Lead Tennessee Radio

With utilities receiving millions of dollars in funding for broadband buildouts, it’s vital that companies follow the requirements for their loans or grants. Scott Goodale tells us how JSI is encouraging utilities to use an all-hands-on-deck attitude for large projects until the job is accomplished.

Apprenticeships in broadband markets may be a great way to help solve the workforce shortage. The programs are a great alternative to a college education and offer excellent training for a future career. Craig Barber, founder and CEO of Hatbox, joins the podcast to discuss how he began working in the broadband industry as an apprentice, and what he’s doing now to support apprenticeships in the telecom industry.

The fifth round of ReConnect opened up in spring 2024. A total of 148 applications were submitted, amounting to $1.97 billion in funding requests. However, only $700 million is available for awards. At the time of recording, only 10-11 awards had been determined, but more are expected to be announced in the coming months. James Wilson and Tyler Hayes, RUS representatives for Kentucky and Tennessee respectively, join the podcast to tell us what they are seeing across the landscape and what they are expecting to occur in the future.

Leif Oveson, vice president of government affairs at NTCA, discusses the 5th Circuit Court’s decision in regards to the constitutionality to of the Universal Service Fund and what the legal process is going forward. He also discusses the BEAD program and some of the hurdles smaller broadband providers are facing in pursuing those grant and loan dollars.

The BEAD program has started rolling out, and each state has different requirements. It's like having 50 different trains, leaving 50 different stations, for 50 different destinations. Brooke Coleman, account manager at Nokia, joins the podcast to give us an update on the BEAD program from her perspective. What can broadband service providers expect during the next few years as grants are awarded and construction begins?

Tyler Campbell, executive director of the Kentucky Rural Broadband Association, joins the podcast to discuss the upcoming 2024 Fall Conference & Supplier Showcase scheduled for Oct. 21-23. You can register for the event here.

The annual TNBA Convention & Showcase will be here before we know it! What changes have been made and what can attendees expect from the 2024 convention? Charlie Boring, this year’s convention committee chair, joined the show to tell us all about it. The convention is June 4-6. Register today at www.tennesseebroadband.com/events.

National Engineers Week is Feb. 18-24. To celebrate, Matthew Boynton, engineer at BTC Fiber, joined the podcast to tell us about his journey to telecom engineering, and to help our listeners understand how engineering impacts every area of our daily lives.

Paige Shapiro, Tennessee’s federal program officer, gives our listeners a BEAD status update, including Tennessee’s required filings and an estimated timeline for the disbursement of the state’s $813 million allocation.

Connecting to homebuyers can be a difficult task for broadband marketers. Thankfully, it is a lot easier with Fiber Homes — an online service that real estate agents can use to inform their clients about houses that have fiber internet and point them directly to the local ISP for service. Kaleigh Cox, director of marketing at DxTel, tells our listeners about Fiber Homes on this podcast episode.

Students from Motlow State Community College's SkillsUSA chapter have won both national and state competitions in several categories, including telecommunications-related fields. Joe Marco, instructor at Motlow, discusses the benefits of SkillsUSA and how local broadband providers can prepare the future technical workforce of America.Joe Marco is also a cybersecurity research engineer at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Lead for America’s mission is “to build a leadership force of moral, dynamic and locally rooted leaders committed to serving the communities they call home in every corner of this country.” Cadie Bergan, senior recruitment and selection manager, gives an overview of Lead for America, a nonprofit organization that connects volunteers in service opportunities across the country.

Tyler Campbell, executive director of the Kentucky Rural Broadband Association, joined the podcast to discuss the upcoming 2023 Fall Conference & Supplier Showcase from October 10-12. You can register for the event at https://www.tennesseebroadband.com/events/kta-tnba-fall-conference-supplier-showcase-2/.

When dollars budgeted for marketing were not going to be used during the early months of the pandemic, Twin Lakes decided to repurpose that money for grants in the communities they serve. Four years later, Twin Lakes has awarded a quarter of a million dollars to local organizations that make positive impacts in the community. Lea Ann Gore, marketing and sales manager, joined the show to discuss how the program works and the benefits seen through the program.

Carrie Huckeby sat down with Greg Smartt to discuss how the TNBA continues to advocate for broadband expansion in Tennessee. They also discuss some of Greg’s goals as the board president for the next year.

Lori Duncan, associate professor at the University of Tennessee, discusses how precision agriculture increases efficiency and sustainability on Tennessee’s farms. Of course, none of this would be possible without access to reliable internet!

Guy Benson, policy director in regulatory affairs at JSI, discusses the importance of broadband labels and gives guidance on how broadband providers can prepare for the FCC’s requirement of the labels in the coming year.

Laura Withers, Vice President of Strategic Communications at NTCA—The Rural Broadband Association, discusses the perks of being designated as a Smart Rural Community and how members can leverage the designation to benefit their community.

Kristin Burdette, customer experience supervisor at Loretto Telecom, explains her vision to consistently deliver excellent communications to employees and the community.

Taylre Beaty, Tennessee's Broadband Director, discusses how the state can effectively use broadband grant funding to make the biggest impact in both infrastructure and adoption across the state.