Unbuffered explores Internet access, digital equity, and local technology solutions, but with a broader lens on how tech shapes our lives, our communities, and our sense of agency. We make technology and technology makes us.
31 min
Loveland’s Pulse Fibrt network just launched 20-gig service! Chris and Brieana Reed-Harmel discuss the upgrade, competition, public safety, and what community-owned fiber makes possible. ★ Support this podcast ★
56 min
Chris, Sean Gonsalves, and Sascha Meinrath dig into Vermont’s speed testing, open broadband data, Starlink’s Ukraine shutoff, and the cute mascots masking AI data grabs. ★ Support this podcast ★
48 min
How can digital equity programs escape the boom-and-bust funding cycle? Chris and Samantha Schartman of Connect Humanity explore co-investment through the Alt Funding Field Guide. ★ Support this podcast ★
The newest 50 of 738 episodes
31 min
Loveland’s Pulse Fibrt network just launched 20-gig service! Chris and Brieana Reed-Harmel discuss the upgrade, competition, public safety, and what community-owned fiber makes possible. ★ Support this podcast ★
56 min
Chris, Sean Gonsalves, and Sascha Meinrath dig into Vermont’s speed testing, open broadband data, Starlink’s Ukraine shutoff, and the cute mascots masking AI data grabs. ★ Support this podcast ★
48 min
How can digital equity programs escape the boom-and-bust funding cycle? Chris and Samantha Schartman of Connect Humanity explore co-investment through the Alt Funding Field Guide. ★ Support this podcast ★
42 min
Should California have to give up its consumer protections to receive federal broadband dollars? Chris and Chao Jun Liu unpack Condition 50, the BEAD contract term that could stop states from enforcing their own Internet laws. ★ Support this podcast ★
52 min
What causes new Internet service providers to stumble right out of the gate, and what is really going on behind the scenes at state broadband offices? Chris, Doug Dawson, Doug Adams, and Jade Piros de Carvalho unpack the hidden operational traps that derail network builds, and the compliance fatigue surrounding the BEAD program. ★ Support this podcast ★
49 min
As ownership caps fall and mega-mergers unite giant media studios, what happens to the future of real journalism? Chris sits down with Free Press's Matt Wood and tech journalist Karl Bode to unpack how media consolidation fuels "enshittification" and erodes local news ★ Support this podcast ★
48 min
Are broadcast license threats being weaponized to silence free speech? Chris, Gigi Sohn, and Berin Szóka unpack Disney’s landmark lawsuit against the FCC and the dangerous rise of regulatory intimidation. ★ Support this podcast ★
42 min
Is national broadband data actually reliable, or are we just taking ISP claims on faith?Join Chris and Sean as they unpack flawed FCC reports, major BEAD dropouts, Starlink tree canopy problems, and the questionable math of DOGE. ★ Support this podcast ★
46 min
Chris and Doug Dawson break down new Ookla FWA data, critique the FCC’s flawed mapping challenges, examine the final BEAD funding numbers, and tackle the wild economics of artificial intelligence. ★ Support this podcast ★
56 min
Can local governments build modern public safety infrastructure without sacrificing citizen privacy or handing millions to private cloud vendors? Former Shreveport CTO Keith Hanson joins Chris to break down the hidden costs of vendor-owned surveillance, the realities of municipal IT bureaucracy, and how cities can use creative, low-cost solutions to retain control over their own data. ★ Support this podcast ★
55 min
Are Flock safety cameras keeping communities safe, or just building a private dragnet for mass surveillance? Chris sits down with independent reporter Daniel Boguslaw to unpack the Flock Safety debate and reveal how everyday citizens are fighting back. ★ Support this podcast ★
31 min
Chris and Doug Dawson discuss a major court ruling that could make Fiber deployment across railroad rights-of-way easier, Starlink’s ambitions to become a mobile network operator, and what recent court decisions could mean for the future of the FCC. ★ Support this podcast ★
35 min
Lee Brown and John Fredericks join Chris to discuss how Erwin Fiber weathered Hurricane Helene and what the community is building back stronger. ★ Support this podcast ★
40 min
From Massachusetts' affordable housing retrofit program to a giant mirror in space, Chris and Sean unpack the latest stories shaping broadband. ★ Support this podcast ★
59 min
What do surveillance, A.I., and broadband policy have in common? Chris and Sascha connect the dots. ★ Support this podcast ★
54 min
What happens when telecom companies are allowed to walk away from providing basic, reliable phone service? Chris, Harold, and Arturo explore AT&T’s push to end its landline commitments in California and why network modernization shouldn't leave vulnerable communities behind. ★ Support this podcast ★
48 min
Chris and Doug Dawson unpack a new survey of rural Americans, the lawsuit over the Digital Equity Act, and what the FCC's latest satellite decisions could mean for the future of our skies ★ Support this podcast ★
53 min
From America's 250th anniversary to BEAD and broadband policy, Chris, Sean, and Karl unpack some of the biggest stories shaping the telecommunications landscape ★ Support this podcast ★
53 min
The story behind the Tribal Broadband Bootcamps and the growing movement to build tribal networks across Indian Country ★ Support this podcast ★
53 min
Chris, Sean, Jordan, and Karl break down SpaceX IPO and Starlink, before Chris sits down with Jeff Gavlinski to preview this year’s Mountain Connect conference in Denver. ★ Support this podcast ★
39 min
A conversation about Longmont's NextLight network, community broadband, affordability, and what it takes to build one of the most successful ISPs in the country ★ Support this podcast ★
53 min
What does it take to build a sustainable model for closing the digital divide? How DigitalC grew to nearly 10,000 subscriber households ★ Support this podcast ★
30 min
What Vermont is getting right — and why Google’s AI search changes feel different ★ Support this podcast ★
53 min
A conversation about digital equity, dark money, and the fight over Internet access ★ Support this podcast ★
49 min
In this episode of Unbuffered, Chris is joined by Ernesto Falcon, Program Manager of Communications and Broadband Policy with the Public Advocates Office for a conversation about competition, mergers, and how to make sure the lowest-income households have access to an Internet connection that allows them to participate in the economy and civic life, as well as access telehealth and educational services on an equitable playing field. ★ Support this podcast ★
54 min
A conversation about AI policy, emergent systems, distributed knowledge, and why the things that are easiest to measure “might not be the right things to measure.” ★ Support this podcast ★
1 hr 4 min
BEAD delays, LEO satellites, permitting, affordability, and why mobile networks may be getting worse ★ Support this podcast ★
48 min
A conversation about how we organize networks—and who they serve ★ Support this podcast ★
1 hr 20 min
An important conversation around what happened when federal agents came to Minnesota—and how communities responded ★ Support this podcast ★
52 min
A deep dive into one of the most successful municipal fiber networks in the country—and what other communities can learn from it ★ Support this podcast ★
1 hr 11 min
Blair Levin returns to reflect on the decisions that built today’s Internet—and why we may not be ready for what comes next in an AI-driven world ★ Support this podcast ★
57 min
Unbuffered launches with a powerhouse roundtable on broadband policy, the FCC, and media consolidation. Karl Bode, Gigi Sohn, Doug Dawson, and Sean Gonsalves dig into whether today’s technology ecosystem is helping or hurting the public ★ Support this podcast ★
3 min
Unbuffered is here. In this kickoff episode, Chris Mitchell introduces a new chapter that builds on Community Broadband Bits while expanding the conversation around Internet access, power, and local control. Tune in for what’s next! ★ Support this podcast ★
45 min
Doug Dawson returns to break down the latest shifts in broadband policy and what they mean on the ground. From funding uncertainty to real deployment challenges, this episode cuts through the noise to focus on what communities should actually be paying attention to ★ Support this podcast ★
42 min
As telecom companies and billionaires consolidate control over media outlets and platforms, what does that mean for journalism and democracy? Chris and Karl Bode unpack the long arc of media consolidation, the decline of local news, and why rebuilding informed communities may require both policy reform and stronger local connections ★ Support this podcast ★
44 min
As communities invest in broadband infrastructure, a bigger question looms: who controls the data flowing through those networks? Sascha Meinrath joins us to unpack the growing intersection of connectivity, surveillance, and civil liberties ★ Support this podcast ★
32 min
Jason Mittler returns to share progress on fiber expansion in Fort Pierce, digital equity efforts in Lincoln Park, and how municipal ownership allows the city to lower rates while strengthening its utilities ★ Support this podcast ★
51 min
Chris Mitchell, Doug Dawson, and Sean Gonsalves break down the latest telecom mergers, Starlink’s push to reshape BEAD rules, and new research showing how lack of competition drives higher prices for consumers ★ Support this podcast ★
50 min
Chris Mitchell, Doug Adams, and Karl Bode break down Starlink’s behind-the-scenes push to rewrite BEAD rules, what it means for accountability and public dollars, and why communities could once again be left holding the bag ★ Support this podcast ★
28 min
Brendan Kelly of REVinternet joins Chris Mitchell and Sean Gonsalves to explain why these neighborhoods are stuck with outdated networks—and how a community-centered approach can finally deliver affordable, reliable Internet where big ISPs have failed ★ Support this podcast ★
45 min
Chris Mitchell is joined by CBN colleagues to share bold predictions on BEAD delays, municipal broadband momentum, and the growing influence of fixed wireless, satellites, and AI ★ Support this podcast ★
41 min
Chris Mitchell sits down with Doug Dawson to cut through the hype, unpack growing uncertainty around federal policy, and explain what communities and providers should realistically expect as 2026 unfolds ★ Support this podcast ★
50 min
Chris Mitchell and Blair Levin look back at predictions and policy delays from 2025, unpack the growing influence of satellites and tariffs, and explore how power, politics, and markets are redefining the future of connectivity in 2026 and beyond ★ Support this podcast ★
51 min
In this year-end roundtable, the Community Broadband Networks team looks back at their 2025 predictions—and reckons with what actually happened. ★ Support this podcast ★
1 hr 2 min
Richard Shockey joins Chris Mitchell to explain how the collapse of the PSTN, weak federal oversight, and a messy transition to all-IP networks threaten everything from 911 reliability to rural connectivity. ★ Support this podcast ★
35 min
Chris Mitchell, Jess Auer, and David Kulp tell the inside story of how community determination transformed Internet access across Western Massachusetts. ★ Support this podcast ★
32 min
Mauricio Rodriguez joins Chris to talk about permitting challenges, land negotiations, environmental surprises, and why setting standards and hiring the right people early is key to actually getting fiber in the ground. ★ Support this podcast ★
49 min
Sascha Meinrath joins Chris to unpack how BEAD funding is drifting toward satellite solutions that can’t scale—and why misleading speed data, space congestion, and political pressure could derail real broadband progress ★ Support this podcast ★
28 min
Doug Dawson joins Chris to break down the latest shakeups in broadband policy, from ISPs gaming the data to NTIA’s controversial BEAD changes and what it all means for communities trying to connect. ★ Support this podcast ★
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