Broadband Pulse cover art

Broadband Pulse

Broadband Pulse

By: Endeavor Business Media
Listen for free

In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we will address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights on these topics from industry leaders.Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
Episodes
  • Welcome to Data Center Insights 2026

    Welcome to Data Center Insights 2026
    Jul 7 2026

    In this podcast, we're highlighting the upcoming Data Center Insights event.

    On July 15 and 16, Lightwave will join several of its “sister” media outlets to host an online conference-style event titled Data Center Insights. Comprising 11 technical sessions, the event will be broadcast from 11:00 am to 3:30 pm EDT each day.

    The full agenda, available at https://endeavor.swoogo.com/DataCenterInsights2026, reflects the breadth of these outlets’ audiences and coverage areas.

    Sean Buckley, Editor in Chief of Lightwave will host the panel: Testing High-Density Fiber Links: Best Practices for VSFF, and 400G+ Networks on Wednesday, July 15 at 1:30 ET.

    Joining Lightwave on this panel will be Jim Davis, Product Application Specialist from Fluke Networks.

    About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.
    Show More Show Less
    6 mins
  • Mission Telecom’s Colwell on reaching 20K families with affordable wireless broadband service

    Mission Telecom’s Colwell on reaching 20K families with affordable wireless broadband service
    Jun 29 2026
    When the FCC voted last fall to strip hotspot and school bus Wi-Fi from the E-Rate program, Mission Telecom responded swiftly – growing its network of partners and launching new services to ensure vulnerable communities were not left behind. The service provider recently reached a key milestone: it connected 20,000 families and impacted 50,000 lives. But it’s not stopping there. Through its Project: Volume Up, Mission is now providing a nationwide initiative designed to help public libraries launch or expand hotspot lending programs in their communities. Volume Up brings together hardware, nationwide 4G and 5G coverage, and nonprofit pricing into a single, ready-to-launch solution – so libraries can quickly get hotspot programs up and running. Partnerships are a big focus. Mission Telecom established partnerships with nonprofits, including CACRC, to close the digital divide by providing affordable computers to Louisiana families who need them most, and it launched the RESPOND Kit – a portable hotspot and broadband solution designed to keep communities connected before, during, and after natural disasters. In this new Broadband Pulse podcast, we talked with Mark Colwell, director of broadband operations at Mission Telecom, about how its new offering will make schools' and libraries' budgets whole after the E-Rate cuts. Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments: Opening | 0:00 Host's introduction of guests | 0:03 Mission’s progress | 0:21 The service provider recently reached a key milestone, connecting 20,000 families and impacting 50,000 lives. Service partnerships | 1:11 Colwell discusses how Mission Telecom expanded its network of partners to help communities bridge the gap created by the FCC's decision to cut hotspot and school bus Wi-Fi from the E-Rate program. FCC's proposed childhood E-Rate service usage protections | 2:50 How Mission views the FCC’s consideration of a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on measures to protect children better when using E-Rate-funded networks. Mission Telecom’s Volume Up program | 4:52 With libraries being Mission Telecom’s fastest-growing segment, Colwell talks about how the Volume Up program helps public libraries launch or expand affordable hotspot lending programs. Belen Public Library | 6:39 How Mission Telecom’s low-cost hotspot program is giving the rural New Mexico community, where many families can’t afford home broadband. Capital Area Corporate Recycling Council (CACRC) device refurbishment | 9:12 Mission works with CACRC to provide low-cost computing devices to families in need. Navigating the BEAD broadband program | 12:01 Colwell notes that non-deployment funds could be a good way to bring broadband to public housing facilities in urban poor communities. Mission bolsters its board of directors | 13:29 Adding new voices like Sabrina Hersi Issa, who will also serve on the board of the organization’s philanthropic arm, Mission Telecom Giving, broadens the board by bringing in people from diverse backgrounds. Final thoughts/Closing | 14:55 Mark Colwell provides his final thoughts. Meet our guest: Mark Colwell is the Interim Executive Director and the Director of Broadband Operations. Before joining Mission Telecom, Mark served as the Senior Manager of Broadband Programs for the Colorado Broadband Office, where he managed a team overseeing federal broadband grant programs, including the Capital Projects Fund (CPF) and the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. In addition, Mark was appointed by Governor Polis to serve on the Colorado Broadband Deployment Board, funding state and federal grants to connect unserved and underserved Coloradans. Colwell began his career as a Legislative Assistant in the U.S. Congress, focusing on telecommunications, spectrum, rural broadband, and IT issues. He also worked as a Senior Business Operations Analyst at DISH Network, managing projects focused on delivering world-class customer experience. Mark earned a master's degree from the Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program at the University of Colorado-Boulder, graduating at the top of his class. About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.
    Show More Show Less
    16 mins
  • Fort Collins Connexion's Josh Hales on making fiber services relevant and competitive

    Fort Collins Connexion's Josh Hales on making fiber services relevant and competitive
    Jun 17 2026

    Fort Collins Connexion, a municipal broadband utility that was created by and for the community, has as its sole purpose to improve life and business in Fort Collins, Colorado through what it says is better, more affordable internet. Connexion offers affordably priced symmetrical multi-gig service with no long-term contracts. In addition to residential broadband, Connexion offers competitive phone and TV services. Also, Connexion has become a key source of broadband and enhanced services for local businesses.

    Joining other Colorado communities like Longmont, Montrose, Boulder and Yuma County, Connexion’s emergence is the result of a Colorado State effort to enable local governments to become broadband providers. Signed into law in 2023, Colorado’s Senate Bill 23-183 repealed the restrictive Senate Bill 05-152. Previously, the 2005 law prohibited most local governments from entering the broadband market or using municipal funds for infrastructure without a local voter referendum. SB 23-183 explicitly eliminates this requirement, allowing cities, towns, and counties to deploy advanced communication services directly.

    Helping to lead the service charge for Fort Collins Connexion is Josh Hales, Senior Manager of Broadband Sales. When the Broadband Pulse caught up with Hales, who has been with Connexion for four years, he said the effect is clear: incumbent cable and telcos are now responding with new broadband options.

    Opening/introduction | 0:03

    Fort Collins’ Connexion fiber focus | 0:24 Hales talks about how Connexion’s fiber network enables it to move quickly on many of the things residents were asking for that weren’t possible on the legacy copper network.

    Broadband evolution | 2:52 Connexion’s gigabit-speed evolution is predicated on staying ahead of the competition and on using it for other applications, such as providing connectivity for a community center in Fort Collins.

    Incumbent provider’s response | 4:43 Traditional providers like AT&T and others are responding with their own fiber-based broadband offerings.

    Gigabit speed subscriber adoption | 7:06 By preparing its network to handle multi-gigabit speeds, Connexion noted that 33% of its newest customers are opting for them.

    Voice and video services | 9:29 While Connexion continues to maintain voice and video services because they ease the complexity of switching, it continues to evaluate adoption rates.

    Community services | 11:48 Connexion is leveraging its fiber network to provide services such as Wi-Fi in city parks and, potentially, smart traffic applications.

    PON technology evolution | 14:09 Connexion is leveraging 25G PON to support its downtown community center Wi-Fi deployment and local businesses that require higher bandwidth.

    Business services growth | 16:00 Given the competitive environment for business services, Connexion is focused not just on selling higher speeds but on reliable connectivity.

    Greenfield housing developments | 20:09 By working with developers during the construction phase, Connexion is helping ensure that every new single-family home or multi-dwelling unit (MDU) is built to be sold in a fiber-ready state.

    Final thoughts | 21:55 The Broadband Pulse gets Josh Hales' final thoughts about his work at Connexion.

    About our guest With over a decade of experience in sales and operations, Joshua Hales is currently serving as the Senior Manager of Broadband Sales at Fort Collins Connexion, contributing to customer acquisition and operational excellence. In previous leadership roles at Comcast and Xerox, Hales honed his expertise in sales operations, project management, and team leadership. He is passionate about driving growth through innovative strategies and collaborative approaches that align with organizational goals. A key focus of Hales is enhancing customer experiences and delivering impactful results in the broadband industry.

    About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.
    Show More Show Less
    23 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.