded the capabilities of a 'dedicated' Internet service armed with symmetrical speeds and s...
Verizon VP on bringing IoT insights to the NBA
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Verizon's Shamik Basu explains how the service provider is working with customers to manage their Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure, and why the...
The Divide: How federal funds and horses brought broadband to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week: How the Delta Montrose Electric Association used federal funds and fiber-deploying horses to bring broadband to rural regions of Montrose C...
Run3TV nails up app framework for 'NextGen TV'
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Collette, the new CEO of Run3TV, discusses how the company's app framework is setting the stage for a wave of apps and services to run on ATSC...
Multi-gigabit broadband with 10-25-50-100G fiber
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast Nokia's Geert Heyninck dives into the future of fiber broadband, exploring the latest trends, the rise of multi-gigabit speeds, techno...
Why low-power TV stations have high hopes for 5G Broadcast
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
'SuperFrank' Copsidas discusses why low-power TV stations are keen on 5G Broadcast and explains why he's confident that 5G Broadcast tech is poised to...
Analyzing the size and scope of Trump's tariffs
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
PwC's Dallas Dolen digs into the financial impact the tech, media and telecom sectors could see in the wake of President Trump's sweeping tariffs and ...
What's the Story? What cable customers really want
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
During the Cable Next-Gen Technologies & Strategies conference, cable execs discussed using AI and ML to improve customer experience, how their mo...
Nokia’s James Watt discusses technologies addressing hyperscalers and data centers networks at OFC50
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nokia’s Vice President and General Manager for the Optical Networks Division, James Watt, discusses key challenges for hyperscalers and data center ...
Telecom East: The decline in telco capex
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hosts Robert Clark and Ross O'Brien look at China's parallel digital universe and Jio's global O-RAN ambitions, and they speak with Dell'Oro's Stefan ...
John Deere's private 5G network is 'Never Idle'
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, John Deere's Jason Wallin explains the company's strategy for deploying private 5G at its Davenport Works connected factory and why t...
The Divide: How subsea cable cuts put spotlight on Internet resilience
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week: Ryan Polk and Steve Song from the Internet Society join the podcast to discuss the rise in subsea cable cuts and the role of resilient Inte...
Nokia VP on taking private wireless networks out to sea
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Nokia's Stephan Litjens explains how the private network landscape is changing, and how Nokia partners with service providers to...
Verizon Frontline President on why data makes all the difference in a natural disaster
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this Light Reading Extra podcast, Verizon Frontline's Maggie Hallbach explains how the service provider is supporting the delivery of data insights...
SES brings AI, ML to space
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this Light Reading Extra podcast, SES' Nadine Allen explains how the satellite operator is applying AI, ML and SDN to improve application and netwo...
Verizon CTO on energy-efficient AI and building telco APIs
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Verizon CTO Yago Tenorio joins the podcast to discuss how the service provider is bringing AI capabilities closer to customers, and why it's working w...
Speed isn't a top concern for wireless subscribers – Opensignal
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Opensignal's Sylwia Kechiche joins the podcast to explain what customers really want from their wireless service providers, and why fixed wireless acc...
The Divide: How affordable broadband benefits the economy
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode features Dr. Paroma Sanyal, principal at the Brattle Group, a consultancy working on a range of issues including telecom, finance and con...
Telecom East: The bandwidth business in the age of hyperscalers and AI
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hosts Robert Clark and Ross O'Brien cover SK Telecom's AI revenues, Goldman Sachs tapping into Asia's data center boom and some 5G standalone stats. T...
Heat is a huge villain in mother nature versus the network
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How cable company Optimum prepares for inclement weather, and why extreme heat can create the most network management headaches. Hosted on Acast. See ...
Machine spurning: Light Reading's editors recap MWC Barcelona 2025
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Light Reading's editors discuss what they've seen and experienced at MWC Barcelona as the telco industry continues its years-long push to tame artific...
Boingo CEO Mike Finely on venue networks and AI's potential
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Boingo CEO Mike Finley joins Senior Editor Kelsey Ziser in a brief chat at MWC Barcelona to discuss the company's advancements in providing connectivi...
FirstNet's dedication starts with a dedicated mobile core
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At MWC Barcelona, AT&T's Scott Agnew, president of FirstNet, discusses the public safety network's capabilities and technology direction as compet...
The Divide: ACA Connects' Brian Hurley on policy priorities for BEAD and beyond
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brian Hurley joins the podcast ahead of the ACA Connects Summit (March 4-6) to preview this year's conference, the trade group's overarching message o...
EXA CEO: It's not just AI driving data center demand
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Light Reading Podcast, EXA Infrastructure CEO Jim Fagan examined what's driving new data center launches and demand for data ce...
What's the Story? Ericsson CTO sees brighter days ahead for FWA, private 5G networks
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ericsson CTO Erik Ekudden is optimistic about growth in the fixed wireless access, AI and private networks market. But, competition is fierce and ente...
Blair Levin on what's next for BEAD, spectrum policy and the new FCC
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Policy expert and former FCC official Blair Levin joins the podcast to discuss changes on the horizon for BEAD, spectrum policy, US broadband strategy...
What carriers think about AI
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Peter Jarich, head of GSMA Intelligence, joins the podcast to discuss the organization's new study focused on carriers AI strategies, what carriers ar...
What's the Story? Comcast, Charter look beyond speeds and feeds to redefine broadband
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Facing subscriber losses and rising competition, Comcast and Charter are adopting low-latency tech and convergence strategies to stand out in broadban...
Verizon doubles 5G radio deployment for Super Bowl LIX
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Light Reading met with Verizon on-site at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans to get a closer look at the network infrastructure the operator has ins...
The Divide: How the end of Affordable Connectivity Program is hurting low-income Americans
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Danielle Perry, board member at the National Lifeline Association (NaLA), joins the podcast to discuss the results of NaLA's consumer survey showing t...
How and why telcos are spinning gold out of copper
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Copper network retirement and transition initiatives are 'definitely picking up,' says TXO's Dave Evans. TXO, which aids such projects, believes this ...
The Divide: NDIA's Angela Siefer on the importance of digital equity funding
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week: Angela Siefer, executive director, National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), joins the podcast to discuss the group's plans to use federa...
What's the Story? Unclear ROI for D2D satellite messaging
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many direct-to-device messaging services remain in the development stage, and the market for D2D messaging is small. That makes the ROI for these serv...
Evolution Digital breaks out a new broadband ARPU booster
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Evolution Digital CEO Chris Egan on why his company's investment in Ubiety could clear a new way for Evolution's broadband partners to differentiate a...
Xumo's Marcien Jenckes talks TV shipments, 'deep interest' in operator-distributed TVs
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At CES, Light Reading chatted with Xumo President Marcien Jenckes about the performance of Xumo's smart TV business, plans for retail and market expan...