Broadband Pulse

Ripple Fiber’s Wilson on disrupting the broadband market with a super local approach

Ripple Fiber sees an opportunity to address America’s underinvestment in fiber broadband infrastructure. The company, founded by broadband entrepreneur Greg Wilson, views itself as a disruptor in the U.S. fiber broadband market.
In this latest episode, we talked with Greg Wilson, founder and CEO of Ripple Fiber, a Charlotte-based independent fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) provider founded in 2021.
Greg leads the company's expansion, which aims to build 1.5 million new passings across 15 states over the next five years, following a 2025 merger with fellow fiber broadband provider Hyperfiber.
Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments:
Opening | 0:00
Host introduction of guests | 0:03
Ripple Fiber's emergence | 0:39Wilson notes that underinvestment in the nation’s fiber networks has left the door open for disruptors like Ripple to deploy new broadband infrastructure.
The Ripple Fiber brand | 2:15With a focus on optimism, the Ripple Fiber brand centers on how communities can create opportunities through fiber.
A local feel | 3:42Unlike traditional cable operators and telcos, Ripple focuses on establishing a strong local presence in each market it serves. 
Working with communities | 5:14How Ripple Fiber will engage with community leaders to understand their priorities.
Broadband competition | 6:59Ripple Fiber is looking to be honest with its customers with straightforward pricing, no hidden costs and no bandwidth restrictions.
Cable’s response | 8:52In the markets Ripple enters, the provider sees local cable operators upgrading their DOCSIS platforms and implementing enhanced retention strategies but not building out fiber-based broadband.
Ripple Fiber’s expansion strategy | 9:54The company has created an advanced data set and algorithm to identify underserved and unserved broadband markets.
Broadband provider consolidation |12:04Wilson predicts that 2026 will be a busy year for mergers and acquisitions in the fiber broadband market.
Fiber broadband speeds |12:51Wilson notes that its fiber network supports 10 Gbps and that it will release a new 5 Gbps product soon.
Business services |14:22While Ripple Fiber has focused on residential customers, the service provider plans to launch a business-grade service soon.
Wholesale services | 16:06Today, Ripple Fiber’s focus is on providing fiber broadband to homes and businesses, but Wilson said it has the network capability to address data centers, enterprises and wireless backhaul opportunities as they arise.
Convergence | 17:15 Ripple plans to keep its product set simple with a continual focus on providing high-speed fiber-based broadband services.
Fiber shortages |17:38While there have been reports of fiber shortages, Ripple Fiber maintains that, because it has already planned with its supplier, it does not foresee any issues.
Final thoughts | 18:44Greg Wilson shares his final thoughts about Ripple Fiber’s disruptive approach to the fiber broadband market.  
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/.

Mission Telecom addresses E-Rate cuts with new unlimited wireless services

When the FCC cut E-Rate funding for mobile hotspots & school bus Wi-Fi in September 2025, it threatened internet access for millions of students – hitting low-income and rural students hardest and worsening the digital divide. Nearly 20K schools & libraries were counting on more than $27.5 million to ensure children and families stay connected, but now they’ve been left out to dry. 
But Mission Telecom is serving up a solution to protect affordable Wi-Fi access with a new offer to cover the loss of the revoked E-rate subsidies. The service provider is offering unlimited 4G/5G service at any applicant’s post-discount share of cost on their 471 through June 30, 2026. The new offer builds on Mission Telecom’s Mission-Connect, launched in July, which helped schools and libraries stay connected amidst E-rate uncertainty. Mission-Connect plan delivers affordable, unlimited wireless broadband to schools and libraries with pricing up to 65% below market rates and no contracts.
In this new Broadband Pulse podcast, we talked with Mark Colwell, director of broadband operations at Mission Telecom, about how its new offer will make schools and library budgets whole after the E-Rate cuts.
Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments:
Opening | 0:00
Host introduction of guests |0:03
Mission Telecom’s background | 0:20How Mission Telecom began its life providing educational TV using MMDS spectrum, and later leased spectrum to the broadband wireless operator Clearwire, now T-Mobile.
FCC’s E-Rate eligibility| 2:04Mission Telecom is providing an alternative service to schools and libraries for Wi-Fi on buses and wireless hotspots, which was cut from the E-Rate program.
Mission’s Wi-Fi program | 3:56Mission’s broadband program now has over 120 partners (schools and libraries).
Schools and libraries benefiting from Mission’s program| 5:15Littleton Public Schools (Colorado), Baltimore Public Library, York County Library (Charlotte, NC) and Boston Public Library are all trialing or using Mission’s wireless services.
Mission Telecom’s Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB) partnership | 6:20Advocating for libraries as a key piece in solving the digital divide.
Rural communities | 8:02Mission is helping rural communities through its partnership with T-Mobile, whose low-band spectrum and 5G coverage is a good fit for smaller communities.  
Computers 4 People partnership | 9:33How Mission Telecom works with various non-profit organizations that refurbish devices.
Looking towards 2026 and final thoughts | 10:49Colwell shares how Mission Telecom is gaining traction in the school and library space and how communities are seeking affordability and a way to support their communities.
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/.

Astound Broadband's Sonne on BEAD, broadband partnerships and penetrating MDUs

In this new Broadband Pulse podcast, we talked to Jared Sonne, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Astound West Region.
During the session, Sonne addressed how Astound Broadband is approaching new opportunities with the government's BEAD program, community and commercial broadband partnerships and its ongoing penetration into the multi-dwelling unit (MDU) market. 
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/.
 

Comcast, Dobson Fiber and Spectrum deepen broadband roots in new communities

In this latest issue of Building Broadband, we’re tracking new broadband deployments from various providers.
Today, we’re breaking the summary into two parts—highlighting builds for the weeks ending January 16 and January 9.
For the week of January 16, we’re tracking deployments from Comcast, Dobson Fiber, Glo Fiber, Spectrum, STELLAR Broadband and Ziply Fiber.
Then, for the week of January 8, we tracked deployments from Burlington Telecom, Comcast, Fybe, GoNetspeed, Ripple Fiber and Spectrum.
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/.
 

Broadcom on building Wi-Fi 8 for the AI edge

Unlike previous generations of Wi-Fi that focused on speed, the upcoming Wi-Fi 8 standard (IEEE 802.11bn) focuses on enabling Ultra High Reliability (UHR), consistency, and lower latency in real-world, interference-prone environments. 
Broadcom is taking on the Wi-Fi 8 opportunity full force. As AI reshapes how data moves, Broadcom is taking on Wi-Fi 8 with its recently launched BCM4918 Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) and two new dual-band Wi-Fi 8 devices, the BCM6714 and BCM6719. 
In this episode, we talked to two key members of Broadcom’s Wi-Fi group about how it is addressing the emerging Wi-Fi 8 opportunity:
In this episode, we talked two key members of Broadcom’s Wi-Fi group:
Chris Szymanski, director of product marketing for the Wireless Broadband Communications for Broadcom
And Kevin Narimatsu, associate director of product marketing for Wireless Broadband Communications at Broadcom
Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments:
Opening | 0:00
Host introduction of guests | 0:03
Broadcom’s CES perspective | 0:44 Szymanski shares his views about the show’s Wi-Fi trends.
Broadcom’s Wi-Fi 8 ecosystem | 2:12Narimatsu talks about Broadcom’s new Wi-Fi 8 chips: the BCM 6719 and the BCM 6714.
The AI factor | 3:53Szymanski discusses how AI is impacting next-gen Wi-Fi.
Enterprise Wi-Fi trends | 7:10Szymanski discusses how to deliver seamless Wi-Fi performance for enterprises.
Broadcom’s multi-band Wi-Fi support | 11:18Narimatsu explains that integrating multiple bands enables it to offer a platform at a similar cost point to Wi-Fi 7.
Addressing vertical markets | 12:19Szymanski addresses how Broadcom licenses its Wi-Fi technology for other adjacent markets like automotive.
Addressing cost-sensitive Wi-Fi markets | 14:29Narimatsu sees opportunities for Broadcom to accommodate the unique broadband market dynamics in Europe and other regions.
Final thoughts and closing |16:37Szymanski and Narimatsu provide their final thoughts about their new Wi-Fi platforms and how the market will continue to evolve.
About our guests
Chris Szymanski, director of product marketing for the Wireless Broadband Communications for BroadcomChristopher Szymanski is Director of Product Marketing for Broadcom Inc.’s Mobile Connectivity Division, with a focus on technology strategy, spectrum policy, regulatory affairs, and standards development. Mr. Szymanski serves as Director on the Wi-Fi Alliance Board and the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance Board. Prior to taking on this role, Mr. Szymanski served as Global Trade Compliance Officer, Director of Global Regulatory Affairs, and Secretary of the Political Activity Committee (PAC) for Broadcom Corporation. Before joining Broadcom, Szymanski lived in China for over four years, serving in a compliance and government relations role for a semiconductor foundry. For the last three of those years in China, he also served as co-chair of the Export Compliance Working Group (ECWG) of the American Chamber of Commerce to improve the U.S.-China high-tech trade relationship. Prior to working in China, Szymanski served on Capitol Hill for Congressman Don Manzullo, the House Committee on Small Business, and the U.S.-China Interparliamentary Exchange, advising on manufacturing, trade, and defense policies and accompanying and hosting official delegations to and from China. Szymanski received his master’s in business administration (MBA) from the Washington University Olin School of Business, with a focus on leadership in China.
And
Kevin Narimatsu, associate director of product marketing for Wireless Broadband Communications at Broadcom Narimatsu leads Broadcom’s business development and product marketing team focused on the WLAN retail and service-provider router and OTT video streaming markets. During his tenure at Broadcom, he also served as the associate director of business development for Japan and as the Cisco account manager. Earlier in his career, he held sales and engineering roles at Vitesse Semiconductor and LSI Logic. Narimatsu holds a bachelor’s degree, Electrical Engineering and Economics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
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/.

Comcast lights up broadband for underserved in underserved NJ communities

In this Building Broadband episode of Broadband Pulse, we're tracking new broadband deployments from Comcast, Digital C, Intrepid Fiber Networks, Optimum, Shentel, STELLAR Broadband, and Wyyered Fiber. 
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/.

OIF addresses the need for accelerated optical standards, interoperability efforts

As the demands from AI have created new bandwidth expectations, the Optical Interoperability Forum (OIF) realizes that it has to respond to new demands for industry interoperability in near real time. This was reflected in the OIF’s Next Generation CEI-448G Framework Document, released at its recent Q4 2025 Technical and MA&E Committees Meeting. OIF’s CEI-448G Framework Document defines the application spaces, technical challenges and potential solution paths for electrical interfaces operating at 448 Gbps per lane.
During this podcast, we talked to two optical industry veterans about OIF’s recent CEI documents and its expectations for OIF’s first quarter 2026 Technical and MA&E Committees meeting at the OFC show in March:
Nathan Tracy, President of OIF
And
Cathy Liu, board member of OIF
Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments:
Opening | 0:00
Host introduction of guests | 0:03
Update on recent OIF activities | 0:30Nathan Tracy and Kathy Liu address the OIF’s new CEI 448G framework.
Focus on interoperability | 2:00How AI/ML has created the hardest data rate jump it has ever faced.
OIF’s February Q1 meeting | 6:20Tracy and Liu give a preview of the OIF’s upcoming quarterly meeting and a preview of OFC activities.
Coherent optics | 10:24How the OIF can deliver value by creating coherent optic standards recommendations for shorter lengths, including in campus or building settings.
The Data Center Interconnect (DCI) opportunity |14:25 The OIF is helping its membership address the hyperscale and AI compute needs.
Final thoughts/closing | 16:30Tracy and Liu give their final thoughts about OIF's activities at their upcoming meeting and the OFC trade show in March. 
About our guests
Nathan Tracy, President of OIF Nathan Tracy currently serves as OIF’s President on the Board of Directors. Over the past 13 years, he has also served OIF as vice president of marketing, co-chair of the market awareness and education (MA&E) committee, technical committee chair, and technical committee vice chair. As a technologist on the system architecture team for the Digital Data Networks business unit at TE Connectivity (TE), he is responsible for driving standards activities and working with key customers to enable new system architecture. Tracy has more than 30 years of experience in technology development, marketing, and business development for TE, with a focus on RF/microwave and high-speed signaling technologies for the networking, telecom, wireless, automotive, and defense markets. He is also an active member of other industry standards and associations. He is currently a regular attendee and contributor to IEEE 802.3 and the Ethernet Alliance. Additionally, he is active in several industry MSAs and forums, where he has held leadership roles.
And Cathy Liu, board member of OIFCathy Liu, distinguished Engineer, currently leads Broadcom’s SerDes architecture and modeling group. Since 2002, she has been working on high-speed transceiver solutions. Previously, she developed read channel and mobile digital TV receiver solutions. She specializes in signal processing, FEC, and modeling for high-speed optical and electrical transceiver solutions, has published numerous journal and conference papers, and holds over 20 U.S. patents. She currently serves as the vice president of the board director of Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF), a member of the board of advisors for the department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) of University of California at Davis, a member of Signal Integrity Journal editorial advisory board, and the co-chair of the DesignCon technical track of high speed signal processing, equalization and coding. She received the DesignCon 2021 Engineer of the Year award. She earned her B.S. in Electronic Engineering from Tsinghua University in China and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Hawaii.
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/.

Lyte Fiber’s Old is laser-focused on serving underserved broadband communities

Founded in 2023 in Houston, Texas, by Carter Old and SDC Capital Partners, Lyte Fiber focuses on delivering fiber-based broadband in Texas and beyond. Old, a former US Navy officer, has extensive experience in developing new approaches to broadband delivery and financial expertise across various industry segments. Lyte Fiber is not Old's first fiber rodeo. Before co-founding Lyte Fiber, he co-founded Tachus, which fellow fiber broadband provider Ezee Fiber recently acquired.
Lyte offers both residential and business internet service plans supported by an XGS-PON access network capable of delivering up to 10 Gbps. Today, Lyte Fiber serves nine Texas communities and plans to expand further in the coming year. Old acknowledged that while the fiber broadband industry is “really competitive,” there’s a big opportunity to address underserved communities with fiber-based broadband services.
Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments:
Opening | 0.00
Host introduction of guests | 0:03
Founding Lyte Fiber | 0:18Old discusses how he worked with SDC Capital to form his latest startup.
Network expansion | 3:13How Lyte Fiber has prioritized fiber builds in underserved communities.
Engaging with communities | 5:35Lyte Fiber focuses on leading first with building long-term relationships.
Fiber’s community impact | 8:02How the presence of fiber-based broadband makes a community more attractive for existing and new residents.
Underserved communities | 11:43Old addresses the challenges of bringing fiber to underserved communities.  
Community permitting | 13:12As it moves to get fiber lit in 15 markets, permitting is an all-hands-on-deck effort.
Navigating the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program (BEAD) Program | 15:11The state of Texas recently awarded Lyte Fiber $142 million to connect seven communities.
The broadband M&A wave |18:41Lyte Fiber is actively evaluating potential opportunities.
Broadband competition | 20:22Within Lyte Fiber’s markets, the provider mainly faces competition from cable operators.
Final thoughts/closing | 23:17Looking ahead, Lyte Fiber will focus on scaling, delivering solid customer service, ensuring network reliability, and addressing each community’s needs.  
About our guest
Carter Old is Founder and CEO of Lyte Fiber, LLC, a Texas-based fiber broadband internet company formed in partnership with SDC Capital Partners. Before he founded Lyte, Carter co-founded Tachus, LLC, a Houston-based fiber broadband internet company that he helped build and grow to nearly 160 employees, 70,000+ passed homes, and 20,000+ customers in three and a half years. Under his leadership, Tachus raised over $190 million in total debt and equity capital. While at Tachus, he and his business partner were named finalists for the 2022 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® Central South Awards. In addition to his fiber broadband experience, Old was the co-founder of OmniEarth, an Earth intelligence and analytics company based in Arlington, VA. He also worked at Fieldstone Partners, where he served as Senior Vice President and COO and co-led Fieldstone’s space and ground infrastructure business areas.
Earlier, Old served on active duty for four years as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy. He was initially the First Lieutenant and then the Naval Infantry Officer for USS BULKELEY (DDG 84) on his first tour, and then the Operations Officer for MCM CREW LEADER on his second tour. He attended the University of Texas at Austin on a Navy ROTC scholarship and graduated with a B.A. in Government. He also has an M.B.A. from UT-Austin.
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/.

Bluepeak expands South Dakota broadband with $95M investment; Cajun Broadband completes Vermilion Parish, Louisiana broadband network

In this latest issue of Building Broadband, we’re tracking new broadband deployments from Bluepeak, Cajun Broadband, Comcast, Ezee Fiber, Fidium, Ripple Fiber, Surf Internet and Ziply.
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/.

Arelion’s Fridström on European network expansion and pursuing enterprise services

Arelion enhances its European reach while carving out a position in the ever-evolving enterprise services market.   
As chief evangelist at Arelion, Mattias Fridström is passionate about networking. A nearly 30-year veteran of the service provider, Fridström not only has insights into the networked economy but also into the challenges network providers will face tomorrow in meeting ever-increasing traffic demand and customer quality expectations within the same cost framework. However, his passion is not limited to networks: he has played golf professionally and competed at the national level in football and in in-line hockey (the Swedish name for floorball). 
Arelion has continued to evolve since it began building its network in 1993, when its Autonomous System (AS) 1299 was allocated. The provider has continued to grow organically ever since. The service provider’s network now stretches 77,000 km across Europe, North America, and Asia. Customers connect directly to over 2,900 wholesale customers in more than 129 countries. Also, Arelion has over 450 local access partners worldwide. In 2025, the service provider took a significant step to enhance its European network reach by expanding its Baltic network, constructing a fully diverse, high-capacity route between Helsinki and Warsaw. And while Arelion is a well-known wholesale carrier, earlier this year it began to expand into the enterprise services market. Arelion continues to succeed in selling its products to businesses directly and via agents.
In this podcast, we spoke with Fridström about the service provider’s ongoing network expansion and its move to establish a stronger brand foothold in the enterprise services market.
Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments:
Opening | 0.00
Host introduction of guests | 0:03
Arelion’s recent Baltic to Western Europe network route | 0:27This new network is built to bypass traditionally congested routes, providing resilience for carrier and enterprise customers. 
The EU's Connecting Europe Facility 2 (CEF2) program | 2:07How Arelion is leveraging CEF2 funding to modernize transport networks in underserved areas of Europe, like the Baltics.
Arelion’s European network plans | 3:27Fridström explains how the Baltic expansion fits into the broader European connectivity trends.
Arelion’s network redundancy approaches | 4:22How Arelion’s customers value having multiple network paths to data centers and other critical locations.
Approaching data center opportunities | 5:31Arelion works to provide the best path for extending fiber to new data centers.
Local and regional data centers | 7:03 How new data centers drive Arelion’s network expansion plans.
Arelion’s broad network reach | 8:20The service provider’s network can accommodate customers with global reach needs.
Serving enterprise customers | 9:23How Arelion can apply its wholesale service experience to meet business customer needs.
Establishing an enterprise services brand |10:55Arelion is working to show enterprises that it is a viable provider.
The role of Network as a Service (NaaS) | 12:51While Arelion's view of NaaS is excellent, it faces several challenges.
AI’s influence | 14:32How AI-driven traffic influences Arelion’s network planning process.    
Looking forward to 2026 |16:36Arelion sets its course for carrier and enterprise service opportunities.
Final thoughts and closing |18:32Besides anticipating additional traffic growth, Fridström sees potential upside in the enterprise services market.
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/.