Send us a text On this episode on Connected Nation, we continue our coverage from rom Calix ConneXions 2025, taking place in Las Vegas Nevada. We talk with one man who just struck out on his own in the telecom and broadband industry, despite some of those uncertainties. Find out how he's planning to leverage his 35 years in the business to help others, and why he believes it was now or never. Recommended links: Calix ConneXions 2025 Waypoint 33 website Randall Rene LinkedIn

Send us a text On this episode on Connected Nation, we continue our coverage from rom Calix ConneXions 2025, which took place in Las Vegas in mid-October. We sat down with the Corporate VP of Marketing for Calix to discuss innovating customer success, implementing a smarter AI, and using a little showmanship to drive the messages home. Recommended links: Calix ConneXions 2025 Scott Neuman Calix Corporate Vice President of Marketing LinkedIn

Send us a text On this episode of Connected Nation, we talk with leadership from Mac Mountain. A recently launched company that's taking a unique approach to expanding broadband by helping other businesses grow. Listen and find out how the model works and what led to this non-traditional approach to expanding access to more homes and businesses. Recommended links: Mac Mountain Website Alex Rozek LinkedIn Scott Sampson LinkedIn

Send us a text In this episode of the Connected Nation podcast, we talk with Bree Maki, Executive Director, Minnesota Broadband Office. Listen as we discuss the next steps for connecting everyone in Minnesota! Recommended links: Minnesota Broadband Office Website

Send us a text On this episode of Connected Nation, we begin our coverage from Calix ConneXions 2025, taking place in Las Vegas Nevada. We talk with Jacob Smithee, the Director of IT from a Co-op in Alabama, about the challenges of bringing high speed internet to extremely rural areas. Plus we find out what he hopes for connectivity in his state and how his company recently helped the Navajo Nation with a completely different problem. Recommended links: Calix ConneXions 2025 Flash...

Send us a text On this episode of Connected Nation, we're joined by a special guest who has spent nearly a decade researching the Digital Divide and meeting many of those who are directly impacted by it. Find out what Dr. Christopher Ali is working on now AND the claim he says many broadband leaders need to stop making now or risk creating more harm. Recommended links: Get "Farm Fresh Broadband: The Politics of Rural Connectivity" Dr. Christopher Ali Penn State Universit...

Send us a text On this episode of Connected Nation, we talk to a father and son team who rep a host of manufacturers in the broadband space. Find out how their model fills the needs of a wide range of companies, programs, and projects. Recommended links: Communications Marketing Systems - https://superrep.com/ Ken Lazear (dad) and Jake Lazear (son) https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-lazear-586a20149/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacoblazear/

Send us a text On this episode of Connected Nation, we ask what the Danish can do to help build out broadband in America? I talk to a rep with Lynddahl Telecom about the product they're now manufacturing in the US to do just that. Recommended links: Lynddahl Telecom website Pete Spehr, SVP of Sales, Lynddahl Telecom America - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-spehr-0437042/

Send us a text On this special edition of Connected Nation, we head back to Wichita, Kansas one last time for the AI Interconnection Summit, which took place on Thursday, September 11th. This time we talk with leadership from Stevens Fiber Group and Moonshot Energy about what they do, why Kansas is on their radar, and the reason this summit was their can't miss event. Recommended links: AI Interconnection Summit website Stevens Fiber Group's website Allen Meyer's Linkedin profile ...

Send us a text On this special edition of Connected Nation, we head BACK to Wichita, Kansas for an AI Interconnection Summit. This time, we talk with the woman many credit with greenlighting the FIRST EVER Internet Exchange Point in Kansas and with one CEO who is going to help make it a reality. Recommended links: AI Interconnection Summit website Socket Fiber website Jade Piros de Carvalho Linkedin profile iM Data Centers website Mike Roark Linkedin profile

Send us a text On this episode of Connected Nation, we continue our coverage from Mountain Connect 2025 as we sit down with broadband entrepreneur Scott Sampson, CEO of Blueprint Broadband and founder of Light Craft and Mac Mountain to talk about the fast-changing tech landscape. Hear how his ventures are supporting ISPs with financing, operations, and shared services and why collaboration is the key to closing the Digital Divide. Recommended links: Scott Sampson LinkedIn Blueprint Broa...

Send us a text On this special edition of Connected Nation, we head to Wichita, Kansas for a first-of-its-kind event – an AI Interconnection Summit. We begin our coverage with Ivo Ivanov - the CEO of DE-CIX - one of the world’s biggest names when it comes to internet infrastructure. Find out why he felt it was critical to travel to America’s heartland for the summit, what his company is doing there in the long term, and why what’s happening there will ultimately impact us all. Re...

On this episode of Connected Nation, we are joined by the leadership at the Range, which is short for regional accelerator and new growth engine. Learn how the organization is focusing on creating incredible innovation and everything from energy and food production to workforce development and healthcare in one of the most rural areas of America, the Texas Panhandle. Recommended Links: The Range website The Range LinkedIn Matt Garner LinkedIn

What makes Fort Collins’ community-owned internet one of the best ISPs in the nation? Find out from their Broadband Executive Director on this latest episode of the Connected Nation podcast. Join us as we sit down with Chad Crager to discuss how this city-built network is redefining customer service, digital inclusion, and the future of broadband. Recommended Links: Chad Crager LinkedIn Fort Collins Connexion

On this episode of Connected Nation, we continue our coverage from Mountain Connect 2025 as we sit down with Connected Nation's very own Brent Legg, Executive Vice President, Government Affairs. We discuss the one-of-a-kind Connected Nation Internet Exchange Point (IXP) joint venture with Newby Ventures and why it's so important for the future of connectivity. Learn about the latest policy and infrastructure needs—PLUS the challenges and opportunities ahead in 2025–2026. Recommended links: Ne...

On this episode of Connected Nation, host Jessica Denson talks with Mike Miller, Broadband Practice Leader at HDR—a 107-year-old company that recently entered the broadband space. Discover how HDR is leveraging its Matrix model to tackle complex challenges, from Dig Once initiatives to the rapid demand for data centers nationwide. Learn why open access networks, middle-mile redundancy, and forward-thinking infrastructure planning are key to preparing for an AI-driven future. Recommended...

On this episode of Connected Nation, recorded live at Mountain Connect 2025 in Denver, Colorado, host Jessica Denson sits down with Osmo’s Troy Cross, Vice President of Sales, and Sadie Conley, Demand Generation Specialist. Osmo powers “frictionless support” for industry giants like AT&T, Google, and Verizon—helping customers resolve device issues quickly and easily. Now, they’re turning their attention to smaller ISPs, offering scalable, cloud-based solutions that can give provider...

On this episode of Connected Nation, we continue our coverage from Mountain Connect 2025 as we sit down with Angela Siefer, Executive Director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA). We discuss the origins and mission of NDIA, the evolving landscape of digital equity, and how AI is shaping the next Digital Divide. Learn about the importance of local digital navigators, the role of ISPs and tech companies, and why digital inclusion is ultimately a human challenge. Recommended ...

On this episode of Connected Nation, we continue our coverage from Mountain Connect 2025 with two women from Colorado State University Pueblo—Dana Lambert, Director of Digital Equity, and Juliann Sandoval, Digital Navigator. Their program is closing the digital divide across southern Colorado by providing free laptops, broadband access, and personalized digital skills training to students, seniors, veterans, and others in need. Learn how their work is making a difference, why digital literacy...

On this episode of Connected Nation, we kick off our Mountain Connect 2025 coverage from Denver, Colorado. Jessica Denson sits down with Jerry Smith, Broadband Manager for Los Alamos County, New Mexico. The conversation dives into how his county is deploying an innovative open access fiber network, partnering with a sovereign tribal nation, and improving middle-mile redundancy in a remote but tech-savvy area. Recommended Links: Jerry's LinkedIn Mountain Connect Website